23-24 Centennial Season Phils Brochure (Subscribe)

Philharmonics Season

23/24 SEASON

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF YOUR RPO. Your Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra invites you to join us as we proudly step into our Centennial Season and celebrate 100 years of music that empowers, music that builds, music that cares, music that transforms, music that connects, and most of all—music that moves and inspires us all.

The RPO’s 100-year legacy of artistic excellence and innovation is matched only by our continuing commitment and dedication to providing engaging and enriching musical experiences to the communities we serve.

Whether it’s delivering educational opportunities such as our Orchestral Program for Urban Students (OPUS), developing innovative Care & Wellness initiatives, or building authentic partnerships with the diverse artistic voices found throughout the greater Rochester area, we’re proud to carry the RPO’s commitment to community service into our second century.

Philharmonics series

KODAK HALL AT EASTMAN THEATRE | THURSDAYS AT 7:30 PM & SATURDAYS AT 8 PM

To celebrate our Centennial Season, Music Director Andreas Delfs has put together a Philharmonics Series like no other— full of blockbuster performances, featuring world-renowned guest artists and soloists with close ties to your RPO and the Rochester community. See and hear internationally-acclaimed superstars Sarah Chang, Karen Gomyo, Eric Owens, Yefim Bronfman, and Olga Kern, as well as Rochester’s own Garth Fagan Dance and your RPO’s beloved concertmaster, Juliana Athayde. And, the world premieres of four new works commissioned specifically for our 100th Season!

SEPTEMBER 21 & 23

CENTENNIAL SEASON OPENING WEEKEND ANDREAS CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN’S EROICA

Andreas Delfs, conductor | Alisa Weilerstein, cello

KERNIS (WORLD PREMIERE) *RPO Centennial Commission

ELGAR Cello Concerto

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”

Be there as your Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra opens its second century in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre! Andreas Delfs conducts one of Beethoven’s towering achievements—the mighty Symphony Number Three, the “Eroica.” The dazzling Alisa Weilerstein plays Elgar’s achingly poignant Cello Concerto. The concert begins with the world premiere of a new work by Aaron Jay Kernis written to celebrate your RPO’s Centennial Season.

SEPTEMBER 28 & 30

THE FOUR SEASONS

Andreas Delfs, conductor | Sarah Chang, violin

GITY RAZAZ Methuselah*

VIVALDI The Four Seasons

MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4 “Italian”

Violin superstar Sarah Chang is “a musician of virtuosity and artistic insight,” says the San Francisco Chronicle. See her perform Vivaldi’s timeless and visceral “The Four Seasons,” music that blooms in perennial splendor. Plus, a newly commissioned piece by American-Iranian composer Gity Razaz. Her new work is conducted by Andreas Delfs along with Mendelssohn’s sunny “Italian” Symphony.

*Commissioned by the League of American Orchestras with the generous support of the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation

OCTOBER 12 & 14

DAVID ZINMAN RETURNS!

David Zinman, conductor | Karen Gomyo, violin

BARBER Second Essay

SIBELIUS Violin Concerto

BRAHMS Symphony No. 2

Music Director of the RPO from 1974 to 1985, David Zinman returns to Rochester to conduct the music of Samuel Barber and Brahms’ poetic Second Symphony. And, Sibelius’ bracing Violin Concerto is performed by soloist Karen Gomyo, of whom the Sydney Morning News raves “play[s] with golden radiance.”

OCTOBER 26 & 28

ANDREAS CONDUCTS MAHLER

Andreas Delfs, conductor | Eric Owens, bass-baritone

SCHREKER Die Gezeichneten Prelude

MAHLER Songs of a Wayfarer

MAHLER Symphony No. 5

Music Director Andreas Delfs conducts Gustav Mahler’s savage and sublime Fifth Symphony, famed for its heart-wrenching Adagietto. And The New York Times reports that Eric Owens, “speaks to you even in his silences… and shakes you when he sings.” Hear him perform Mahler’s folk-poetry influenced “Songs of a Wayfarer.”

NOVEMBER 16 & 18

ALL-TCHAIKOVSKY WITH OLGA KERN

Andreas Delfs, conductor | Olga Kern, piano

TCHAIKOVSKY Onegin Polonaise

TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No. 1

TCHAIKOVSKY Swan Lake—Suite

TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture

Experience music of power. And of passion. Music Director Andreas Delfs leads this all-Tchaikovsky celebration. The “1812 Overture” roars through Kodak Hall. Music from Swan Lake enchants. And Olga Kern brings the romantic First Piano Concerto home to Rochester, where she made her acclaimed recording of the piece in 2003. “Blazing and breathtaking,” declared SF Gate.

JANUARY 11 & 13

THE RITE OF SPRING

FEATURING

GARTH FAGAN DANCE!

Andreas Delfs, conductor | Garth Fagan Dance

PROKOFIEV Scythian Suite

ANDY AKIHO Ricochet (Ping Pong Concerto)

STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring

More than a century has passed since its violent, scandalous premiere. And still, Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring” continues to surprise and provoke, excite and enthrall. Andreas Delfs leads Stravinsky’s savage masterpiece. Rochester’s own Garth Fagan Dance will realize the rituals in Stravinsky’s score. And, Maestro Delfs conducts another symphonic blockbuster, Prokofiev’s pagan “Scythian Suite.” Plus, Andy Akiho’s theatrical work “Ricochet,” featuring two ping pong players on stage with the orchestra.

JANUARY 25 & 27

THE PLANETS

HD ODYSSEY FEATURING 35 YEARS OF NASA FOOTAGE

Peter Bay, conductor

DEBUSSY Three Nocturnes

HOLST The Planets

Majestic in its scope. Dazzling in its sound. There is nothing to match the breathtaking audiovisual experience of hearing and seeing The Planets live in concert. Experience the ultimate trip through the galaxy as your RPO performs Gustav Holst’s sonic celestial showpiece to stunning NASA images with former RPO Associate Conductor Peter Bay. The performance also features Debussy’s impressionistic “Nocturnes.”

FEBRUARY 8 & 10

FANTASTIC SYMPHONY

Andreas Delfs, conductor | Benjamin Beilman, violin

BRIGHT SHENG Tibetan Love Song and Swing

BRITTEN Violin Concerto

BERLIOZ Symphonie Fantastique

Andreas Delfs conducts Berlioz’s only symphony, the Fantastique, which was described by Leonard Bernstein as “the first musical expedition into psychedelia because of its hallucinatory and dream-like nature.” And, Benjamin Beilman, whom The New York Times described as “muscular with a glint of violence,” gives a passionate performance of Britten’s Violin Concerto, one of his most beautiful and emotionally complex works. Bright Sheng’s Tibetan Love Song and Swing, a work that evokes both the beauty and savageness of a Tibetan mountain dance opens the concert.

FEBRUARY 29 & MARCH 2

RHAPSODY IN BLUE @ 100!

PLUS

RACHMANINOFF’S SECOND CONCERTO

Jeff Tyzik, conductor | Jon Nakamatsu, piano

MÁRQUEZ Danzón No.2

RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2

GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue

RESPIGHI Pines of Rome

The fascinating rhythms of George Gershwin will fill Kodak Hall as Jon Nakamatsu joins Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik to celebrate the centennial of “Rhapsody in Blue,” which they recorded together with the RPO to great acclaim in 2006. They also perform Rachmaninoff’s ravishing Second Piano Concerto. And, Jeff Tyzik conducts two electrifying showpieces: the Danzón No. 2 of Márquez, and Respighi’s thundering “The Pines of Rome.”

MARCH 7 & 9

WAGNER WITHOUT WORDS AND THE LIFE OF GEORGE EASTMAN!

Andreas Delfs, conductor | Andrew Bogard, bass-baritone

DAVID HERTZBERG HQ (WORLD PREMIERE)

WAGNER Ring without Words (arr. Maazel)

Wagner’s thrilling music resounds in Kodak Hall! Andreas Delfs leads favorite selections from “The Ring of the Nibelung,” as arranged into a symphonic suite by Lorin Maazel. Plus, an RPO Centennial commission by composer David Hertzberg opens the concert—a symphonic monodrama inspired by the life and death of America’s premier picture-man, George Eastman.

MARCH 21 & 23

CHRISTOPHER SEAMAN RETURNS

Christopher Seaman, conductor (The Christopher Seaman Chair, supported by Barbara and Patrick Fulford and the Conductor Laureate Society) Juliana Athayde, violin (The Caroline W. Gannett & Clayla Ward Chair)

ELGAR In the South

BACH Violin Concerto in E

DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 8

Christopher Seaman, Music Director from 1998 to 2011, returns to Rochester to lead Dvořák’s lyrical, loving hymn to nature, the verdant Eighth Symphony. And, a solo performance by your RPO’s beloved concertmaster Juliana Athayde, who radiates the great joy of making music, a spirit that will be heard in every note of Bach’s glorious Violin Concerto.

APRIL 18 & 20

PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION

Andreas Delfs, conductor

DUKAS The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

KIRKLAND SNIDER (WORLD PREMIERE) *RPO Centennial Commission

MUSSORGSKY/RAVEL Pictures at an Exhibition

Few works can match it for orchestral color, sonic impact, or sheer excitement. And, no piece displays the virtuosity of your RPO like Pictures at an Exhibition. Experience it—live—along with Dukas’ magical The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (remember Mickey Mouse and the brooms?). Andreas Delfs also conducts a new multimedia work, in collaboration with visual designer Deborah Johnson, that muses on the life of George Eastman and Kodak.

MAY 9 & 11

BRONFMAN PLAYS BEETHOVEN

Andreas Delfs, conductor | Yefim Bronfman, piano

ADAMS The Chairman Dances

BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3

BRAHMS/DVOŘÁK Dance Mix: A Selection of Dvořák Slavonic and Brahms Hungarian Dances

“A virtuoso with chops that defy comparison,” raves The New York Times “Brings to mind stories of the young Rubinstein,” says The Washington Post. The legendary Yefim Bronfman joins Music Director Andreas Delfs and your Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for Beethoven’s fiery third piano concerto. And Dvořák’s and Brahms’ Slavonic and Hungarian Dances are some of the most enduring popular music ever conceived.

MAY 30 & JUNE 1

CENTENNIAL SEASON FINALE: ODE TO JOY*

Andreas Delfs, conductor | Rochester Oratorio Society

vocal soloists to be announced

DERRICK SKYE: (WORLD PREMIERE) *RPO Centennial Commission

BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 “Choral”

*AVAILABLE ONLY WITH SUBSCRIPTION!

A spectacular conclusion to an amazing Centennial Season celebration! Hear, live in concert, the epic power and timeless message of humanity and brotherhood when Music Director Andreas Delfs leads your RPO, Rochester Oratorio Society, and soloists in Beethoven’s inspiring and monumental “Ode to Joy,” The Ninth Symphony. “All men become brothers.” And, for composer Derrick Skye, all music becomes one as he fuses diverse cultures into a colorful, new companion work, commissioned by the RPO for its 100th season.

Sunday Matinee series

NAZARETH COLLEGE, BESTON HALL AT GLAZER MUSIC PERFORMANCE CENTER SUNDAYS AT 2 PM

MOZART &…

Experience your RPO in the intimate setting of Glazer Music Performance Center at Nazareth College for our popular Sunday Matinee Series. This season, each performance pairs one of Mozart’s extensive output of piano concertos, recognized as among his greatest achievements, with serenades by Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvořák and Wagner. Plus, we’ll showcase the creative talents of our Composers from Rochester Competition winners.

SUNDAY

NAZARETH

SEPTEMBER 10

MOZART & TCHAIKOVSKY

Andreas Delfs, conductor Chiao-Wen Cheng, piano

DECEMBER 10

MOZART & BRAHMS

Andreas Delfs, conductor Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner, piano Winner of the RPO’s Composers from Rochester Competition

Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491

Serenade No. 2 in A, Op. 16

MARCH 24

MOZART & DVOŘáK

RPO’s

1 ANDREAS CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN’S EROICA SEPT 21 & 23

2 THE FOUR SEASONS SEPT 28 & 30

3 DAVID ZINMAN RETURNS OCT 12 & 14

4 ANDREAS CONDUCTS MAHLER OCT 26 & 28

5 ALL TCHAIKOVSKY WITH OLGA KERN NOV 16 & 18

6 RITE OF SPRING FEATURING GARTH FAGAN DANCE JAN 11 & 13

7 THE PLANETS: HD

MAY 26

MOZART & WAGNER

Neil Varon, conductor

Cano Smit, piano

All programs, dates, times, venues, prices, and performers are subject to change. Pricing only guaranteed until May 31, 2023.

All applicable fees are bundled into published prices, including $15 per package handling fee and Kodak Hall facility fee ($3 per ticket over $25).

Known around the world for his groundbreaking choreography of Broadway’s The Lion King Garth Fagan is widely acknowledged as one of the most dynamic and original artists working in the field today—and the man who transformed Rochester, NY into an incubator for world-class contemporary dance.

Subscriber REWARDS

Experience the quality, variety, and value that only an RPO subscription can provide. Buy more, save more, and enjoy more perks!

ALL SUBSCRIBERS

Save up to 15% OFF per concert within your subscription package, plus:

• Preferred seats to all concerts—ahead of the general public!

• Free and easy exchanges* from one concert to another

• Presale access to newly announced concerts— before the general public

• Discounts towards Add-On Concerts

HOW TO SUBSCRIBE

1. Complete Your Order Form

Fill out the enclosed order form with your desired package, day, price level, and number of seats. Please include your complete contact information. Don’t forget to add on performances!

2. Place Your Order

RPO.ORG/SUBSCRIBE (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

MAIL: Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra

255 East Avenue, Suite LL02, Rochester, NY 14604

Attention: Patron Services Center

PHONE: 585-454-2100

Please have your credit card and order form ready. Monday-Friday 10 AM-5 PM

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

After you complete your subscription order, we will send you a confirmation via email. Please be sure to include or update your email address on your order form.

If you are requesting a change to your subscription, we will process the change once our renewal period is finished. If we are able to fulfill your request for a series or seating change, we will make the necessary adjustments and you will be notified by e-mail. Upon receiving the e-mail, you may call in to discuss other seating options if you so prefer. We will make every effort to accommodate you. Requests for changes are honored according to the date in which orders are received and paid, with full series Philharmonics A and Pops X subscribers receiving priority.

*exclusions may apply

HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES

Please be assured that your RPO follows the most up-to-date guidelines from national and local officials as well as our medical advisors to ensure the safety and well-being of patrons, staff, musicians, volunteers, and guest artists. Additional information will continue to be provided throughout the season as safety requirements develop.

If you are adding on tickets to your package, we will seat them starting in June after all subscriber packages have been seated. Subscribers may request exchanges upon subscribing. Those requests will then be processed by our Patron Services team starting June of 2023.

In early August, you will receive your season and add-on tickets.

Satisfaction guaranteed! Ticket refunds are available up to the first performance date in your package. Handling fees are non-refundable.

QUESTIONS?

We’re happy to help! Call the RPO Patron Services Center at 585-454-2100. ?