Tag: Artistic Planning

Fayetteville Symphony Announces 2025-26 Season

Posted on July 24, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (7/22) Up and Coming Weekly (Fayetteville, North Carolina), Sheila D. Barker writes, “The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra’s … 2025-2026 season kicks off with ‘Total Eclipse of the Chart: Music of the ’80s’ on Sept. 20. This concert promises to be a nostalgic journey back to the ’80s, featuring music from icons like Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, and the Eurythmics…. ‘Jubilate Deo on Saturday, Oct. 11 … will take attendees on a global journey through Dan Forrest’s beloved work, ‘Jubilate Deo.’ Partnering with the First Presbyterian Church Choir, the FSO will explore joy and praise in a unique musical style influenced by multicultural music practices…. On Nov. 22, the FSO presents ‘Coffee Cantata,’ a chamber concert featuring Bach’s comedic piece … Enjoy the immersive environment with coffee and pastries…. Celebrate the rich musical history of the U.S. with ‘The Road to America 250’ on Jan. 17. In anticipation of the 250th anniversary of our country’s founding, this chamber concert … will feature music by American composers…. Experience the rush of city life with ‘A Night on the Town’ on Feb. 28 [when] award-winning bassist Kebra-Seyoun Charles will perform their original bass concerto, ‘Night Life,’ alongside a gospel choir…. The season concludes with ‘John Williams and His Influences’ on April 18 … This concert will feature music from John Williams’s iconic film scores alongside classical pieces that inspired them.”

Review: Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood with “Tosca,” Pops, Yuja Wang, and Thunder

Posted on July 23, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Monday’s (7/21) Boston Globe, A.Z. Madonna writes, “SeokJong Baek, you made me care about Cavaradossi!… [He’s] the tenor in Puccini’s Tosca…. He sets the scene in Acts 1 and 3 with two potentially showstopping arias: ‘Recondita armonia’ and ‘E lucevan le stelle’…. Compelling Cavaradossis are a rare delight; and at Tanglewood on Saturday evening as the Boston Symphony Orchestra performed Tosca in concert with music director Andris Nelsons, Baek made his BSO debut by proving himself the latter…. Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais, the frequent BSO collaborator (and former wife of conductor Nelsons) … sang the title role.” Bass-baritone Bryn Terfel played Scarpia. “The day before, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus also beautifully performed Rachmaninoff’s … ‘All-Night Vigil’ as a prelude concert to Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara’s fabulous evening with the Boston Pops … Sunday afternoon sweltered as piano diva Yuja Wang took the stage with Nelsons and the pre-professional ensemble Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra for Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 … She delivered dynamite…. In the second half, as the story behind Berlioz’s fever dream Symphonie fantastique took its dark turn … the wind shrieked behind the bells of the Witches’ Sabbath before a deafening boom of thunder ushered in the ‘Dies Irae.’ ”

Morgan Freeman to Bring His “Symphonic Blues Experience” to the Florida Orchestra

Posted on July 17, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (7/15) Bloom Tampa Bay, Brody Wooddell writes, “Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman will take the stage in a powerful musical and cinematic tribute to the Mississippi Delta as part of Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience with The Florida Orchestra on Thursday, Sept. 25 … at the Mahaffey Theater. Freeman, a Mississippi native, will appear both live and through recorded multimedia narration in this immersive performance that blends authentic Delta blues with full symphonic arrangements under the direction of conductor Martin Gellner. The concert features musicians from the renowned Ground Zero Blues Club, co-founded by Freeman in Clarksdale, Miss…. Symphonic Blues is a cinematic journey through the birthplace of blues music, honoring its global impact and cultural legacy. Audiences will experience a blend of storytelling, orchestral power and live blues that celebrates resilience, history and the soul of the American South. The concert is part of ‘A September to Remember,’ The Florida Orchestra’s season-launching event series … Now in its 58th season, The Florida Orchestra is the largest professional orchestra in the state, committed to inspiring, educating and uniting the Tampa Bay community through the power of music.”

What It Takes for the Pittsburgh Symphony to Bring Films to Life

Posted on July 15, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Monday’s (7/14) Pittsburgh Magazine, Kathleen Gianni writes, “On June 27, I took my seat at a nearly-sold-out Heinz Hall, ready for a night of elves, orcs—and a full orchestra. I was there to watch the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra perform the score for ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’ live in sync with the film … I quickly found myself in awe of how the music brought the three-hour film to life. But how does the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra create such a captivating musical experience? Jacob Joyce, an associate conductor with the orchestra who conducted the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s performance of ‘Star Wars: A New Hope,’ explains that conducting shows such as these is no easy feat…. In preparation for film concerts, conductors must rehearse with special technology, coordinating with streamers and click tracks, to keep musicians synchronized with the movie…. ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ was conducted by Ludwig Wicki, a Swiss conductor known for his expertise in live film performances…. ‘It takes a very skilled conductor to keep you in sync with the film,’ says trombonist Jim Nova…. Film concerts like ‘Lord of the Rings’ have become a powerful way for symphony orchestras to connect with new audiences.”

Deborah Rutter Named Vice Provost for the Arts at Duke University

Posted on July 14, 2025 by - Who's In

Deborah F. Rutter, the former president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, has been appointed vice provost for the arts at Duke University. Rutter will join Duke, based in Durham, North Carolina, on September 1. She succeeds John Brown, who stepped down on June 30 after five years in the role. In nearly five decades as a nonprofit executive, Rutter has led several of the nation’s most celebrated artistic organizations. From 2014 to 2025, Rutter was the first woman to serve as president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Under Rutter’s leadership, the center experienced a period of transformative programmatic growth; opened the REACH, a physical expansion of its campus; and strengthened its financial position. Rutter oversaw programming and education initiatives across multiple artistic genres, and the center is home to the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera. Rutter departed the Kennedy Center in February of this year, when President Donald Trump replaced the center’s nonpartisan board members with his own supporters and was installed as board chair. Rutter is a board member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is a graduate of Stanford University, where she majored in music and German, and earned an MBA from the University of Southern California. Trained in piano and violin, she previously served as president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association and executive director of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. She also held executive leadership roles with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Windsor Symphony Announces 2025-26 Season

Posted on July 11, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (9/10) Windsor Star (Ontario, Canada), Millar Holmes-Hill writes, “The Windsor Symphony Orchestra hopes to strike a chord with audiences old and new this coming season, offering a mix of classical staples, rock legends, and homegrown talent in its 2025-26 lineup. Single tickets and ‘Choose Your Own’ packages went live this week for a season that maestro Robert Franz calls the orchestra’s most ‘eclectic’ yet… Spanning classical favorites, film scores, world premieres and rock tributes, the upcoming lineup aims to bridge genres and bring new audiences to the Capitol Theatre….  Among this year’s highlights: works by Canadian composers Vincent Ho and Jordan Pal, and the world premiere of a piece by Syrian-American composer Malek Jandali. Local talent will also take center stage, with performances from soprano Amelia Daigle, tenor Jael Hernandez, singer Erin Armstrong, and St. Clair College’s music theatre students. High-profile guest artists will be featured, including Grammy-nominated saxophonist Timothy McAllister, pianist Kevin Cole, and crossover favorites The Sultans of String…. Vocalists Charlotte Knight, Reggie Smith Jr., and Lee Siegel round out the guest lineup. Beloved WSO traditions also return—including Holiday Pops, Handel’s Messiah, and the family concert series—along with crowd-pleasing performances … celebrating the music of Led Zeppelin and The Who.”

Anderson Symphony Orchestra Announces 2025-26 Season

Posted on July 9, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Saturday’s (7/5) Herald Bulletin (Anderson, Indiana), Caleb Amick writes, “A little something for everyone. Those words sum up artistic director Daniel Wiley’s vision for the Anderson Symphony Orchestra. Wiley and executive director Darla Sallee have programmed the upcoming concert season to include everything from soul music to Christmas classics…. Wiley said, ‘We try to provide a wide variety of experiences and musical pieces. The purpose of an orchestra in 2025 is to make sure you connect with your community. The more people you can bring together, the better.’ The 2025-2026 season begins Sept. 13 with ‘Romantic Currents’ … with ‘The Thieving Magpie,’ an overture from opera composer Gioachino Rossini…. There will also be an oboe concerto. Wiley’s longtime friend Dwight Parry will be the featured oboist. Perry serves as principal oboist for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Wiley said he is excited for the first concert, but is even more excited for the rest of the season, especially ‘Beethoven on the Rocks,’ an informal concert that will involve food and drink offerings … The Paramount Theatre will take on a soulful vibe in March when the ASO features the music of Etta James, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner and others during ‘The Divas of Pop and Soul.’ ”

Cellist Dmitri Atapine and Pianist Hyeyeon Park Appointed Next Artistic Directors at Music@Menlo

Posted on July 7, 2025 by - Who's In

An unbylined July 1 article at The Violin Channel states, “The Music@Menlo festival and institute, founded in 2003 by cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, has now appointed its new artistic directors as of its 2027 and 25th anniversary season. Cellist Dmitri Atapine and pianist Hyeyeon Park will succeed Finckel and Han, who will both transition out of the role after the 2026 summer season. As frequent artists with Music@Menlo since 2009, Atapine and Park have directed the Music@Menlo Smith Family Young Performers Program since 2020, and before that, were long-time faculty members of the program. The couple also performs regularly at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, where Atapine is an alum of its Bowers Program. In addition to their independent music careers, Atapine and Park are artistic directors of the Friends of Chamber Music Kansas City, founders and directors of Apex Concerts in Reno, and are tenured professors at the University of Nevada. A top prizewinner at the Carlos Prieto, Vittorio Gui, and Plowman competitions, Atapine has recorded works on Naxos, Bridge, MSR, Albany, Blue Griffin, and Urtext Digital…. Park has performed with orchestras including the Seoul Philharmonic, SAC Festival Orchestra, Gangnam Symphony, and Incheon Philharmonic.”