Bravo! Vail Music Festival (July 9–17)
Mann Center for the Performing Arts (July 22–24)
Saratoga Performing Arts Center (August 11–August 14)
(Philadelphia, May 27, 2021)—The Philadelphia Orchestra will reunite with in-person audiences for performances this summer at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Principal Guest Conductor Designate Nathalie Stutzmann, Assistant Conductor Erina Yashima, former Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève, and William Eddins will lead captivating and varied programs featuring soloists Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Joshua Bell, Yefim Bronfman, Anne-Marie McDermott, Gil Shaham, and more.
Bravo! Vail Music Festival
The Orchestra kicks off its summer season at the annual Bravo! Vail Music Festival with six performances led by Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Principal Guest Conductor Designate Nathalie Stutzmann in her Bravo! Vail debut, and former Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève. Stutzmann will conduct the first Philadelphia Orchestra performance of Saint-Georges’s Violin Concerto No. 9 with Gil Shaham, as well as works by Beethoven and Dvořák (July 9). She will also lead Principal Clarinet Ricardo Morales in Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, in a program that also features Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 (“Italian”) and the Orchestra’s first performance of Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) (July 10).
Denève continues the series with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Jean-Efflam Bavouzet in his Philadelphia Orchestra debut, as well as works by Ravel and Prokofiev (July 11). First Associate Concertmaster Juliette Kang will perform Barber’s Violin Concerto in a program with Walker’s Lyric for Strings and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 (July 15).
Nézet-Séguin concludes The Philadelphia Orchestra’s summer at Vail with Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1 and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Yefim Bronfman (July 16). Bravo! Vail’s Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott joins Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestra for the final concert, featuring Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25; Valerie Coleman’s Seven O’Clock Shout, written in honor of frontline workers during the pandemic; and Brahms’s Symphony No. 1 (July 17).
Mann Center for the Performing Arts
The Philadelphia Orchestra returns to the Mann Center for three programs. Assistant Conductor Erina Yashima begins the series with the annual Tchaikovsky Spectacular, featuring selections from Swan Lake, the 1812 Overture, andRococo Variations featuring Principal Cello Hai-Ye Ni (July 22). She will also conduct Saint-Saëns’s Introduction and Rondo capricciosowith Principal Second Violin Kimberly Fisher, as well as Musorgsky’s Pictures from an Exhibition and Coleridge-Taylor’s Petite Suite de concert (July 23). William Eddins leads the final program of the series features the North American premiere of Disneyand Pixar’s Toy Story in Concert, featuring a screening of the complete film with Oscar®- and Grammy®-winning composer Randy Newman’s musical score performed live to the film (July 24).
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Concluding its summer season, The Philadelphia Orchestra returns to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) for four programs led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The week begins with Nézet-Séguin conducting the Orchestra from the piano as soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 12, in a program that also includes Price’s Symphony No. 1 (August 11). Concertmaster David Kim and First Associate Concertmaster Juliette Kang—in her SPAC solo debut—will perform Bach’s Concerto in D minor for Two Violins and String Orchestra in a program that also includes Coleman’s Seven O’Clock Shout and Brahms’s Symphony No. 1 (August 12). Next, Nézet-Séguin will lead selections from Composer-in-Residence Gabriela Lena Frank’s Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout, Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2, and Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto featuring Principal Clarinet Ricardo Morales (August 13). Joshua Bell will join the final performance of the summer season in a program that features Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, Price’s Adoration in a world premiere arrangement for solo violin and strings, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 (August 14).
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2021 residency is supported, in part, by Lisa Kabnick and John McFadden in honor of SPAC staff and board for their heroic efforts to bring music back to the stage this summer.
The Philadelphia Orchestra Summer Calendar
(July 9–August 14, 2019)
Stutzmann Conducts Shaham
July 9 at 6:00 PM—Friday evening—Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Nathalie Stutzmann Conductor
Gil Shaham Violin
Dvořák Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, Nos. 1, 2, and 8
Saint-Georges Violin Concerto No. 9—First Philadelphia Orchestra Performance
Beethoven Symphony No. 7
Discover the “majestic control” (Bachtrack) and “great musical intelligence” (Concerto) of Nathalie Stutzmann, and a concerto by Joseph Bologne championed by Gil Shaham who declares it “a perfect vehicle for a violinist.” Finally, Beethoven’s ebullient Seventh Symphony, summed up by Tchaikovsky as “full of bliss and pleasure of life.”
Tickets are available through the Box Office, by calling 877.812.5700, or by visiting www.bravovail.org.
Mendelssohn “Italian” Symphony
July 10 at 6:00 PM—Saturday evening—Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Nathalie Stutzmann Conductor
Ricardo Morales Clarinet
Mazzoli Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)—First Philadelphia Orchestra Performance
Mozart Clarinet Concerto
Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 (“Italian”)
Mozart’s last completed major work truly makes the instrument sing, especially in the hands of Philadelphia’s renowned principal clarinetist. Mendelssohn’s musical postcard of his travels through Italy is widely beloved and considered one of the best examples of his genius.
Tickets are available through the Box Office, by calling 877.812.5700, or by visiting www.bravovail.org.
Denève Leads Philadelphia
July 11 at 6:00 PM—Sunday evening—Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Stéphane Denève Conductor
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet Piano
Ravel Pavane pour une infante défunte
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2
Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin
Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 (“Classical”)
This beautifully balanced program leads listeners from profound emotional depths to irrepressible bursts of merriment. Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto is a jovial exchange between orchestra and soloist, while Ravel draws on the graceful elegance of Baroque dances to create a musical post-war memorial. Prokofiev wittily juxtaposes his own daring musical language with elegant Mozartian gestures.
Tickets are available through the Box Office, by calling 877.812.5700, or by visiting www.bravovail.org.
Barber & Dvořák
July 15 at 6:00 PM—Thursday evening—Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Stéphane Denève Conductor
Juliette Kang Violin
Walker Lyric for Strings
Barber Violin Concerto
Dvořák Symphony No. 8
Lyric for Strings, a gorgeous musical lament that opens the program, is both sorrow and balm. On a lighter note, the Symphony No. 8 finds Dvořák in a cheerful mood, inspired by his beloved Bohemian folk music with its hallmarks of simplicity, clarity, and brightly embroidered patterns.
Tickets are available through the Box Office, by calling 877.812.5700, or by visiting www.bravovail.org.
Yannick Returns
July 16 at 6:00 PM—Friday evening—Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
Yefim Bronfman Piano
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3
Price Symphony No. 1
World-renowned pianist Yefim Bronfman lends his legendary power to Beethoven’s dynamic Piano Concerto No. 3. Finally, the first symphony by a Black woman to be performed by a major American orchestra, Price’s First Symphony imbues classical forms with spirituals and West-African rhythms and dance.
Tickets are available through the Box Office, by calling 877.812.5700, or by visiting www.bravovail.org.
McDermott Plays Mozart
July 17 at 6:00 PM—Saturday evening—Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, Vail
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
Anne-Marie McDermott Piano
Coleman Seven O’Clock Shout
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25
Brahms Symphony No. 1
Seven O’Clock Shout is an urgent, heartfelt, COVID-era anthem to tireless frontline workers. Bravo! Vail Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott and Philadelphia’s magnetic music director take the stage together for the first time. Conscious of Beethoven’s shadow, it took Brahms over 20 years to release his first symphony into the world, an homage that was immediately hailed as “Beethoven’s 10th”: intensely personal, fiercely dramatic, filled with grand gestures.
Tickets are available through the Box Office, by calling 877.812.5700, or by visiting www.bravovail.org.
Tchaikovsky Spectacular
July 22 at 8:00 PM—Thursday evening—Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia
Erina Yashima Conductor
Hai-Ye Ni Cello
Tchaikovsky Selections from Swan Lake
Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations, for cello and orchestra
Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture
What could be better than an evening of Tchaikovsky complete with a picnic and fireworks? This beloved summer tradition at the Mann returns once again on July 22. The grace and arching beauty of Swan Lake, the warmth and romantic charm of the Rococo Variations, and the mounting drama of the ever-popular 1812 Overture culminates in a splendid explosion of sound and fireworks. Assistant Conductor Erina Yashima leads The Philadelphia Orchestra with Principal Cello Hai-Ye Ni as the featured soloist.
Tickets are on sale now via MannCenter.org, Ticketmaster.com, 800.982.2787, and the Mann Box Office.
Pictures from an Exhibition: An Evening of Classics
July 23 at 8:00 PM—Friday evening—Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia
Erina Yashima Conductor
Kimberly Fisher Violin
Coleridge-Taylor Petite Suite de concert
Saint-Saëns Introduction and Rondo capriccioso, for violin and orchestra
Musorgsky Pictures from an Exhibition
Our summer residency with The Philadelphia Orchestra continues on July 23 with Pictures from an Exhibition: An Evening of Classics! Pack a picnic and join us as the venue transforms into a sonic art gallery for Modest Musorgsky’s most famous work, Pictures from an Exhibition.
Tickets are on sale now via MannCenter.org, Ticketmaster.com, 800.982.2787, and the Mann Box Office.
Toy Story in Concert
July 24 at 8:00 PM—Saturday evening—Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia
William Eddins Conductor
Newman Toy Story (complete with film)—First Complete Philadelphia Orchestra Performance
Movies @ the Mann returns this summer with the North American premiere of DisneyandPixar's Toy Story in Concert, featuring a screening of the groundbreaking complete film with Oscar® and Grammy®-winning composer Randy Newman’s musical score performed live to the film by none other than The Philadelphia Orchestra.
The Toy Story films are beloved worldwide for their compelling characters, extraordinary storytelling, stunning visuals, and the music of Randy Newman. The composer and songwriter is behind signature songs including “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” “Strange Things,” and “I Will Go Sailing No More.”
Ever wonder what toys do when people aren't around? Toy Story answers that question with a fantastic fun-filled journey, viewed mostly through the eyes of two rival toys—Woody, the lanky, likable cowboy, and Buzz Lightyear, the fearless space ranger. Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy's heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the comically mismatched duo eventually learn to put aside their differences, and they find themselves on a hilarious adventure-filled mission where the only way they can survive is to form an uneasy alliance.
Tickets will be available Friday, May 28, at 10 AM via MannCenter.org, Ticketmaster.com, 800.982.2787, and the Mann Box Office.
The Philadelphia Orchestra Returns!
August 11 at 8:00 PM—Wednesday evening—Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor and Piano
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 12
Price Symphony No. 1
Opening Night of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s residency includes a “first” for SPAC audiences as Yannick leads the Orchestra from the piano. Written following his arrival in Vienna, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12 is “very brilliant, pleasing to the ear, and natural, without being insipid,” in the composer's own words. Listen for its melodic opulence and thrilling cadenzas.
Also highlighting the evening is the SPAC premiere of the Symphony No. 1 by Florence Price. In 1933, Price’s First Symphony was the first symphonic work by a Black woman to be played by a major American orchestra. Steeped in American folk music, spirituals, and church hymns, her celebrated work reflects her experience as a Black woman raised in the post-Civil War South.
Tickets are available from the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Box Office, by phone at 518.584.9330 (handling fees apply), or at www.spac.org/tickets.
Coleman, Bach & Brahms
August 12 at 8:00 PM—Thursday evening—Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
David Kim Violin
Juliette Kang Violin
Coleman Seven O’Clock Shout
Bach Concerto for Two Violins
Brahms Symphony No. 1
This special program, dedicated to health care workers, opens with the SPAC premiere of Seven O’Clock Shout, composed as a tribute to frontline workers during the pandemic by American composer Valerie Coleman. Performance Today's 2020 Classical Woman of the Year and one of the Washington Post’s “Top 35 Female Composers in Classical Music,” Valerie Coleman is among the world's most performed composers living today.
According to Coleman, “To me, Seven O’Clock Shout is a declaration of our survival. It is something that allows us our agency to take back the kindness that is in our hearts and the emotions that cause us such turmoil. … We cheer on the essential workers with a primal and fierce urgency to let them know that we stand with them and each other.”
The evening continues with Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins with Concertmaster David Kim and First Associate Concertmaster Juliette Kang and Brahms’s lyrically lush Symphony No. 1.
Tickets are available from the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Box Office, by phone at 518.584.9330 (handling fees apply), or at www.spac.org/tickets.
Yannick Leads Frank & Mozart
August 13 at 8:00 PM—Friday evening—Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
Ricardo Morales Clarinet
Frank Selections from Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout
Mozart Clarinet Concerto
Farrenc Symphony No. 2
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s composer-in-residence, Gabriela Lena Frank, who iswidely celebrated for exploring her multicultural heritage through her work, mixed elements from the western classical and Andean folk music traditions in Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout. Frank says that Leyendas “draws inspiration from the idea of mestizaje, a mixing of ethnic and cultural groups, as envisioned by the Peruvian writer José María Arguedas, where cultures can coexist without the subjugation of one by the other. As such, this piece brings together elements from the Western classical and Andean folk music traditions.”
The work will receive its SPAC premiere in this concert alongside Mozart’s beloved Clarinet Concerto, performed by Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Clarinet Ricardo Morales. Another SPAC premiere and a piece that is “unjustly underperformed” according to Maestro Nézet-Séguin, is Louise Farrenc’s stunning Symphony No. 2 from 1845, which closes the evening.
Tickets are available from the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Box Office, by phone at 518.584.9330 (handling fees apply), or at www.spac.org/tickets.
Joshua Bell Returns
August 14 at 8:00 PM—Saturday evening—Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
Joshua Bell Violin
Price Adoration
Beethoven Violin Concerto
Mozart Symphony No. 25
Joshua Bell returns to SPAC to perform the illustrious Beethoven Violin Concerto. A new arrangement for solo violin and string orchestra of Florence Price’s lovely Adoration receives its world premiere, while Mozart’s Symphony No. 25—a work written when the composer was just 17 and never before performed at SPAC—closes The Philadelphia Orchestra’s residency in Saratoga.
Tickets are available from the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Box Office, by phone at 518.584.9330 (handling fees apply), or at www.spac.org/tickets.
About The Philadelphia Orchestra
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CONTACTS:
Ashley Berke
267.250.5148
[email protected]
Natalie Lewis
215.893.3136
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Ashley Stahmer
215.893.3142
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