Opening Night Concert and Gala of The Philadelphia Orchestra to be held at the University of Pennsylvania on October 13

Due to ongoing labor negotiations between the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and IATSE, Local 8, the 112th Orchestra season opener will be performed in Irvine Auditorium under the direction of Chief Conductor Charles Dutoit and will feature soprano Dawn Upshaw. The Gala Dinner, which follows the concert, will be held at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology.

(Philadelphia, October 7, 2011)—The Philadelphia Orchestra announced today that it is moving the location of its 2011-12 Opening Night Concert and Gala to the University of Pennsylvania. The concert, which is led by Chief Conductor Charles Dutoit, will be performed at the historic Irvine Auditorium in the Perelman Quad. The concert begins at 7:00 PM as originally scheduled and will be performed without intermission. The Gala Dinner, which immediately follows the concert, will be held at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology. Renowned soprano Dawn Upshaw will perform as scheduled and the announced orchestral repertoire is currently being evaluated based upon the change in venue.

The decision to shift the location of the Opening Night Concert and Gala for the Orchestra was made based upon the uncertainty of the outcome from the labor negotiations between the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and IATSE, Local 8, scheduled for the week of October 10. To ensure that the Opening Night Concert and Gala occurs in full—and without interruption—The Philadelphia Orchestra evaluated several alternate venues for this special event, ultimately selecting the University of Pennsylvania as host.

“We wholeheartedly support the efforts of the Kimmel Center to reach an agreement with its respective labor unions in a manner that is responsible for all of the arts organizations to thrive within Philadelphia,” said Ari Solotoff, Executive Vice President of The Philadelphia Orchestra. “However, the Opening Night Concert and Gala is an important night for our Orchestra and more importantly, for our patrons. It was imperative that we find a way to ensure that the music played on and that we toasted our Musicians upon their return to the Philadelphia stage, despite the labor issue facing the Kimmel Center. We are incredibly grateful to the University of Pennsylvania for welcoming our world-renowned ensemble and our guests to campus on Thursday evening.”

The Philadelphia Orchestra has three additional concerts scheduled at Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center—all led by Chief Conductor Charles Dutoit—in the immediate days following the Opening Night Gala and Concert. Currently, the Orchestra plans to play these concerts—and all concerts within the 2011-12 season —in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center. However, The Philadelphia Orchestra continues to evaluate alternate venues for upcoming performances should labor negotiations between the Kimmel Center and IATSE, Local 8, reach impasse. Any decisions with regard to changes for the concerts scheduled on October 14, 15, and 16 will be announced no later than Thursday, October 13 at noon.

“Certainly, the Kimmel Center is the home of The Philadelphia Orchestra and it is both our preference and intention to play in this venue, if available to us,” said Solotoff. “Perhaps more than anyone, the Orchestra recognizes the time and energy needed to complete labor negotiations and we are hopeful that this current issue facing the Kimmel can be resolved quickly. We are committed to performing the entirety of our season in Verizon Hall and we hope that all of the parties involved will make every accommodation for our concerts to continue there.”

The Opening Night Concert and Gala is presented by The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Volunteer Committees, which was formed in 1904—four years after the Orchestra’s first concerts. This year marks the 25th year of the committees’ outstanding work in planning festivities to celebrate the Orchestra’s Opening Night. All patrons scheduled to attend Opening Night and all those attending the Gala festivities, will receive special communiqués from The Philadelphia Orchestra and its Volunteer Committees offering additional details related to the event’s change in venue.

To purchase tickets for the Opening Night Concert please call 215.893.1999 or visit www.philorch.org. To purchase tickets for the Opening Night Gala, please call 215.893.1956.

The Philadelphia Orchestra

The Philadelphia Orchestra is among the world’s leading orchestras. Renowned for its artistic excellence since its founding in 1900, the Orchestra has excited audiences with thousands of concerts in Philadelphia and around the world.

With only seven music directors throughout more than a century of unswerving orchestral distinction, the artistic heritage of The Philadelphia Orchestra is attributed to extraordinary musicianship under the leadership and innovation of Fritz Scheel (1900-07), Carl Pohlig (1907-12), Leopold Stokowski (1912-41), Eugene Ormandy (1936-80), Riccardo Muti (1980-92), Wolfgang Sawallisch (1993-2003), and Christoph Eschenbach (2003-08). After 30 years of a celebrated association with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Charles Dutoit continues the tradition as chief conductor.

Since Mr. Dutoit’s debut with the Orchestra in July 1980 he has led hundreds of concerts in Philadelphia, at Carnegie Hall, and on tour, as artistic director of the Orchestra’s summer concerts at the Mann Center, artistic director and principal conductor of the Orchestra’s summer residency at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, and now as chief conductor. With the 2012-13 season, the Orchestra honors Mr. Dutoit by bestowing upon him the title conductor laureate. Yannick Nézet-Séguin assumed the title of music director designate in June 2010, immediately joining the Orchestra’s leadership team. He takes up the baton as The Philadelphia Orchestra’s next music director in 2012.

The Philadelphia Orchestra annually touches the lives of countless music lovers worldwide, through concerts, presentations, and recordings. Each year the Orchestra presents a subscription season at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, education and community partnership programs, and annual appearances at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center; it also regularly tours throughout the world. Its summer schedule includes performances at the Mann Center, free Neighborhood Concerts throughout Greater Philadelphia, and residencies at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.