Tag: Repertoire

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Announces 2026-27 Season

Posted on March 6, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (3/5) WBEZ (Chicago), Courtney Kueppers writes, “The Chicago Symphony Orchestra announced its 2026-27 lineup Thursday, featuring everyone from Yo-Yo Ma to Andrew Bird. The lineup also includes a world premiere from composer Mason Bates, a season-long deep dive into Beethoven and a healthy showing of Finnish music. That last part is thanks to CSO’s incoming music director, Klaus Mäkelä. Although the 30-year-old Finnish conductor and cellist will not officially be in the role until the following season, Mäkelä’s is already helping shape what gets played inside Orchestra Hall…. Next season, he will spend five weeks in Chicago as he ramps up to his full-time appointment. During one of those appearances, Mäkelä will conduct Gustav Mahler’s Ninth Symphony in October, a nod to the CSO’s long history with the piece… Next spring he will return to conduct the U.S. premiere of a new work co-commissioned by the CSO from Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg. The season also includes a U.S. premiere from … Esa-Pekka Salonen…. Contemporary works making their CSO premieres include” works by Julia Wolfe, Arturo Márquez, and Philip Glass. The article lists highlights of the CSO’s coming season.

The Influence of Women in America’s Early Music Scene

Posted on March 6, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (3/3) Total Baroque Magazine (France), Kyle MacMillan writes, “After the Cleveland Orchestra invited Jeannette Sorrell in 1991 to apply for its vacant position of assistant conductor, the 26-year-old budding podium talent was brought in for an interview with its then-music director Christoph von Dohnányi … Sorrell recalls von Dohnányi saying … ‘The audience in Cleveland would never accept a woman as a conductor.’ The young conductor, who had fallen in love with period-instrument recordings when she was teenager, had already been pondering a career in early music, and von Dohnányi’s rebuff only reinforced her resolve. Less than a year later, she led the first performances of Apollo’s Fire, a now internationally recognized ensemble with performance series in Cleveland and Chicago…. Sorrell is hardly alone. Indeed, it seems clear that American early-music ensembles have proportionally more female artistic leaders than their counterparts in the mainstream classical world. According to research by the League of American Orchestras, just 14.2 percent of the music directors of American orchestras in 2025 were women. But one need only run a finger down a list of the top historical-performance groups to see how many are headed by women, including Alkemie, Apollo’s Fire, Boston Camerata, The Newberry Consort, and Piffaro.”

Philip Glass’s “Lincoln” Symphony to be Premiered by Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood

Posted on March 5, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (3/3) Boston Globe, A.Z. Madonna writes, “The Boston Symphony Orchestra will perform Philip Glass’s new Abraham Lincoln-inspired symphony, which Glass recently withdrew from its originally slated June 2026 world premiere performance at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The BSO announced today that it will perform Glass’s Symphony No. 15, ‘Lincoln,’ at Tanglewood on … Sunday, July 5, on a program that also includes Aaron Copland’s 1942 ‘Lincoln Portrait’ and selections from John Williams’s score to Steven Spielberg’s 2012 biographical film ‘Lincoln.’ In a statement provided by the orchestra, Glass said … ‘The performance of this new symphony falls into the current discussion about our national identity and values.’… Glass … announced in late January that he was withdrawing the symphony from its scheduled world premiere performance by the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. ‘Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the symphony,’ Glass wrote [at the time] on his Instagram…. The symphony was commissioned by the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center.”

After Glass withdrew the work from the Kennedy Center, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra was slated to give its world premiere during the 2026-27 season. In Wednesday’s (3/4) Musical America, Taylor Grant writes, “The BSO performance will be the first, but hardly the last of the much-ballyhooed symphony. The Orchestra of St. Luke’s is scheduled for its New York premiere next season in Carnegie Hall, while the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will follow suit in June of 2027…. At Tanglewood, the symphony will be conducted by Karen Kamensek and feature baritone soloist Zachary James, both of whom were scheduled to take part in the scrapped Kennedy Center performances.”

Albany Symphony Announces 2026-27 Season

Posted on March 5, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Wednesday’s (3/4) Times Union, Katherine Kiessling writes, “The Albany Symphony unveiled its 2026-2027 season featuring giants of the classical canon alongside new and recent works from celebrated contemporary composers. The new season opens Oct. 3, 2026 and runs through the conclusion of the annual American Music Festival on June 12, 2027…. The opening concert … will feature Respighi’s sweeping ‘Pines of Rome,’ 18-year-old violinist Amaryn Olmeda performing Korngold’s Violin Concerto, and rising star Celka Ojakangas, delivering the season’s first of several world premiere compositions. The season’s second premiere will be on Nov. 7 … The concert, anchored by Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Brahms Symphony No. 3, will open with a new work by Sam Wu…. Albany Symphony will welcome back audience favorite Viet Cuong for the world premiere of his Saxophone Concerto on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14 … The orchestra will usher in spring with the season’s only guest conductor, Rei Hotoda, on March 20 and March 21 … Reena Esmail … returns to Albany Symphony for a program featuring two of her recent works … The season will conclude with the 2027 American Music Festival [which will feature] new works by Cuong, Gabriela Lena Frank and Tanner Porter.”

Kalamazoo Symphony Collaborates with Local Rappers and Community for “Symphonic Beats”

Posted on March 4, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (3/3) Kalamazoo Now (Michigan), Jeri Love writes, “Symphonic Beats returns to the stage of Kalamazoo Central High School on Friday, March 6, featuring a genre-melding collaboration between hip-hop and spoken-word artists, backed by the DC Quintet and a cohort of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra (KSO). The masterminds behind the program are developer and co-curators Dr. Kandace ‘DC’ Lavender, an educator and emcee, singer/songwriter Yolanda Lavender & Soul Artistry, and KSO Music Director Julian Kuerti. Last year’s inaugural show focused on the elements of hip-hop. This year, the program will pay tribute to both the artistic and social justice history of the genre and the women who broke through its early gender barriers … At the first staging rehearsal March 2, which was held at Northglade Montessori Magnet School more than 20 performers, musicians, and the technical staff from KSO and the Kalamazoo Public Schools [met] … The performers are between the ages of 7 and 60. Like many artists, they also have ‘day jobs’ that range from leading programs for nonprofit organizations to directing institutes at Western Michigan University…. Liz Youker, KSO’s vice president of artist operations and education … said, ‘Working together, amongst all the organizations involved, we’re all learning and growing. And I think that’s the purpose of collaborating.’ ”

Germantown Symphony Music Director Ronald Vernon Discusses the Orchestra’s 50th Anniversary Season

Posted on March 3, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Saturday’s (2/28) WKNO (Cordova, Tennessee), Kacky Walton states that she recently “spoke with Dr. Ronald Vernon, music director and conductor of the Germantown Symphony Orchestra, about the ensemble’s 50th anniversary season continuing with ‘American Mosaic,’ a concert celebrating America’s 250 years with symphonic masterworks. The program highlights the distinctive voices and innovative spirit of American composers, including Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington, Florence Price, and Lukas Foss. Each work reflects the rich and varied musical landscape of the United States, showcasing a broad range of styles and influences. Violinist Linnaea Brophy rejoins the orchestra for the first time since winning the Germantown Symphony Orchestra’s 2002 Young Artist Concerto Competition at just 10 years old.”

Montgomery Symphony Premieres Nkeiru Okoye Oratorio Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Selma Marches

Posted on March 2, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Friday’s (2/27) National Endowment for the Arts site, Carolyn Coons writes, “When composer Dr. Nkeiru Okoye set out to write an oratorio based on the 1965 voting rights marches, she channeled Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s spirit of unstoppable movement towards equality and justice…. The music presses ahead, echoing the physical and spiritual resolve of those who walked the 54 miles for voting rights…. Okoye created ‘A Time for Jubilee,’ the 25-minute oratorio to honor Dr. King’s role in the marches, as part of the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra’s Alabama Composers Project, which commissions one new work per season by composers who are Alabama natives or whose work is shaped by the state’s history and cultural heritage. ‘A Time for Jubilee’ premiered on February 9, 2026 … in Montgomery, Alabama. The project was supported with a $25,000 National Endowment for the Arts award through the grant program ‘Celebrating America250: Arts Projects Honoring the National Garden of American Heroes.’… ‘When I say that this NEA grant really made this project happen, I mean literally it did,’ said Montgomery Symphony Orchestra conductor Jamie Reeves…. The piece featured vocalist Laquita Mitchell alongside choirs from Tuskegee University and Alabama State University—both Historically Black Universities—and Huntingdon College.”

Oregon Symphony CEO Paul Snyder on the Coming Season and Expansion of Audiences

Posted on March 2, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Tuesday’s (2/24) Willamette Week (Portland, Oregon), Christen McCurdy writes, “Paul Snyder stepped into the CEO role at the Oregon Symphony last summer after a five-year stint at the Tillamook County Creamery Association. For most of his career, Snyder worked in hospitality … working his way up through Marriott and Intercontinental Hotels Group. But he’s also always volunteered for arts organizations, serving on the boards of the Atlanta Opera, the Atlanta Symphony and Portland Opera—and the Oregon Symphony…. Snyder: Our audiences are back and have now exceeded pre-pandemic levels…. We also just launched our 2026–27 subscription season, and we’ve had the highest number of subscription sales in the first day and in the first week than we ever have…. I think [it’s due to] the fantastic art we put on the stage—whether it’s our incredibly talented and hardworking musicians who are just a spectacular symphony orchestra, who just perform unbelievably under our music director David Danzmayr. On top of our classical music, we’ve also got a really great slate of popular programming … We’re premiering a piece [‘These Righteous Paths’] by the brilliant composer Jessie  Montgomery; this is a co-commission of ours and will be a West Coast premiere.”

Cincinnati Symphony Announces 2026-27 Season

Posted on February 27, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (2/26) Cincinnati Business Courier, Janelle Gelfand writes, “Cristian Măcelaru has an array of star-studded programs on tap for his second season as Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra music director in 2026-27. Soloists for the season announced Feb. 26 include trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and violinist Nicola Benedetti in a weeklong residency…. Piano superstar Lang Lang will return … Măcelaru said he balanced his programs between tried-and-true offerings of the symphonic repertoire and new works by living composers…. He wanted to stay true to a community that is ‘diverse and vibrant and interested in exploring the new.’… The season-opening concert on Oct. 2 will include Marsalis’ Symphony No. 5, ‘Liberty,’ a CSO co-commission … Măcelaru will conduct nine subscription weekends … Music Director Laureate Louis Langrée will return for two programs … Măcelaru will conduct several notable premieres, among them the U.S. premiere of Mark Simpson’s Piano Concerto with Víkingur Ólafsson … Măcelaru, who is regarded as [a] leading interpreter of George Enescu’s music, will conduct Enescu’s Symphony No. 3 … in its first performance in the U.S. in a century.” The article lists highlights of the orchestra’s classical and pops seasons.

Connecticut Orchestras Mark America’s 250th Anniversary

Posted on February 27, 2026 by - News Briefs

In Thursday’s (2/26) Hartford Courant, Christopher Arnott writes, “Over a dozen symphony orchestras in Connecticut are performing at least 16 separate concerts through July honoring the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States…. The neatest fit between a local orchestra and the founding of our nation is the New Haven-based Orchestra New England. ONE may be a youngster compared to many other orchestras in the state, having been founded in 1974 by James Sinclair. ONE may be best known for championing the work of modernist Connecticut composer Charles Ives. Yet, since 1980, the orchestra has also become known for its annual ‘Colonial Concerts’ … Its ‘America 250’ concert in May will feature premieres by … by Jan Swafford, a Yale School of Music alum who is also known for his biographies of major composers … and Neely Bruce, the esteemed Connecticut composer … Orchestra Lumos made its entire 2025-26 schedule an ‘America 250’ season. Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra has a ‘Sounds of America’ concert in April, but just did another American anniversary-themed concert, ‘American Enginuity,’ in February.” The article lists America 250 concerts at Connecticut orchestras including the New Haven Symphony, Nutmeg Symphony, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra New England, Torrington Symphony Orchestra, Danbury Symphony Orchestra, Cheshire Symphony Orchestra, Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and Wallingford Symphony Orchestra.