First-ever Philadelphia Orchestra Season Preview Concert set for October 13

A Free, Exclusive Sneak Peek at 2012-13 Subscription Concerts!

(Philadelphia, September 27, 2012)—The Philadelphia Orchestra has announced that it will hold its first-ever free Season Preview Concert on Saturday, October 13, at 8:00 PM in Verizon Hall. For those who have not yet purchased their subscriptions for the 2012-13 season, this event is not to be missed! Join Assistant Conductor Cristian Macelaru and The Philadelphia Orchestra for an unprecedented sneak peek at this season’s exciting highlights before the Orchestra’s eighth music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, takes the podium on Opening Night, October 18. In addition to an excerpt from Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Wagner’s “The Ride of the Valkyries,” Gershwin’s An American in Paris, and more, concertgoers will also have a chance to hear the meaning behind the music, as Macelaru gives the audience a guided tour of the performance—sharing candid insights and little known facts about each piece. The evening will also feature a performance by pianist Alexander Liu, a winner of the 2012 Albert M. Greenfield Competition in the Children’s Division—an annual competition dedicated to fostering and recognizing extraordinary young talent in the Greater Philadelphia region.

With free general admission ticketing, patrons will have the rare opportunity to take Verizon Hall for a test drive to find their seat of choice for the season and a new vantage point in the Kimmel Center. Experience the thrill of the Conductor’s Circle; get up close and personal in the Orchestra Tier; get a never-before-seen view from the front row; and more. Plus, anyone purchasing a season subscription on-site will pay absolutely zero processing fees, receive a $25 Garces Gift Certificate to the PECO Intermission Bar at the Kimmel Center featuring food prepared by Garces’s renowned chefs, and have the option to create a customized 4-concert series. Admission is free and limited to four tickets per reservation. Seating is limited so reserve your spot today by visiting www.philorch.org/seasonpreview. 

The Philadelphia Orchestra

Renowned for its distinctive sound, beloved for its keen ability to capture the hearts and imaginations of audiences, and admired for an unrivaled legacy of “firsts” in music-making, The Philadelphia Orchestra is one of the preeminent orchestras in the world.

The Philadelphia Orchestra has cultivated an extraordinary history of artistic leaders in its 112 seasons, including music directors Fritz Scheel, Carl Pohlig, Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy, Riccardo Muti, Wolfgang Sawallisch, and Christoph Eschenbach, and Charles Dutoit, who served as chief conductor from 2008 to 2012. With the 2012-13 season, Yannick Nézet-Séguin becomes the eighth music director of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Named music director designate in 2010, Nézet-Séguin brings a vision that extends beyond symphonic music into the vivid world of opera and choral music.

Philadelphia is home and the Orchestra nurtures an important relationship not only with patrons who support the main season at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts but also those who enjoy the Orchestra’s other area performances at the Mann Center, Penn’s Landing, and other venues. The Philadelphia Orchestra Association also continues to own the Academy of Music—a National Historic Landmark—as it has since 1957.

Through concerts, tours, residencies, presentations, and recordings, the Orchestra is a global ambassador for Philadelphia and for the United States. Having been the first American orchestra to perform in China, in 1973 at the request of President Nixon, today The Philadelphia Orchestra boasts a new partnership with the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. The Orchestra annually performs at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center while also enjoying a three-week residency in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and a strong partnership with the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival.

The ensemble maintains an important Philadelphia tradition of presenting educational programs for students of all ages. Today the Orchestra executes myriad education and community partnership programs serving over 45,000 annually, including its Neighborhood Concert Series, Sound All Around and Family Concerts, and eZseatU.

For more information on The Philadelphia Orchestra, please visit www.philorch.org.

FREE SEASON PREVIEW CONCERT

October 13 at 8:00 PM – Saturday evening – Verizon Hall at The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

The Philadelphia Orchestra

Cristian Macelaru Conductor

Alexander Liu Piano

Wagner                                     “The Ride of the Valkyries,” from Die Walküre

Beethoven                                First movement from Piano Concerto

Liszt                                          Les Préludes

Bach/orch. Stokowski              “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme”

Ravel                                        La Valse

Gershwin                                 An American in Paris

For tickets, please visit www.philorch.org/seasonpreview

CONTACT:

Katherine Blodgett

Vice President of Public Relations and Communications

phone:  215.893.1939

e-mail:  kblodgett@philorch.org

Jesson Geipel

Public Relations Manager

phone: 215.893.3136

e-mail: jgeipel@philorch.org

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