Tag: Artistic Planning

New York Philharmonic Returns to South Korea for First Time in 11 Years

Posted on June 26, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (6/25) Korea Herald, Park Ga-young writes, “The names New York Philharmonic, conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen and celebrated pianist Krystian Zimerman alone are enough to capture the attention of classical music lovers…. This week’s performances reveal something deeper: a series of long-awaited reunions between artists, between orchestra and soloist, and between the ensemble and its Korean audience. From Thursday to Saturday, the New York Philharmonic will take the stage before Korean audiences for the first time in 11 years…. The last time Salonen and Zimerman, who have known each other for 40 years, performed together was in Seoul in 2018 … On Thursday at Art Center Incheon and Friday at the Seoul Arts Center, the performance opens with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 featuring Zimerman, followed by Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3. On Saturday at the Seoul Arts Center … Salonen leads the orchestra through Ravel’s ‘Mother Goose’ Suite, Debussy’s ‘La Mer’ and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique…. New York Philharmonic President and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky shared his vision for the orchestra’s future, describing it as being at an ‘extraordinary moment’—with a new generation of musicians and a newly renovated concert hall at Lincoln Center, David Geffen Hall,” and the arrival of Gustavo Dudamel as music director in 2026.

Music Director Henry Cheng’s Fresh Visions for Johns Creek Symphony

Posted on June 25, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (6/24) ArtsAtl.org (Atlanta, Georgia), Jordan Owen writes, “There has been a wave of leadership upheavals throughout the Atlanta classical scene over the last few years…. That changing of the guard continues to cascade through various classical organizations, and, over the last year, the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra has addressed the cavernous absence left by the death of its founder, J. Wayne Baughman. The search has ended with Henry Cheng, the highly acclaimed former chief conductor and artistic director of the Klangkraft Orchester in Duisburg, Germany. He returns to the States this year to accept the JCSO position along with the role of interim professor of orchestral conducting at Georgia State University. Such continent-hopping is a familiar experience for the man born Hao An Cheng, who immigrated to the United States from Taiwan with his parents as a child…. Those formative experiences have guided Cheng’s cross-cultural musical mission. ‘At the forefront of my mind today is exactly that,’ he explains. ‘How do we connect to community? And what is my role in that?’… His first concert with the JCSO was an evening of symphonic K-Pop, where orchestral arrangements of modern South Korean pop standards merged with classical mainstays. It was an evening that meshed nicely with the JCSO’s penchant for blending the classical and the contemporary.”

How Georgia Orchestras Large and Small Are Finding Success

Posted on June 18, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (6/18) Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Adam Van Brimmer, Joe Kovac, Fletcher Page, and Mike Esterl write, “The Savannah Philharmonic says it is enjoying unprecedented growth with season ticket sales for the series that starts in September maxing out in just eight weeks—13 weeks faster than two seasons ago. The orchestra expects to sell out the remaining tickets, or about 250 per show, in advance of the concert dates. The success comes in spite of shifting entertainment options and musical tastes that would seemingly undercut interest in traditional symphony orchestras. Other orchestras across Georgia, in markets big and small, also say they are enjoying audience growth and better finances after concerts screeched to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many are experimenting more than before. While long-dead composers like Beethoven and Tchaikovsky remain staples, there’s also a push toward female and contemporary composers, even K-pop, to draw new and younger audiences. They’re also expanding community outreach, including free concerts in parks. There are signs of [an upturn] nationally in selling subscriptions … There are more than 15 classical orchestras crisscrossing the state—from Valdosta to Columbus to Dahlonega. Most have budgets in the hundreds of thousand of dollars, a far cry from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s $43 million annual wallet but enough to stage several performances a year.” The article reports on orchestras of various sizes throughout Georgia.

Quintet of Brazosport Symphony Musicians Give Chamber-Scale “Salon” Concert

Posted on June 13, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Monday’s (6/10) The Facts (Brazoria County, TX), Gauri Godbole writes, “The Brazosport Symphony Orchestra will offer a summer concert unlike any other in its season lineup when the Gulf Winds Quintet performs ‘The Elegance of the 19th Century Salon Concert’ at The Center for the Arts and Sciences. Set for 2 p.m. Sunday in the Brazosport Art League Gallery, the concert aims to recreate the intimate atmosphere of 19th-century salon performances, blending classical music with a relaxed social setting. Guests can enjoy coffee, cake and a program spanning hundreds of years of musical history. Clarinetist Linda Crummel, who helped organize the event and also performs with the quintet, said the goal was to create a cozy experience that breaks from the formality of a full symphony performance…. The Gulf Winds Quintet—composed of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and French horn—is made up of musicians from the Brazosport Symphony. While its members regularly play together at local events, this will be their first salon-style concert at The Center…. The program includes a range of works from the Renaissance through the 20th century…. Flutist Audry Dunn said the smaller venue helps create a stronger connection between the performers and the audience.”

Philadelphia Orchestra’s Pride Concert to Go On Despite Terminated NEA Funding

Posted on June 4, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (6/3) KYW News Radio (Philadelphia), “The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 4th annual Pride Concert will go on as planned, despite losing a $25,000 federal grant from the National Endowment for the Arts that was allocated for the event. Ryan Fleur, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts, said his organization stands strong alongside the LGBTQ community. ‘Our vision here at Ensemble Arts in Philly is to be a place that is welcoming and open to all Philadelphians,’ he said…. ‘We know that we lean into being an organization that is authentic and inclusive.’ His team is determined to make the free concert happen regardless of the loss by actively fundraising for the concert that is now sold out. Fleur noted a recent gift will match all donations made through June 30 up to $100,000. ‘It just makes us even prouder to be able to celebrate Philly’s LGBTQ community,’ he said. The concert will [also] be broadcast live in the plaza at the Kimmel Center and include festivities like a DJ dance party and drag showcase…. The concert, conducted by Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, will be hosted by Martha Graham Cracker” and feature multiple performers.

Waterbury Symphony Invites Subscribers to Vote on Music at Season Finale

Posted on May 30, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (5/29) CT Post (Norwalk, Connecticut), Tracey O’Shaughnessy writes, “Earlier in the year, WSO offered its subscribers a chance to vote from among 12 favorite classical pieces to present for its final program. The catch was that the symphony had not performed any of the pieces before. The concert also will feature the winner of the symphony’s 2024 Clark Young Artist Competition, which this year spotlighted the saxophone. The winner, Rimas Stapusaitis, is an active performer and educator pursuing his master’s degree in saxophone performance at the University of Michigan … The idea to vote for a music program came from the symphony’s director, Leif Bjaland, who created a list of a dozen classical pieces, none of which he had performed with the WSO during his now 30-year tenure. The program will feature Beethoven’s Egmont Overture; Glazunov’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone in E-flat Major (14’) with Stapusaitis, the scholarship winner, playing alto saxophone; Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien; Smetana’s ‘The Moldau’ and Ravel’s ‘Bolero.’ The symphony will reveal the top choice from its audience vote as the concert’s encore.”

Cancellations By International Artists Troubled by Trump Policies and Visas May Affect U.S. Orchestras

Posted on May 16, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (5/14) WBEZ (Chicago), Courtney Kueppers writes, “After performing in Chicago in February, the esteemed German violinist Christian Tetzlaff decided: He’s not coming back to the United States…. That boycott will include a show that was scheduled for Chicago in October, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra announced Tuesday. Tetzlaff [said] the canceled shows are due to anger over actions taken by the Trump administration … A growing wave of performers … have canceled shows in the States, either in protest of President Donald Trump’s policies or due to fear that they could be stopped or detained at the border amid confusing changes to immigration and visa practices…. The disruption in the international talent pipeline portends real headaches for American orchestras and performance venues, which regularly rely on international superstars. Not only do these touring players drive ticket sales as guest performers, but in the classical world, international musicians also often fill permanent seats of ensembles. ‘If the visa process remains difficult or unpredictable, orchestras may find it harder to secure top-tier talent from abroad …,’ said Charlotte Lee, who runs New York’s Primo Artists … As the busy summer season nears, entities like the Grant Park Music Festival and Ravinia Festival are also watching the shifting landscape closely.”

Vermont Symphony Announces 2025-26 Season

Posted on May 16, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Saturday’s (5/10) Rutland Herald (Vermont), Jim Lowe writes, “The Vermont Symphony Orchestra, in conjunction with tonight’s performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, ‘Titan,’ is celebrating its 91st season announcing its most ambitious programming to date. The 2025-26 season also marks the third season for Andrew Crust as the state professional orchestra’s fifth music director…. Crust will conduct most VSO concerts, including the five main stage performances, the … summer pops tour, the three-concert autumn ‘Made in Vermont’ tour, and the three performances of the beloved VSO Holiday Pops. The VSO’s stellar main stage performances, one at Rutland’s Paramount Theater, four at the Flynn in Burlington, include Mussorgsky’s ‘Pictures at an Exhibition,’ Indian classical music, Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, Philip Glass’ Violin Concerto No. 1, Carl Orff’s massive Carmina Burana and much more. Season soloists include Sandeep Das on tabla and Rajib Karmakar on sitar, violinist Jennifer Koh, soprano Goitsemang Lehobye, [and] baritone Sidney Outlaw … Chelsea Komschlies’ ‘Mycelialore’ was commissioned with several other orchestra, including the Lima (Ohio) Symphony where Crust is also music director, part of a program of the League of American Orchestras [in partnership with American Composers Orchestra, supported by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation]…. Crust said, ‘The key moving forward is to diversify our audience in terms of age and ethnicity and just get more people into the concert hall.’ ”

Austin Symphony Wraps Up Current Season, Looks Ahead to 2025-26

Posted on May 16, 2025 by - News Briefs

In Monday’s (5/10) CBS Austin (Texas), a video segment reports, “The Austin Symphony Orchestra is preparing to wrap up its Masterworks Series season with a grand finale performance titled ‘Summertime,’ featuring George Gershwin’s iconic opera, ‘Porgy and Bess.’ Music Director and Conductor Peter Bay shared insights into the upcoming event … Gershwin was a pioneer in bridging the gap between classical music and popular music with many songs like ‘Summertime,’ ‘I Got Plenty ’o Nuttin’’ and ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’ cementing their places in music history…. The performance will be 75-minute version of the original work … In addition to Gershwin’s work, the orchestra will open with young, living composer Carlos Simon’s stirring ‘Amen!’ Simon is an in-demand Black American composer who wrote ‘Amen!’ about his upbringing in the African American Pentecostal Church. ‘Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Schubert… were all living composers at one time, and if they hadn’t been supported as younger people who knows if we’d ever hear their music. We feel the same and that’s why we’re playing Carlos’s piece,’ Bay said…. In 2026, every [Vermont Symphony] concert will include an American piece of music to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States.” The season will also feature a program of flamenco-inspired music.

ProMusica Chamber Orchestra Announces 2025-26 Season

Posted on May 14, 2025 by - News Briefs

In last Sunday’s (5/4) Columbus Dispatch, Belinda M. Paschal writes, “George Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ will meet rapturous bluegrass when banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck leads off ProMusica Chamber Orchestra’s 2025-26 season at the Southern Theatre. ‘I wanted to open with a big bang. It’s a great thing to have Béla Fleck playing …, ’ music director David Danzmayr said. ‘It’s a very joyous way to open the season, with a very different version of “Rhapsody in Blue.” ’ Fleck, who’s won 18 Grammys, will perform Oct. 18-19. The concerts also will mark the world premiere of ‘FLOW: Variations over Time,’ a commissioned work by award-winning composer Paul Rissmann. ‘This has long been in the works. (Rissmann) wrote variations that bring an overview to all different styles of music,’ Danzmayr said. Symphony No. 1, the only Beethoven piece in the season, will close opening weekend.” Other concerts will feature works by: Gabriela Lena Frank, Mozart, and Schubert; William Grant Still, Friedrich Gulda, and Mozart; Osvaldo Golijov and Mahler; Alfred Schnittke, Mozart, and Michael Daugherty; and Dmitri Shostakovich, Copland, and Johann Strauss II. “The season also will include the Neighborhood Series, with concerts led by Vadim Gluzman at Worthington United Methodist Church … and St. Mary Catholic Church.”