The Philadelphia Orchestra 2016-17 Season Brochure

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Music Director

2016-17 SEASON www.philorch.org

“A collection of everything that’s great in music … without boundaries.”

–Yannick Nézet-Séguin Yannick’s Fifth Season!

From the opium-driven frenzy that is Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique to Mahler’s colossal and life-affirming Symphony No. 3, Yannick and The Philadelphia Orchestra celebrate their fifth season together with programs that burst with excitement, surprise, and remarkable depth and breadth. “A season with The Philadelphia Orchestra can be one week of all Mozart,” says Yannick. “It can be also Stéphane Denève bringing all his passion to the score of E.T. And it can also be a week where we do the Shostakovich Fourth Symphony.”

2016-17 Season Highlights Browse through our 2016-17 offerings and you’ll see world-famous guest conductors such as Simon Rattle, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Itzhak Perlman; celebrity soloists including André Watts, Midori, Yuja Wang, and many more; plus the rising stars of the music world.

Among this season’s inspiring programs, find a three-week Paris Festival with Yannick; Britten’s War Requiem with Conductor Laureate Charles Dutoit; a Rachmaninoff Festival led by Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève featuring all four piano concertos; Mozart’s Mass in C minor; all four of Brahms’s symphonies; theatrical works including Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé and Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle; and an incisive focus on American music, including works by Mason Bates, Leonard Bernstein, Ruth Crawford Seeger, and Christopher Theofanidis, plus two world premieres: a new concerto commissioned for the 10th anniversary of the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ by the Pulitzer Prize-winning Christopher Rouse; and a Duo Concerto for Vibraphone and Marimba, comprised of several Pat Metheny compositions arranged and orchestrated by Principal Percussion Christopher Deviney.

The Fabulous Philadelphia Sound And then there’s the main attraction: the Orchestra itself. Renowned for over a century as one of the world’s greatest musical ensembles, The Philadelphia Orchestra is revered for the astonishing talent of its musicians, its unmatched cohesiveness, and, of course, the famous Philadelphia Sound, what Yannick calls its “resonating soul.” In a brief four years, Yannick—the Musical America 2016 Artist of the Year—has taken the Orchestra to new musical heights, honoring its storied past while infusing it with even more energy, passion, and joy.

Join us as the exhilarating journey continues!

Yannick and the Orchestra in rehearsal for the Papal Mass during the World Meeting of Families

Orchestra musicians preparing backstage for the Festival of Families Concert on the Parkway.

Welcome to the 2016-17 season!

Experience the drama, joy, and passion of live music as Yannick and the Fabulous Philadelphians take you on an unforgettable journey. We hope you enjoy browsing through the pages ahead and exploring the great music that awaits you. This brochure has the concerts listed in chronological order to allow you to discover the story of the season week by week. You will also find information about our Special Events, Family, and Holiday Concerts. The season features more than 100 extraordinary concerts of the best music-making you’ll hear anywhere.

For those of you who enjoy the traditional subscription packages, you will see the icons below beneath the concerts included in each package. All of our 14 traditional packages have been designed to offer a diverse selection of artists and programming.

A complete subscription package listing can be found in the center foldout, as well as beginning on page 42. For those who enjoy making their own selections, simply make note of all the concerts you wish to experience and purchase a Create-Your-Own 6- concert package.

Either way you choose to purchase, don’t delay! Make your selections now while great seats are available. Be sure to add on any additional tickets to bring friends along with you. Concerts do sell out, so the best way to secure the best seats at the best prices is to subscribe now!

We are excited to invite you to join us as we feature LiveNote during the 2016-17 season as we continue to engage concertgoers and expand our use of technology into the concert hall. The LiveNote app features real-time program notes you can read on your smart phone during the concert and will be available only on certain pieces on select weekends. Look for the LiveNote icon below to see which performances offer this high-tech option. LiveNote has been developed over many years, tested with audience feedback and designed for minimal impact on the live experience. Please look for the LiveNote icon below to see when the app will be used.

Whether this will be your first season as a subscriber or if you have been with us for many, we look forward to welcoming you to a concert in Verizon Hall soon!

Thurs 6

Thurs 6

Thurs 6

Fri

Fri MAT

Fri MAT

Sat 6

Sat 6

Sat 6

Sat 9

Sat 9

A

8PM

A A

B A

B B

C

Thurs 6

D

B

C

Sat 6

D

Sun

MAT

These concerts are LiveNoteTM enabled

September/October 2016 “It’s extremely unlikely that the piece has been written Yuja Wang can’t play. For her, there is no repertoire too steep to conquer. The technique is simply off the charts.”

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Yannick and Yuja Open the Season PREMIUM Thursday, September 22 8 PM Friday, September 23 2 PM Saturday, September 24 8 PM

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Yuja Wang Piano Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 Berlioz Symphonie fantastique Yannick launches his fifth season with high-powered passion, joined by the Philadelphia favorite Yuja Wang. “I need to perform to feel alive,” says the Chinese-born and Curtis-trained pianist, who performs Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The “poet of the piano” wrote just two piano concertos; this is actually the first composed, its gorgeous melodies written when he was just 19 years old and on the verge of abandoning Poland for Paris.

(Hear the First Concerto January 19-21, 2017.) Programs inspired by Paris are sprinkled throughout the season, beginning with this journey to the City of Light in pursuit of Berlioz’s unrequited love: actress Harriet Smithson. The composer’s obsession with her inspired the Symphonie fantastique—and most likely drove Berlioz to opium and madness—but the electrifying result showcases the musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra in spectacular fashion.

Thurs 6 Yuja Wang

D

Fri MAT

B

Sat 9

A

Sat 6

D

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

6

Subscribers get fee-free ticket exchanges all season long.

These concerts are LiveNoteTM enabled

Mozart’s Great Mass Thursday, September 29 8 PM Saturday, October 1 8 PM Sunday, October 2 2 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Lucy Crowe Soprano Kate Lindsey Mezzo-soprano Nicholas Phan Tenor Philippe Sly Bass-baritone Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director Theofanidis Rainbow Body Schubert Symphony in B minor (“Unfinished”) Mozart Mass in C minor

Westminster Symphonic Choir

These beautiful works are all fragments (or based on them), yet are no less stunning as a result. American composer Christopher Theofanidis weaves his Rainbow Body from selections of the music of medieval abbess and mystic Hildegard von Bingen. Schubert’s Symphony in B minor, perhaps the most famous unfinished work of all time, has lived in the hearts of music lovers ever since its premiere in 1865. With Mozart’s C-minor Mass, Yannick continues his exploration of the great choral works.

Though incomplete when Mozart died, the Mass brilliantly displays the composer’s passion, giving us what Yannick calls “some of his most profound music.” The Westminster Symphonic Choir helps bring it to glorious life.

“We will keep exploring the great vocal repertoire at the beginning of the season with Mozart’s Mass in C minor, which he left unfinished.

It’s a little bit like his Requiem, but it has perhaps some of his most profound music in it.”

—Yannick Nézet-Séguin Thurs 6

B

Sat 9

B

Sat 6

C

Sun

MAT

Denise Tryon

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

7

October 2016 “I have found only one way of completely satisfying this immense appetite for emotion, and this is music.”

—Hector Berlioz

Stéphane Tétreault

Berlioz’s Fantastic Obsession Friday, October 7 8 PM Saturday, October 8 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Stéphane Tétreault Cello Berlioz Le Corsaire Overture Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 Berlioz Symphonie fantastique Hector Berlioz takes infatuation to a whole new level in his revolutionary— and semi-autobiographical—Symphonie fantastique, a musical tale of love, lust, ecstasy, despair, and murder. The names of the movements chart the spiraling decline of a heartsick artist, from his innocent “Daydreams” to his eventual “March to the Scaffold.” “I mean to stagger the musical world,” Berlioz wrote—and he did. This all-French program, continuing the season-long theme, opens with an exhilarating rush of strings and woodwinds, conjuring the swagger of pirates on the high seas in Berlioz’s swashbuckling Le Corsaire Overture. Berlioz was a champion of lateRomantic French composer Camille Saint-Saëns, whose single-movement First Cello Concerto will hold audiences rapt from the soloist’s dramatic first-bar entry. The dynamic young Montrealer Stéphane Tétreault makes his Philadelphia Orchestra debut, performing on a highly treasured Stradivarius cello once owned by Paganini.

Fri

8PM

Sat 6

B

These concerts are LiveNoteTM enabled Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

8

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Renard Edwards

Subscribe today and secure your seats for this brilliant season.

Stéphane Denève

Russian Favorites Thursday, October 20 8 PM Friday, October 21 2 PM Saturday, October 22 8 PM Stéphane Denève Conductor Denis Kozhukhin Piano Tchaikovsky/arr. Stokowski Andante cantabile, from String Quartet No. 1 (“Accordion”) Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 Musorgsky/arr. & orch. Stokowski Boris Godunov: A Symphonic Synthesis Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture

Denis Kozhukhin

Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève leads a program that combines treasured masterworks with fresh discoveries from two of Russia’s iconic composers. The great young Russian pianist Denis Kozhukhin makes his subscription debut with Tchaikovsky’s beloved First Piano Concerto. Our legendary former Music Director Leopold Stokowski arranged the Andante cantabile second movement from Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 for string orchestra, and created a Symphonic Synthesis from Musorgsky’s opera Boris Godunov. We conclude with Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, the most vivid depiction of a battle you’ll ever hear in a concert hall (and rarely hear on a subscription program)!

Thurs 6

C

Fri MAT

A

Sat 6

A

Jeffrey Khaner and Richard Woodhams

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

9

October/November 2016

Brahms: Symphony No. 1 Thursday, October 27 8 PM Friday, October 28 2 PM Saturday, October 29 8 PM

Alain Altinoglu

Alain Altinoglu Conductor Veronika Eberle Violin Dutilleux Métaboles Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No. 1 This season offers an exceptional opportunity to hear all four of Brahms’s great symphonies, led by four different conductors.

We begin with the powerful Symphony No. 1, the composer’s answer to Beethoven and the culmination of 15 years’ work.

Parisian Alain Altinoglu, who earned raves for his “superb performances” (The Philadelphia Inquirer) at his 2014 debut, conducts.

Veronika Eberle is our soloist in Mendelssohn’s luminous Violin Concerto, which never fails to captivate—and neither does Eberle, an astounding violinist just 27 years old. Yannick calls Henri Dutilleux “one of the finest French composers of the 20th century.” Métaboles is a prime example of his artistry. This program is an irresistible combination of 19th-century favorites and a 20th-century standout.

Thurs 6

A

Fri MAT

B

Sat 9

B

Sat 6

C

Veronika Eberle

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

10

Enjoy flexibility and savings by purchasing a Create-Your-Own subscription today.

Louis Langrée

Brahms: Symphony No. 2 PREMIUM Thursday, November 3 8 PM Friday, November 4 2 PM Saturday, November 5 8 PM Louis Langrée Conductor Midori Violin Schnittke Moz-Art à la Haydn Beethoven Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No. 2 The highly sought-after Louis Langrée, music director of Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival and the Cincinnati Symphony, makes his Philadelphia Orchestra debut with these performances, bringing his “classy artistry” (The New York Times) to Brahms’s Second Symphony. Utterly different from his First, this work was written quickly, in the summer of 1877, which may explain its largely cheerful mood. Audience favorite Midori returns to The Philadelphia Orchestra for the first time on subscription since 2007 with Beethoven’s mighty Violin Concerto, arguably the jewel in the crown of the violin repertoire. We open with Alfred Schnittke’s witty and theatrical mash-up; it’s a little Mozart, a little Haydn, and thoroughly modern music-making including untraditional staging and lighting.

Thurs 6 Midori

B

Fri MAT

A

Sat 6

B

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

11

November 2016

Westminster Symphonic Choir

Daphnis and Chloé Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Thursday, November 10 8 PM Friday, November 11 2 PM Saturday, November 12 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Benjamin Beilman Violin Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 Ravel Daphnis and Chloé (complete ballet) Yannick brings two masterworks by Ravel to this program. Each movement of his intimate Le Tombeau de Couperin is dedicated to a friend who died in the First World War, but as a whole, the composition is a tribute to the splendors of French music, which may be best embodied in Ravel’s ballet Daphnis and Chloé, a work Yannick calls “very dear to my heart.”

He leads the complete version of this sparkling and sensual orchestral showpiece, bringing to vivid life the mythological story of the goatherd Daphnis and the shepherdess Chloé. It’s a hedonistic tale, with a musical bacchanal in the garden of Pan. Curtis grad and rising star violinist Benjamin Beilman made his Philadelphia Orchestra debut in 2015, performing with “polish and power” (The Philadelphia Inquirer). He returns with Prokofiev’s ethereal Violin Concerto No. 1.

Thurs 6 Benjamin Beilman

C

Fri MAT

B

Sat 6

A

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

12

Subscribe today before our most popular concerts sell out!

These concerts are LiveNoteTM enabled

Tenth Anniversary Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ Celebration

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Thursday, November 17 8 PM Friday, November 18 2 PM Saturday, November 19 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Paul Jacobs Organ Respighi The Fountains of Rome Rouse Organ Concerto (Philadelphia Orchestra co-commission—world premiere) Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4 The work of American composer—and Pulitzer Prize winner—Christopher Rouse is able to summon breathtaking textures, colors, and volume, much like Verizon Hall’s 7,000-pipe Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ.

In celebration of the magnificent instrument’s 10th anniversary, Rouse has been commissioned by The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the National Symphony to write a new concerto for the King of Instruments. Grammy Award-winning organist Paul Jacobs returns as Yannick leads the Philadelphians in this world premiere. Tchaikovsky conjures all the power of an organ in the introduction to his dramatic Fourth Symphony, a sweeping and urgent ode to fate. Respighi’s brightly colored tribute to Rome opens these concerts with gusto.

Paul Jacobs

“It is a privilege to have in our hall such a wonderful organ as the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ. …

What potential this organ has!”

—Yannick Nézet-Séguin Thurs 6

D

Fri MAT

A

Sat 9

A

Sat 6

D

Dmitri Levin and Amy Oshiro-Morales

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

13

November/December 2016

Gianandrea Noseda

Alexander Toradze

Noseda Returns for Thanksgiving Friday, November 25 8 PM Saturday, November 26 8 PM Sunday, November 27 2 PM Gianandrea Noseda Conductor Alexander Toradze Piano Petrassi Partita Ravel Piano Concerto in G major Beethoven Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”) Newly appointed music director of the National Symphony, Gianandrea Noseda returns to lead a program that whirls from dance to jazz to Beethoven.

The Milanese maestro has been sharing his love of underappreciated Italian repertoire with our audiences for the past two seasons (with the music of Casella inspiring wild ovations). This season he enchants us with Goffredo Petrassi, whose 1932 Partita celebrates traditional Italian dance forms. Noseda says he loves to conduct it with “fantastic orchestras!” Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major was written around the same time as the Partita, but is heavily influenced by jazz; masterful Georgian pianist Alexander Toradze is sure to impress. Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony, the “Pastoral,” is a mainstay of the repertoire, but Noseda says every time he conducts it, the work “opens new windows on the idea of the symphony.”

Fri

8PM

Sat 9

B

Sat 6

C

Anthony Orlando

Sun

MAT

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

14

Subscribe and receive discounts on convenient garage parking!

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Yannick and Bronfman PREMIUM Thursday, December 1 8 PM Friday, December 2 2 PM Saturday, December 3 8 PM

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Yefim Bronfman Piano Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 Shostakovich Symphony No. 4

Yefim Bronfman

Yannick conducts an athletic and thrilling program of great Russian repertoire, with two pieces that are extremely demanding for both orchestra and soloist.

In Prokofiev’s “knockout” Piano Concerto No. 2, Yefim Bronfman earns raves for his “eerily relaxed mastery of every pianistic challenge: the crazed firstmovement cadenza; the whirlwind Scherzo with its nonstop rippling runs; the spiky, hard-driven finale, with its keyboard-spanning leaps.” (The New York Times) Shostakovich’s Fourth Symphony is one of incredible power and forces. Written at the height of Soviet nationalism and shelved for 25 years under authoritarian pressure, the Philadelphians and Eugene Ormandy gave the tour de force its American premiere in 1963.

Thurs 6

A

Fri MAT

A

Sat 6

B

These concerts are LiveNoteTM enabled Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

Jeffrey Lang

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

15

December 2016 January 2017

O Fortuna!—Carmina burana PREMIUM Thursday, December 8 8 PM Friday, December 9 8 PM Saturday, December 10 8 PM

Cristian Măcelaru Conductor Olga Pudova Soprano Nicholas Phan Tenor Stephen Powell Baritone Philadelphia Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director Beethoven Symphony No. 2 Orff Carmina burana “O Fortune! Like the moon ever-changing,” the massive choir bellows amidst the opening clash of cymbals and banging of drums, but ever-constant is the enduring popularity of Carmina burana, Orff’s heart-pounding and tantalizing tale of drinking and debauchery. It was a hit from the start. Whether you know it from the movies or TV commercials, rappers or Philadelphia’s own Mummers, nothing can quite prepare you for The Philadelphia Orchestra’s live and lusty delivery, vigorously led in these performances by the Orchestra’s own Cristian Măcelaru, whose career has quickly taken on international proportions. Beethoven was having his own showdown with fortune when he composed his Second Symphony. He might justifiably have manifested despair in the early stages of hearing loss, but instead wrote one of his most ebullient and life-affirming works.

Thurs 6

B

Sat 9

A

Cristian Măcelaru

Sat 6

A

These concerts are LiveNoteTM enabled Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

16

Subscribers get fee-free ticket exchanges all season long.

Olga Pudova

All Mozart Thursday, January 5 8 PM Friday, January 6 2 PM Saturday, January 7 8 PM Jane Glover Conductor Daniel Matsukawa Bassoon Mozart Symphony No. 1 Mozart Bassoon Concerto Mozart Symphony No. 41 (“Jupiter”) There’s no denying Mozart was a genius in the most literal sense of the word. Here’s an opportunity to experience the full sweep of his astonishing talent, from his first symphony, composed when he was just eight years old, to his last, the complex and majestic “Jupiter.”

In between he produced a staggering body of work, including his first woodwind concerto, composed at age 18. “We are honored as bassoonists that he chose us first among all the woodwind instruments. It’s a masterwork. And it’s written for us and such a fantastic privilege!” says Principal Bassoon Daniel Matsukawa, comparing his role in these concerts to “the lucky tenor or soprano who gets to sing the arias” in the midst of two great symphonic works. The esteemed British conductor and Mozart specialist Jane Glover makes her subscription debut in this effervescent program.

Thurs 6

A

Fri MAT

B

Daniel Matsukawa

Sat 6

B

Jane Glover

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

17

January 2017

City of Light and Music:

The Paris Festival

“When it’s January, and it’s after the holidays, and it’s winter here, sometimes our minds and our bodies would like to explore the rest of the world. ... Join us on a musical journey abroad—to Paris!

The City of Light is full of poetry, and imagery and, of course, great music.” ­—Yannick Nézet-Séguin

The Paris Festival: Week One

The Paris Festival: Week Two

Thursday, January 12 8 PM Friday, January 13 8 PM Saturday, January 14 8 PM

Thursday, January 19 8 PM Friday, January 20 2 PM Saturday, January 21 8 PM

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Susan Graham Mezzo-soprano

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Louis Lortie Piano

Chabrier Joyeuse Marche Fauré Pavane Saint-Saëns “Bacchanale,” from Samson and Delilah Canteloube Selections from Songs of the Auvergne Ravel Menuet antique Schmitt Suite from La Tragédie de Salomé

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 Stravinsky Petrushka

Paris is home to one of the world’s richest mixtures of culture and music.

This first of three Festival programs celebrates composers who were based in the City of Light. At the heart of the concert are the gorgeous selections from Joseph Canteloube’s Songs of the Auvergne, a work often requested by our audience. Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham will float the exquisite melodies straight into your heart while showcasing the extraordinary chemistry she enjoys with Yannick. Chabrier was a composer’s composer; his Joyeuse Marche is a jaunty parade through the boulevards of Paris. Fauré’s haunting Pavane has delighted Parisiens (and everyone else) since its first performances in the 1880s. Saint-Saëns’s “Bacchanale” is a raucous episode from his opera Samson and Delilah. Ravel’s Menuet antique is perhaps inspired by Chabrier, an early supporter. And Florent Schmitt’s Suite from La Tragédie de Salomé anticipates the work of another Paris resident, Stravinsky. The lives (and works) of these composers intertwined; we know you’ll relish the musical riches that could only have been born in Paris.

Thurs 6

C

Fri

8PM

Sat 9

A

Sat 6

D

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

18

On our second visit to Paris, Yannick and the Orchestra feature two brilliant musical expats who made the French capital their home, while never forgetting their native land. Frédéric Chopin wrote his Piano Concerto No. 1 before he left Poland in 1830; political upheaval drove him to Paris, where he remained for the rest of his life, dazzling the city (and audiences and critics throughout the world) with his extraordinary performing and composing skills. The Concerto is thus a fascinating look at a genius in transition. Our soloist, Chopin-specialist Louis Lortie, will bring out all the riches of this piano masterwork. Igor Stravinsky enjoyed remarkable success and support in Paris, but kept strong ties to his roots. His music for the ballet Petrushka, based on Russia’s version of Punch and Judy, premiered in Paris in 1911, with the immortal Nijinsky in the title role.

Thurs 6 These concerts are LiveNoteTM enabled

A

Fri MAT

B

Sat 9

B

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

Subscribe today and secure your seats for this brilliant season.

Susan Graham

The Paris Festival: Week Three

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Thursday, January 26 8 PM Friday, January 27 2 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Choong-Jin Chang Viola Berlioz Harold in Italy Ravel Alborada del gracioso Ravel Rapsodie espagnole Ravel Bolero Our final visit to Paris celebrates two composers who reached outside their rich musical milieu to find inspiration around the Mediterranean. Hector Berlioz’s Harold in Italy, inspired by Lord Byron’s poetry, was written for the devilishly talented Niccolò Paganini. He decided the viola part wasn’t prominent enough, and rejected the piece. His loss is the music world’s gain; the work is now at the heart of the viola repertoire. Our principal viola, Choong-Jin Chang, steps out front to shine in this wonderful piece.

From Italy to Spain, a frequent creative wellspring for Maurice Ravel (his parents both had Spanish roots): Alborada del gracioso uses Spanish musical themes; Rapsodie espagnole celebrates all things Spanish, especially music and dance; and then there’s the stunning Bolero. Deceptively simple, yet utterly compelling, it was a sensational success at its Paris Opera premiere in 1928 and brings our Paris sojourn to an ecstatic finale.

Thurs 6

D

Louis Lortie

Fri MAT

A

Choong-Jin Chang

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

19

February 2017

André Watts

André Watts’s 60-Year Legacy PREMIUM Thursday, February 2 8 PM Friday, February 3 2 PM Saturday, February 4 8 PM Fabio Luisi Conductor André Watts Piano Weber Overture to Oberon Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 Franck Symphony in D minor The revered André Watts’s professional career was launched at age 16 when Leonard Bernstein tapped him to perform with the New York Philharmonic, but he had already been discovered by The Philadelphia Orchestra six years earlier: He made his debut with the Philadelphians in 1957, as a 10-year-old winner of the Orchestra’s Children’s Student Competition. He has since appeared with the Orchestra over 100 times.

This season we celebrate the 60th anniversary of that debut, with Watts performing Beethoven’s profound Piano Concerto No 4. We welcome back Fabio Luisi, who made his well-received Orchestra debut in 2011 and holds titles with the Metropolitan Opera, Zurich Opera, and the Danish National Symphony. In this third appearance with us, he brings his impeccable touch to the Overture from Weber’s Oberon. We conclude with Franck’s Symphony in D minor. The New York Times calls it “moody, impetuous and keenly dramatic”; the composer himself called it “just music, nothing but pure music.”

Thurs 6

C

Fri MAT

B

Sat 6

A

Fabio Luisi

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

20

Enjoy flexibility and savings by purchasing a Create-Your-Own subscription today.

Garrick Ohlsson

Brahms: Symphony No. 3 Friday, February 17 2 PM Saturday, February 18 8 PM Sunday, February 19 2 PM Herbert Blomstedt Conductor Garrick Ohlsson Piano Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503 Brahms Symphony No. 3 The legendary Herbert Blomstedt turns 90 this season, returning to our podium to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his Philadelphia Orchestra debut. Continuing this season’s cycle of Brahms symphonies, he leads Brahms’s lush Third Symphony, hailed by a critic of the composer’s time as “a feast for the music lover and musician … artistically the most perfect.”

The feuding partisans of Wagner and Brahms nearly came to blows at the premiere, but the work survived its boisterous birth, and is now a cornerstone of the great Germanic symphonic repertoire. The main theme of the third movement is Brahms at his brooding, moving best. Blomstedt is joined by another great friend of the Orchestra, the brilliant pianist Garrick Ohlsson. They’ll collaborate on Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25. It’s among the Austrian master’s finest creations, the great piano concertos he wrote in Vienna in the 1780s.

Fri MAT

A

Sat 9

A

Sat 6

D

Sun

MAT

Herbert Blomstedt

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

21

February/March 2017

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 Thursday, February 23 8 PM Friday, February 24 2 PM Saturday, February 25 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Vocal soloists to be announced Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Brahms Selections from Eleven Choral Preludes (orchestral transcriptions by Detlev Glanert) Bach Cantata No. 150, “Nach Dir, Herr, verlanget mich” Brahms Symphony No. 4 Yannick has spoken often of his great passion for Brahms, possibly his favorite composer. The culmination of this season’s symphonic cycle features selections from his final musical work, the Eleven Choral Preludes, as well as his last symphony and the Bach cantata that inspired it. The Choral Preludes, originally written for organ, are a natural companion to Bach, the master of sacred organ and choral music, who is represented here by his Cantata No. 150. And in an homage across time, Brahms based the final movement of his majestic Fourth Symphony on the final movement of the same Bach Cantata. Hear the Choral Preludes in beautiful new transcriptions by Detlev Glanert alongside the original organ works in this varied presentation featuring the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ. Marvelous works on their own; even better in context with each other; sublime with Yannick and the Philadelphians!

Thurs 6

B

Fri MAT

B

Sat 9

B

Sat 6

C

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

22

Enjoy the ultimate in flexibility with a Create-Your-Own subscription.

Michelle DeYoung

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Bluebeard’s Castle— Yannick and Opera Thursday, March 2 8 PM Friday, March 3 8 PM Saturday, March 4 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Michelle DeYoung Mezzo-soprano John Relyea Bass Tchaikovsky Selections from Swan Lake Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle

Ricardo Morales

Indulge in Yannick’s passion for opera in these three evenings of pure spine-tingling drama! Yannick pairs some surprising selections from Tchaikovsky’s dark and gorgeous ballet score with Bartók’s sinister one-act opera. If you think the Black Swan is harrowing, wait until you see what happens when Bluebeard’s suspicious bride insists on seeing what’s behind seven locked doors in her new husband’s castle. The electrifying mezzosoprano and frequent Metropolitan Opera performer Michelle DeYoung is the newlywed Judith, whose high C will give you chills; Metropolitan Opera regular John Relyea sings the brooding Duke Bluebeard. Spoiler alert: Judith might not want to open that last door.

Thurs 6

A

Sat 9

A

Sat 6

A

These concerts are LiveNoteTM enabled Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

John Relyea

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

23

March 2017

Michael Tilson Thomas Returns PREMIUM Friday, March 10 8 PM Saturday, March 11 8 PM Sunday, March 12 2 PM

Michael Tilson Thomas Conductor Leonidas Kavakos Violin Seeger Andante for Strings Berg Violin Concerto Beethoven Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”)

Michael Tilson Thomas

“At the end of his life when asked which was his favorite work, [Beethoven] unhesitatingly said, the ‘Eroica,’” says Michael Tilson Thomas. “It’s a real epic for orchestra, but it’s also a vast and contradictory masterpiece.”

The charismatic conductor returns to lead Beethoven’s landmark—and truly heroic—Symphony No. 3. Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos left Verizon Hall audiences rapturous after his 2015 performance of the Sibelius Concerto. He also returns, applying his “off the charts” technique (The Philadelphia Inquirer) to another early-20th-century masterpiece, Berg’s Violin Concerto. The daring American composer Ruth Crawford Seeger dropped in—unannounced—on Berg while in Vienna on a Guggenheim Fellowship. It was shortly after that meeting—and before her immersion in the folk movement that would make her stepson Pete the famous one in the family—that she was composing the experimental music from which her Andante for Strings is plucked. Her concise and compact piece opens these enthralling concerts.

Fri

8PM

Sat 9

B

Sun

MAT

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

24

Subscribe today before our most popular concerts sell out!

Leonidas Kavakos

Charles Dutoit Matthias Goerne

Britten’s War Requiem with Dutoit Thursday, March 23 8 PM Friday, March 24 2 PM Saturday, March 25 8 PM Charles Dutoit Conductor Tatiana Monogarova Soprano John Mark Ainsley Tenor Matthias Goerne Baritone Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director

Tatiana Monogarova

Britten War Requiem Conductor Laureate Charles Dutoit returns to lead a massive ensemble in one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of music: Britten’s War Requiem.

The composer’s response to the travesty and destruction of war—written to consecrate England’s Coventry Cathedral in 1962, newly rebuilt after being destroyed in a Nazi bombing—features chorus and soprano singing the traditional Latin Mass, constantly interrupted by a chamber orchestra and male voices singing in English.

Dutoit says he was overwhelmed when he first heard the work, as a student in Switzerland shortly after its premiere. He has since performed it all over the world.

Tradition dictates that the soprano be Russian, the tenor English, and the baritone German, representing the combatants in World War II. We honor that tradition with singers Tatiana Monogarova, John Mark Ainsley, and Matthias Goerne.

Thurs 6 John Mark Ainsley

D

Fri MAT

A

Sat 6

B

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

25

March/April 2017

Christopher Deviney

Pat Metheny and the American Beat Thursday, March 30 8 PM Friday, March 31 2 PM Saturday, April 1 8 PM Bramwell Tovey Conductor Christopher Deviney Vibraphone She-e Wu Marimba Bernstein Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs Metheny/arr. & orch. Deviney Duo Concerto for Vibraphone and Marimba (world premiere) Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”)

Bramwell Tovey

Principal Percussion Christopher Deviney calls 20-time Grammy winner Pat Metheny and his composing partner Lyle Mays the “most important duo to come along since George and Ira Gershwin.”

Deviney has orchestrated three Metheny jazz tunes into an all-new percussion concerto starring She-e Wu on marimba and himself on vibraphone. “To have a solo is a dream come true but to then premiere it with The Philadelphia Orchestra—my own orchestra—is beyond what I ever thought would happen,” he says. Audience favorite conductor Bramwell Tovey brings his impresario’s touch to a clever program that combines the world premiere with Dvořák’s lofty final symphony—“From the New World” indeed, as it was written in New York City—and Bernstein’s jazz-infused Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs, a jazz-hall style work for clarinet and orchestra premiered by Benny Goodman.

Thurs 6

B

Fri MAT

B

Sat 9

A

Sat 6

D

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

26

Subscribe and receive discounts on convenient garage parking!

She-e Wu

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Daniil Trifonov

“As soon as he started on the keyboard, the musicians of the Orchestra were 100% convinced that we had a genius with us.”

—Yannick on Daniil Trifonov

Yannick and Trifonov Reunited!

Thursday, April 6 8 PM Friday, April 7 2 PM Saturday, April 8 8 PM Sunday, April 9 2 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Mason Bates Electronica Daniil Trifonov Piano Beethoven Selections from The Creatures of Prometheus Bates Alternative Energy Mozart Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271 (“Jenamy”) Liszt Prometheus Thurs 6

D

Fri MAT

A

Sat 9

B

Sat 6

C

While the young Russian prodigy Daniil Trifonov is busy becoming an international celebrity, Philadelphia Orchestra audiences already know and love him: In 2015 he made his subscription debut and recorded the Grammy-nominated Rachmaninoff Variations with the Philadelphians. He returns to perform Mozart’s “Jenamy” Concerto, as technically demanding as it is joyous. American composer Mason Bates will also be on stage activating the electronica elements of his fascinating and futuristic Alternative Energy. And speaking of energy, Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man; Beethoven and Liszt give us equally inspiring gifts in their tellings of his tale, as ballet music and symphonic poem.

Sun

MAT

These concerts are LiveNoteTM enabled

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

27

April2017

Stéphane Denève

Northern Lights with Stéphane Denève Thursday, April 20 8 PM Friday, April 21 2 PM Saturday, April 22 8 PM Stéphane Denève Conductor Lars Vogt Piano

Lars Vogt

Salonen Nyx Grieg Piano Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 2 Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève brings his considerable flair to this musical buffet. We begin with Finnish composer Esa-Pekka Salonen’s symphonic poem Nyx (she’s the Greek personification of the night). Salonen says he aspired to convey Nyx’s elusive character; if you see shadows flickering around Verizon Hall, well, don’t say we didn’t warn you. To Norway and Edvard Grieg, whose Piano Concerto is one of the most popular works in the keyboard canon.

Soloist Lars Vogt will scale its soul-stirring heights. We return to Finland for our finale from Jean Sibelius. Coming at a time of Russian oppression, his Second Symphony boosted his patriotic credentials. Today we can appreciate this wonderful work on its own terms, as simply great music.

Thurs 6

C

Fri MAT

A

Sat 9

A

Sat 6

D

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

28

Subscribers get fee-free ticket exchanges all season long.

Stéphane Denève

The Rachmaninoff Festival Four Concertos over Three Programs PREMIUM Thursday, April 27 8 PM

PREMIUM Friday, April 28 8 PM

PREMIUM Saturday, April 29 8 PM

Stéphane Denève Conductor Haochen Zhang Piano Nikolai Lugansky Piano

Stéphane Denève Conductor Nikolai Lugansky Piano

Stéphane Denève Conductor Haochen Zhang Piano

Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, for piano and orchestra Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1 Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances

Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 4 Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2

We honor the composer with perhaps the closest ties to The Philadelphia Orchestra, presenting all four of Rachmaninoff’s piano concertos, with two dynamic and contrasting soloists: the renowned Russian Nikolai Lugansky (Concertos 2 and 3) and the Chinese phenom and Curtis-trained Haochen Zhang (Concertos 1 and 4). For good measure, Lugansky will also solo in the gorgeous Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève also leads the Orchestra in the Symphonic Dances. In a perfect world you’ll hear all three concerts and all four concertos. Additional Rachmaninoff Festival events surrounding the concerts will be unveiled in 2017. Join us for these unforgettable nights and revel in the heavenly Philadelphia Sound!

Thurs 6

D

Fri

8PM

Sat 9

B

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

29

May 2017

The Philadelphia Orchestra at Carnegie Hall

A Journey of the Soul Wednesday, May 3 8 PM Friday, May 5 2 PM Saturday, May 6 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Sasha Cooke Mezzo-soprano Radu Lupu Piano Bernstein Symphony No. 1 (“Jeremiah”) Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24, K. 491 Schumann Symphony No. 2

Thurs 6

B

Fri Sat MAT 6

D B

Looking ahead to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Leonard Bernstein in 2018, Yannick conducts the great American composer’s first symphony, “Jeremiah,” based on the prophet’s lamentations “as he mourns his beloved Jerusalem, ruined, pillaged, and dishonored after his desperate efforts to save it” (Leonard Bernstein), and the young composer’s own struggles with faith. Critics extol Radu Lupu, the “enigmatic and almost willfully individualistic pianist” (The New York Times), as an artist who simply must be heard live. A leading interpreter of Mozart’s music, he performs the mesmerizing Piano Concerto No. 24, in which the composer makes full use of the orchestra. We conclude with Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, which includes “probably the most profound music Schumann ever wrote for orchestra,” says Yannick, “on the one hand very simple, but also heartbreaking in its depth and richness of harmonies.”

Sat 6

B

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

30

Subscribe today and secure your seats for this brilliant season.

Tugan Sokhiev

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony Thursday, May 11 8 PM Friday, May 12 8 PM Saturday, May 13 8 PM Tugan Sokhiev Conductor Renaud Capuçon Violin Liadov Kikimora Korngold Violin Concerto Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

Renaud Capuçon

After making a terrific impression in his debut with the Orchestra in 2014, Bolshoi Music Director Tugan Sokhiev returns for this stirring program drawn in part from strong Russian influences. Famous for its ingenious use of a “fate” theme, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony progresses from a somber beginning to an uplifting, triumphant march in the final movement. It’s Tchaikovsky at his soulful best! We open with Anatoli Liadov’s depiction of a mythical Russian house spirit. And Oscar-winning Viennese composer Erich Korngold infuses his Violin Concerto with Hollywood flair; Frenchman Renaud Capuçon brings his “lean but velvety tone” to a score that lets you “all but conjure up the lovely Olivia de Havilland or the swashbuckling Errol Flynn.”

(Los Angeles Times)

“It may be a dangerous thing to say, but the Philadelphia is better suited to Tchaikovsky than any other orchestra I know, including the Russian ones that make a specialty of such things.”

—The New York Times Thurs 6

A

Sat 9

A

Sat 9

B

Sat 6

C

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

31

May 2017

Mahler’s Third Symphony PREMIUM Thursday, May 18 8 PM Friday, May 19 8 PM Saturday, May 20 8 PM Sunday, May 21 2 PM

Karen Cargill

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Karen Cargill Mezzo-soprano Philadelphia Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director Mahler Symphony No. 3 Thurs 6

C

Fri

8PM

Sat 6

A

We end the season with Mahler’s colossal Third Symphony, among the grandest works of all. The Symphony is massive—calling for mezzosoprano, women’s choir, and children’s chorus—and with six movements, is the longest piece in the standard repertoire. “It’s a work that, even more than any other Mahler symphony, contains—as Mahler said—the whole world,” says Yannick. “It has the mineral life, the vegetation life, the animal one, the human one—and the afterlife as well. … It’s a fascinating work of art.” This is a rare chance to hear this commanding music in the inimitable hands of Yannick and The Philadelphia Orchestra. A monumental end to our season that you won’t want to miss!

Sun

MAT

Find complete subscription package listings starting on page 42.

For all subscription pricing, see pull-out calendar.

32

Enjoy flexibility and savings by purchasing a Create-Your-Own subscription today.

Opening Night Friday, September 30 7 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Another extraordinary season of music-making, led by our remarkable music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and featuring an incredible roster of special guest artists, internationally renowned conductors, and our own Fabulous Philadelphians, is about to begin.

Join us as we kick off the new cultural year at the 2016 Opening Night Concert and Gala, launching our 117th season in grand style! Experience the legendary Philadelphia Sound as friends, musicians, and leaders from throughout Philadelphia’s cultural community gather to celebrate the beginning of another marvelous year of performances. An unforgettable evening of great music, glamour, black tie, high couture, delicious food, and champagne awaits.

Opening Night Co-Chairs Dianne Rotwitt and Raymond H. Welsh, Chairman of the Board Richard B. Worley, and Volunteer Association President Lisa Yakulis look forward to welcoming you to this special evening.

Call Karen Klaverkamp in the Volunteer Relations Office at 215.893.1956, or e-mail kklaverkamp@philorch.org to make sure you are on the invitation list.

Concert-only tickets for the evening are also available—simply add them to your subscription.

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

33

Simon Rattle Returns Thursday, October 6 8 PM Simon Rattle Conductor Mahler Symphony No. 6 In his only U.S. orchestra guest conducting appearance of the season, Simon Rattle, fiery leader of the esteemed Berlin Philharmonic and regular Philadelphia Orchestra collaborator, returns to Verizon Hall for one night only, bringing “his characteristic combination of strategy, intellectualism, and heat.”

(The Philadelphia Inquirer) He leads Mahler’s fateful Symphony No. 6—a work so overflowing with emotion and consequence, it literally calls for hammer blows to express its depths. The work’s nickname—“Tragic”—is a bit of mystery; it was written during a relatively carefree period in Mahler’s life. Perhaps the composer had premonitions of the unhappy fate that awaited him. For our audiences, though, there’s nothing in store but amazement.

“Twenty years after his debut with the orchestra, the love is still clearly there, in the form of grins, hugs and the Philadelphians’ willingness to commit their burnished sound, rich yet agile, to Mr. Rattle’s often idiosyncratic interpretations.”

—The New York Times

The Iconic Itzhak Perlman Wednesday, March 15 8 PM Thursday, March 16 8 PM Itzhak Perlman Conductor and Violin Bach Violin Concerto No. 1 Mozart Symphony No. 35 (“Haffner”) Dvořák Symphony No. 8 President Obama called him “the most beloved violinist of our time” in awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. A cultural icon, the irrepressible Itzhak Perlman returns to Verizon Hall to conduct and solo with The Philadelphia Orchestra. He brings his “brilliant technique and juicy sound” (TheNew York Times) to Bach’s exquisite First Violin Concerto before leading the ensemble in two symphonic masterpieces: Dvořák’s bucolic Eighth Symphony and Mozart’s intoxicating “Haffner” Symphony, composed amidst a furious frenzy of activity and calling for a finale played “as fast as possible”!

34

Only subscribers can purchase tickets to special events in advance!

E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial with The Philadelphia Orchestra Friday, October 14 7 PM Saturday, October 15 7 PM Sunday, October 16 2 PM Stéphane Denève Conductor John Williams is E.T.,” Steven Spielberg is quoted as saying. In their decades-long collaboration, Williams has composed the music for almost every one of Spielberg’s movies, but his Oscar®- and Grammy-winning score for the beloved E.T.: the Extra-Terrestrial was so exceptional, the famous director actually cut the final sequence to match the music, instead of the other way around. Join The Philadelphia Orchestra for an unforgettable performance of this magical score live to picture, as the entire film is projected in HD. Principal Guest Conductor Stéphane Denève, a Williams aficionado who remembers E.T. as the first time he cried at the movies, conducts. Just try to avoid chills—or tears—when that bicycle pedals off the mountain and flies past the moon, lifted by Williams’s tender and soaring melodies.

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios. Licensed by Universal Studios Licensing LLC. All Rights Reserved. ©A.M.P.A.S.®

Special Holiday Events From the powerful blasts of the Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ on Halloween to those famous lush strings on full display in the romantic repertoire of Valentine’s Day, The Philadelphia Orchestra infuses the holidays with music and joy. Celebrate Christmas or ring in the New Year and create new family traditions. But remember that tickets sell quickly. Add these on to your subscription early for the best seats in the house!

Halloween Organ Extravaganza

Valentine’s Day Concert

Friday, October 28 9:30 PM

Cristian Măcelaru Conductor

Back for its third core-shaking year: our Halloween Organ Extravaganza!

The magnificent Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ will resound, vibrating through Verizon Hall and sending spines tingling in every plush red velvet seat. Come in costume, or come as you are, but come prepared to have bones rattled and your breath taken away as our guest organists literally pull out all the stops and test the limits of our mighty King of Instruments.

“I love music passionately,” Debussy once said. All true artists know that love and music go hand in hand. On this February 14 we honor cupid and St. Valentine with music that whispers and sighs, sings and soars, and, above all, exalts the magic of love. Philadelphia favorite Cristian Măcelaru leads this romantic evening, perfect for anyone in love, looking for love, or, like Debussy, purely in love with music itself.

Tuesday, February 14 8:30 PM

The Glorious Sound of Christmas Thursday, December 15 7 PM Friday, December 16 7 PM Saturday, December 17 7 PM Thomas Wilkins Conductor Maybe you’re new to The Philadelphia Orchestra’s holiday music. Or maybe Eugene Ormandy’s 1962 The Glorious Sound of Christmas album is a prize in your record collection. Either way, we invite you to make us part of your annual traditions. Our Christmas concerts feature the full Orchestra, choir, and special guests, all led this year by the irresistible Thomas Wilkins, principal conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Buy your tickets early and put this heartwarming holiday break on your calendar now. Come December, you’ll be glad you did. ’Tis the season!

Messiah Sunday, December 18 2 PM Nathalie Stutzmann Conductor Handel Messiah It wouldn’t be the holiday season without Handel’s divine Messiah.

French conductor and vocalist Nathalie Stutzmann—who made her U.S. conducting debut with Messiah performances in Detroit and at the Kennedy Center—makes her Philadelphia Orchestra conducting debut leading this most famous of oratorios. With one performance only, this is guaranteed to sell out. Don’t miss your chance to be in the hall when the audience stands for the “Hallelujah” Chorus. Wonderful!

36

New Year’s Eve Saturday, December 31 7:30 PM Bramwell Tovey Conductor Celebrate the arrival of 2017 with the Fabulous Philadelphians! The perennially popular Bramwell Tovey (“… please borrow, steal, and BEG BEG Bramwell Tovey to come back!” one fan implored us) leads the festivities with “his Noël Coward-esque wit and solid command of the Bramwell Tovey Philadelphia Orchestra.”

(The Philadelphia Inquirer) The Grammy-winning guest conductor promises an evening of delicious music—spiced with a dash of irreverence. Ring in the New Year in style!

Plan ahead for the holidays and add these concerts to your package today! All prices online at www.philorch.org.

F A M I L Y Concert Series A lifelong love of music starts here!

Join The Philadelphia Orchestra for these hour-long, interactive, theatrical concerts designed for children ages 6-12. Pre-Concert Adventures, free for all ticket holders, begin at 10 AM and introduce kids (and grown-ups!) to the instruments of the orchestra, the program, and more. Family Series 3-Concert subscriptions start as low as $30.

Who Stole the Mona Lisa?

Saturday, February 4 11:30 AM In 1911 the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in Paris and the painter Picasso was accused of the crime.

With Stravinsky’s magical Suite from The Firebird as the soundtrack, this mystery comes to life through a cast of zany characters in Micah ChambersGoldberg’s 20-minute animated film, commissioned by Astral Artists in 2011.

Weber’s fairy-inspired Overture to Oberon opens the program.

Halloween Treats

Carnival of the Animals

Saturday, October 29 11:30 AM

Saturday, April 22 11:30 AM

Put on your Halloween costume and forget the tricks! We’ve got plenty of treats to fill your musical goodie bag. The Philadelphia Orchestra explores the spooky and the silly in this orchestral adventure, an annual audience favorite.

How many animals can the instruments of an orchestra conjure?

The answer is: at least 14! Lions and kangaroos, elephants and swans—young listeners will hear them all as the majestic Philadelphia Orchestra turns Verizon Hall into a sumptuous zoo for this detailed tour of Saint-Saëns’s Carnival of the Animals.

SPECIAL ADD-ON

Christmas Kids’ Spectacular Saturday, December 10 11:30 AM What musical gifts does Santa have in store for you? Get in the Christmas spirit with our annual Christmas Kids’ Spectacular! You’ll hear your favorite jingles and carols like Sleigh Ride, “Joy to the World,” and “Deck the Halls,” and have a chance to sing along with The Philadelphia Orchestra.

Plus we’ll have a few surprises along the way. Get your tickets early for this must-see family event of the holiday season!

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

37

Academy of Music 160th Anniversary Concert and Ball Saturday, January 28 , 2017 Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor

Celebrate the lush splendor of the home where The Philadelphia Orchestra first made its sound famous—the glorious “Grand Old Lady of Locust Street”—and then dance the night away.

Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the brightest guest stars will dazzle you in a spectacular evening of music and resplendent dining like no other, all staged as Philadelphia’s party of the year.

Save the date and join the invitation list early to receive details about the Academy of Music 160th Anniversary Concert and Ball by calling the Academy of Music Restoration Fund Office at 215.893.1978 or visiting theacademyball.org.

38

Play your part in Philadelphia’s most stylish and treasured social event.

Thank you

to our beloved

audiences!

“It felt from the beginning as if we had met in a previous life,” Yannick told the Washington Post.

Since the start of his “remarkable partnership” (The Guardian) with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick and the Philadelphians have shared the artistry of the Philadelphia Sound around the world, collecting raves: “… it might be that no American Orchestra sounds more alive,” wrote the New York Times.

It is you, our beloved Philadelphia audience, that makes it possible to create that famous Philadelphia Sound, and for whom the Orchestra most loves to play. “This is our home,” says Yannick. “First and foremost, we play for you.” All of us at The Philadelphia Orchestra thank you, our audience, for your unwavering support and devotion. We look forward to continuing our musical journey together!

www.philorch.org / 215.893.1955

39

Help The Philadelphia Orchestra bring music to thousands of students and young people!

The Philadelphia Orchestra is a catalyst for cultural activity across Philadelphia’s many communities, building an offstage presence as strong as its onstage one. In addition to our year-long season of concerts, tours, and summer residencies, The Philadelphia Orchestra serves our community through a wide array of programs that introduce and educate young people about the joy and beauty of music.

Through programs such as · Free Neighborhood Concerts

· Free School Concerts

· PopUP Concerts

· Sound All Around

· PlayINs, where professional and amateur musicians perform together

· eZseatU program for college students

· Side-by-Side Concerts

· Community service programs

· TeenTix program for high-school students

The Orchestra enriches the lives of tens of thousands of students and young people each year.

These important community programs­—and much more—are made possible by gifts to the Annual Fund from subscribers and ticket buyers like you. The cost of your ticket only covers a portion of the Orchestra’s annual operating budget, and we must depend upon the generosity of our donors to make educational programs like these available to and accessible by our community. Please join in support of one of Philadelphia’s most important cultural assets and help us serve our community’s future generations of music lovers.

Contribute online: www.philorch.org Contribute by phone: 215.893.3151

Contribute by mail: The Philadelphia Orchestra

Annual Fund

One South Broad Street, 14th Floor

Philadelphia, PA 19107 Please make checks payable to “The Philadelphia Orchestra”

40

For questions or comments, please e-mail development@philorch.org.

Bravo! Vail

The Mann Center

The Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Summer with The Philadelphia Orchestra Join us in 2016 as we mark three special celebrations at our beautiful summer homes. Built for The Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York City Ballet in 1966, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in upstate New York marks its 50th anniversary this summer with a season that remembers its rich and diverse history, and celebrates its future. Make your plans early to be part of the Orchestra’s three-week residency in the historic spa town. We promise a feast of music.

Also founded as a summer home for the Fabulous Philadelphians, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts celebrates its 40th anniversary in its current location in Fairmount Park. Picnic under the stars and enjoy hearing the Orchestra throughout the summer, including a tribute to our very first performance at the Mann during the nation’s Bicentennial.

And high atop the Rocky Mountains, we mark our 10th summer at the Bravo! Vail festival in Colorado. Hailed as one of the Top 10 “Can’t Miss” Classical Musical Festivals in the U.S. by NPR, Bravo! Vail is the only festival in North America to host three acclaimed symphony orchestras in a single season.

Visit one of our summer homes—or all three—and enjoy The Philadelphia Orchestra all year long!

Thursday 8 PM Thurs 6

A

Thurs 6

B

Thurs 6

Thurs 6

C

D

Brahms: Symphony No. 1

Mozart’s Great Mass

Russian Favorites

Yannick and Yuja

Thursday, October 27 8 PM

Thursday, September 29 8 PM

Thursday, October 20 8 PM

Thursday, September 22 8 PM

Alain Altinoglu Conductor Veronika Eberle Violin

Stéphane Denève Conductor Denis Kozhukhin Piano

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Yuja Wang Piano

Thursday, December 1 8 PM

Theofanidis Rainbow Body

Tchaikovsky/arr. Stokowski Andante cantabile, from String Quartet No. 1 (“Accordion”) Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 Musorgsky/arr. & orch. Stokowski Boris Godunov: A Symphonic Synthesis Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

Yannick and Bronfman

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Lucy Crowe Soprano Kate Lindsey Mezzo-soprano Nicholas Phan Tenor Philippe Sly Bass-baritone Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director

Daphnis and Chloé

Respighi The Fountains of Rome Rouse Organ Concerto (Philadelphia Orchestra co-commission—world premiere ) Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

Dutilleux Métaboles Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No. 1

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Yefim Bronfman Piano

Schubert Symphony in B minor (“Unfinished”)

Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 Shostakovich Symphony No. 4

Brahms: Symphony No. 2

All Mozart

Louis Langrée Conductor Midori Violin

Thursday, January 5 8 PM Jane Glover Conductor Daniel Matsukawa Bassoon Mozart Symphony No. 1 Mozart Bassoon Concerto Mozart Symphony No. 41 (“Jupiter”)

The Paris Festival: Week Two Thursday, January 19 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Louis Lortie Piano Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 Stravinsky Petrushka

Bluebeard’s Castle Thursday, March 2 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Michelle DeYoung Mezzo-soprano John Relyea Bass Tchaikovsky Selections from Swan Lake Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony Thursday, May 11 8 PM Tugan Sokhiev Conductor Renaud Capuçon Violin Liadov Kikimora Korngold Violin Concerto Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

Mozart Mass in C minor

Thursday, November 3 8 PM

Schnittke Moz-Art à la Haydn Beethoven Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No. 2

O Fortuna!

Thursday, December 8 8 PM Cristian Măcelaru Conductor Olga Pudova Soprano Nicholas Phan Tenor Stephen Powell Baritone Philadelphia Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director Beethoven Symphony No. 2 Orff Carmina burana

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 Thursday, February 23 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Vocal soloists to be announced Brahms Selections from Eleven Choral Preludes Bach Cantata No. 150, “Nach Dir, Herr, verlanget mich” Brahms Symphony No. 4

Pat Metheny

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Benjamin Beilman Violin Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 Ravel Daphnis and Chloé (complete ballet)

The Paris Festival: Week One Thursday, January 12 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Susan Graham Mezzo-soprano Chabrier Joyeuse Marche Fauré Pavane Saint-Saëns “Bacchanale,” from Samson and Delilah Canteloube Selections from Songs of the Auvergne Ravel Menuet antique Schmitt Suite from La Tragédie de Salomé

André Watts’s 60-Year Legacy Thursday, February 2 8 PM Fabio Luisi Conductor André Watts Piano Weber Overture to Oberon Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 Franck Symphony in D minor

Thursday, March 30 8 PM

Northern Lights

Bramwell Tovey Conductor Christopher Deviney Vibraphone She-e Wu Marimba

Thursday, April 20 8 PM Stéphane Denève Conductor Lars Vogt Piano

Bernstein Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs Metheny/arr. & orch. Deviney Duo Concerto for Vibraphone and Marimba Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”)

Salonen Nyx Grieg Piano Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 2

A Journey of the Soul Wednesday, May 3 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Sasha Cooke Mezzo-soprano Radu Lupu Piano

42

Thursday, November 10 8 PM

Bernstein Symphony No. 1 (“Jeremiah”) Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24, K. 491 Schumann Symphony No. 2

Mahler’s Third Symphony Thursday, May 18 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Karen Cargill Mezzo-soprano Philadelphia Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir

Organ Celebration Thursday, November 17 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Paul Jacobs Organ

The Paris Festival: Week Three Thursday, January 26 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Choong-Jin Chang Viola Berlioz Harold in Italy Ravel Alborada del gracioso Ravel Rapsodie espagnole Ravel Bolero

Britten’s War Requiem Thursday, March 23 8 PM Charles Dutoit Conductor Tatiana Monogarova Soprano John Mark Ainsley Tenor Matthias Goerne Baritone Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director Britten War Requiem

Yannick and Trifonov Thursday, April 6 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Mason Bates Electronica Daniil Trifonov Piano Beethoven Selections from The Creatures of Prometheus Bates Alternative Energy Mozart Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271 (“Jenamy”) Liszt Prometheus

The Rachmaninoff Festival Thursday, April 27 8 PM Stéphane Denève Conductor Haochen Zhang Piano Nikolai Lugansky Piano Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 4 Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2

Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director

Mahler Symphony No. 3

For complete program information see pages 6-32.

Friday 2 PM & 8 PM Fri

8PM Berlioz’s Fantastic Obsession Friday, October 7 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Stéphane Tétreault Cello Berlioz Le Corsaire Overture Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

Noseda Returns for Thanksgiving Friday, November 25 8 PM Gianandrea Noseda Conductor Alexander Toradze Piano Petrassi Partita Ravel Piano Concerto in G major Beethoven Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”)

The Paris Festival: Week One Friday, January 13 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Susan Graham Mezzo-soprano Chabrier Joyeuse Marche Fauré Pavane Saint-Saëns “Bacchanale,” from Samson and Delilah Canteloube Selections from Songs of the Auvergne Ravel Menuet antique Schmitt Suite from La Tragédie de Salomé

Michael Tilson Thomas Returns Friday, March 10 8 PM Michael Tilson Thomas Conductor Leonidas Kavakos Violin Seeger Andante for Strings Berg Violin Concerto Beethoven Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”)

The Rachmaninoff Festival Friday, April 28 8 PM Stéphane Denève Conductor Nikolai Lugansky Piano Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, for piano and orchestra Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3

Mahler’s Third Symphony Friday, May 19 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Karen Cargill Mezzo-soprano Philadelphia Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director Mahler Symphony No. 3

Fri MAT

A

Russian Favorites

Yannick and Bronfman

Britten’s War Requiem

Friday, October 21 2 PM

Friday, December 2 2 PM

Friday, March 24 2 PM

Stéphane Denève Conductor Denis Kozhukhin Piano

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Yefim Bronfman Piano

Tchaikovsky/arr. Stokowski Andante cantabile, from String Quartet No. 1 (“Accordion”) Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 Musorgsky/arr. & orch. Stokowski Boris Godunov: A Symphonic Synthesis Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture

Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 Shostakovich Symphony No. 4

Charles Dutoit Conductor Tatiana Monogarova Soprano John Mark Ainsley Tenor Matthias Goerne Baritone Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director

Brahms: Symphony No. 2 Friday, November 4 2 PM Louis Langrée Conductor Midori Violin Schnittke Moz-Art à la Haydn Beethoven Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No. 2

Organ Celebration Friday, November 18 2 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Paul Jacobs Organ

The Paris Festival: Week Three Friday, January 27 2 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Choong-Jin Chang Viola Berlioz Harold in Italy Ravel Alborada del gracioso Ravel Rapsodie espagnole Ravel Bolero

Brahms: Symphony No. 3 Friday, February 17 2 PM Herbert Blomstedt Conductor Garrick Ohlsson Piano Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503 Brahms Symphony No. 3

Britten War Requiem

Yannick and Trifonov Friday, April 7 2 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Mason Bates Electronica Daniil Trifonov Piano Beethoven Selections from The Creatures of Prometheus Bates Alternative Energy Mozart Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271 (“Jenamy”) Liszt Prometheus

Northern Lights

Respighi The Fountains of Rome Rouse Organ Concerto (Philadelphia Orchestra co-commission—world premiere) Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

Friday, April 21 2 PM Stéphane Denève Conductor Lars Vogt Piano Salonen Nyx Grieg Piano Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 2

Fri MAT

B

Yannick and Yuja

All Mozart

Friday, September 23 2 PM

Friday, January 6 2 PM

Friday, February 24 2 PM

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Yuja Wang Piano

Jane Glover Conductor Daniel Matsukawa Bassoon

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

Mozart Symphony No. 1 Mozart Bassoon Concerto Mozart Symphony No. 41 (“Jupiter”)

Brahms: Symphony No. 1 Friday, October 28 2 PM Alain Altinoglu Conductor Veronika Eberle Violin Dutilleux Métaboles Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No. 1

Daphnis and Chloé Friday, November 11 2 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Benjamin Beilman Violin Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 Ravel Daphnis and Chloé (complete ballet)

The Paris Festival: Week Two

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 Brahms Selections from Eleven Choral Preludes Bach Cantata No. 150, “Nach Dir, Herr, verlanget mich” Brahms Symphony No. 4

Pat Metheny

Friday, January 20 2 PM

Friday, March 31 2 PM

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Louis Lortie Piano

Bramwell Tovey Conductor Christopher Deviney Vibraphone She-e Wu Marimba

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 Stravinsky Petrushka

André Watts’s 60-Year Legacy Friday, February 3 2 PM Fabio Luisi Conductor André Watts Piano Weber Overture to Oberon Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 Franck Symphony in D minor

Bernstein Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs Metheny/arr. & orch. Deviney Duo Concerto for Vibraphone and Marimba

Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”)

A Journey of the Soul Friday, May 5 2 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Sasha Cooke Mezzo-soprano Radu Lupu Piano Bernstein Symphony No. 1 (“Jeremiah”) Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24, K. 491 Schumann Symphony No. 2

43

Saturday 6 8 PM Sat 6

A

Russian Favorites Saturday, October 22 8 PM Stéphane Denève Conductor Denis Kozhukhin Piano Tchaikovsky/arr. Stokowski Andante cantabile, from String Quartet No. 1 (“Accordion”) Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 Musorgsky/arr. & orch.

Stokowski Boris Godunov: A Symphonic Synthesis Tchaikovsky 1812 Overture

Daphnis and Chloé Saturday, November 12 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Benjamin Beilman Violin Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 Ravel Daphnis and Chloé (complete ballet)

O Fortuna!

Saturday, December 10 8 PM Cristian Măcelaru Conductor Olga Pudova Soprano Nicholas Phan Tenor Stephen Powell Baritone Philadelphia Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director

Beethoven Symphony No. 2 Orff Carmina burana

André Watts’s 60-Year Legacy Saturday, February 4 8 PM Fabio Luisi Conductor André Watts Piano Weber Overture to Oberon Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4 Franck Symphony in D minor

Bluebeard’s Castle Saturday, March 4 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Michelle DeYoung Mezzo-soprano John Relyea Bass Tchaikovsky Selections from Swan Lake Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle

Mahler’s Third Symphony Saturday, May 20 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Karen Cargill Mezzo-soprano Philadelphia Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir

Sat 6

B

Sat 6

Sat 6

C

D

Berlioz’s Fantastic Obsession

Mozart’s Great Mass

Yannick and Yuja

Saturday, October 1 8 PM

Saturday, September 24 8 PM

Saturday, October 8 8 PM

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Lucy Crowe Soprano Kate Lindsey Mezzo-Soprano Nicholas Phan Tenor Philippe Sly Bass-baritone Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Yuja Wang Piano

Theofanidis Rainbow Body

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Stéphane Tétreault Cello Berlioz Le Corsaire Overture Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto No. 1 Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

Brahms: Symphony No. 2

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

Organ Celebration Saturday, November 19 8 PM

Saturday, November 5 8 PM

Schubert Symphony in B minor (“Unfinished”) Paul Jacobs Organ

Louis Langrée Conductor Midori Violin

Brahms: Symphony No. 1

Schnittke Moz-Art à la Haydn Beethoven Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No. 2

Yannick and Bronfman Saturday, December 3 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Yefim Bronfman Piano Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 Shostakovich Symphony No. 4

All Mozart Saturday, January 7 8 PM Jane Glover Conductor Daniel Matsukawa Bassoon Mozart Symphony No. 1 Mozart Bassoon Concerto Mozart Symphony No. 41 (“Jupiter”)

Britten’s War Requiem Saturday, March 25 8 PM Charles Dutoit Conductor Tatiana Monogarova Soprano John Mark Ainsley Tenor Matthias Goerne Baritone Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director Britten War Requiem

A Journey of the Soul Saturday, May 6 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Sasha Cooke Mezzo-soprano Radu Lupu Piano Bernstein Symphony No. 1 (“Jeremiah”) Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24, K. 491 Schumann Symphony No. 2

Mozart Mass in C minor

Saturday, October 29 8 PM Alain Altinoglu Conductor Veronika Eberle Violin Dutilleux Métaboles Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No. 1

Noseda Returns for Thanksgiving Saturday, November 26 8 PM Gianandrea Noseda Conductor Alexander Toradze Piano Petrassi Partita Ravel Piano Concerto in G major Beethoven Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”)

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 Saturday, February 25 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Vocal soloists to be announced Brahms Selections from Eleven Choral Preludes Bach Cantata No. 150, “Nach Dir, Herr, verlanget mich” Brahms Symphony No. 4

Yannick and Trifonov Saturday, April 8 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Mason Bates Electronica Daniil Trifonov Piano Beethoven Selections from The Creatures of Prometheus Bates Alternative Energy Mozart Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271 (“Jenamy”) Liszt Prometheus

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony Friday, May 12 8 PM Tugan Sokhiev Conductor Renaud Capuçon Violin Liadov Kikimora Korngold Violin Concerto Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

Respighi The Fountains of Rome Rouse Organ Concerto (Philadelphia Orchestra co-commission—world premiere) Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

The Paris Festival: Week One Saturday, January 14 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Susan Graham Mezzo-soprano Chabrier Joyeuse Marche Fauré Pavane Saint-Saëns “Bacchanale,” from Samson and Delilah Canteloube Selections from Songs of the Auvergne Ravel Menuet antique Schmitt Suite from La Tragédie de Salomé

Brahms: Symphony No. 3 Saturday, February 18 8 PM Herbert Blomstedt Conductor Garrick Ohlsson Piano Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503 Brahms Symphony No. 3

Pat Metheny Saturday, April 1 8 PM Bramwell Tovey Conductor Christopher Deviney Vibraphone She-e Wu Marimba Bernstein Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs Metheny/arr. & orch. Deviney Duo Concerto for Vibraphone and Marimba (world premiere) Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”)

Northern Lights Saturday, April 22 8 PM Stéphane Denève Conductor Lars Vogt Piano Salonen Nyx Grieg Piano Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 2

Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director

44 Mahler Symphony No. 3

For complete program information see pages 6-32.

Saturday 9 8 PM Sat 9

A

Yannick and Yuja

The Paris Festival: Week One

Pat Metheny

Saturday, September 24 8 PM

Saturday, January 14 8 PM

Saturday, April 1 8 PM

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Yuja Wang Piano

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Susan Graham Mezzo-soprano

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

Chabrier Joyeuse Marche Fauré Pavane Saint-Saëns “Bacchanale,” from Samson and Delilah Canteloube Selections from Songs of the Auvergne Ravel Menuet antique Schmitt Suite from La Tragédie de Salomé

Bramwell Tovey Conductor Christopher Deviney Vibraphone She-e Wu Marimba

Organ Celebration Saturday, November 19 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Paul Jacobs Organ Respighi The Fountains of Rome Rouse Organ Concerto (Philadelphia Orchestra co-commission—world premiere) Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

O Fortuna!

Friday, December 9 8 PM Cristian Măcelaru Conductor Olga Pudova Soprano Nicholas Phan Tenor Stephen Powell Baritone Philadelphia Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director Beethoven Symphony No. 2 Orff Carmina burana

Brahms: Symphony No. 3 Saturday, February 18 8 PM Herbert Blomstedt Conductor Garrick Ohlsson Piano Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503 Brahms Symphony No. 3

Bluebeard’s Castle Friday, March 3 8 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Michelle DeYoung Mezzo-soprano John Relyea Bass Tchaikovsky Selections from Swan Lake Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle

Bernstein Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs Metheny/arr. & orch. Deviney Duo Concerto for Vibraphone and Marimba (world premiere) Dvořák Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”)

Northern Lights Saturday, April 22 8 PM Stéphane Denève Conductor Lars Vogt Piano Salonen Nyx Grieg Piano Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 2

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony Saturday, May 13 8 PM Tugan Sokhiev Conductor Renaud Capuçon Violin Liadov Kikimora Korngold Violin Concerto Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

Sat 9

B

Mozart’s Great Mass

The Paris Festival: Week Two

Yannick and Trifonov

Saturday, October 1 8 PM

Saturday, January 21 8 PM

Saturday, April 8 8 PM

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Lucy Crowe Soprano Kate Lindsey Mezzo-Soprano Nicholas Phan Tenor Philippe Sly Bass-baritone Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Louis Lortie Piano

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Mason Bates Electronica Daniil Trifonov Piano

Theofanidis Rainbow Body

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Vocal soloists to be announced

Schubert Symphony in B minor (“Unfinished”)

Mozart Mass in C minor

Brahms: Symphony No. 1 Saturday, October 29 8 PM Alain Altinoglu Conductor Veronika Eberle Violin Dutilleux Métaboles Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Brahms Symphony No. 1

Noseda Returns for Thanksgiving Saturday, November 26 8 PM Gianandrea Noseda Conductor Alexander Toradze Piano Petrassi Partita Ravel Piano Concerto in G major Beethoven Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”)

Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 Stravinsky Petrushka

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 Saturday, February 25 8 PM

Brahms Selections from Eleven Choral Preludes Bach Cantata No. 150, “Nach Dir, Herr, verlanget mich” Brahms Symphony No. 4

Michael Tilson Thomas Returns Saturday, March 11 8 PM Michael Tilson Thomas Conductor Leonidas Kavakos Violin Seeger Andante for Strings Berg Violin Concerto Beethoven Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”)

Beethoven Selections from The Creatures of Prometheus Bates Alternative Energy Mozart Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271 (“Jenamy”) Liszt Prometheus

The Rachmaninoff Festival Saturday, April 29 8 PM Stéphane Denève Conductor Haochen Zhang Piano Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1 Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony Friday, May 12 8 PM Tugan Sokhiev Conductor Renaud Capuçon Violin Liadov Kikimora Korngold Violin Concerto Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5

For complete program information see pages 6-32.

45

Sunday 6 2 PM Sun

MAT

Mozart’s Great Mass

Brahms: Symphony No. 3

Yannick and Trifonov

Sunday, October 2 2 PM

Sunday, February 19 2 PM

Sunday, April 9 2 PM

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Lucy Crowe Soprano Kate Lindsey Mezzo-Soprano Nicholas Phan Tenor Philippe Sly Bass-baritone Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director

Herbert Blomstedt Conductor Garrick Ohlsson Piano

Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Mason Bates Electronica Daniil Trifonov Piano

Theofanidis Rainbow Body

Schubert Symphony in B minor (“Unfinished”)

Michael Tilson Thomas Conductor Leonidas Kavakos Violin

Noseda Returns for Thanksgiving

Seeger Andante for Strings Berg Violin Concerto Beethoven Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”)

Mozart Mass in C minor

Sunday, November 27 2 PM

Mozart Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503 Brahms Symphony No. 3

Michael Tilson Thomas Returns Sunday, March 12 2 PM

Gianandrea Noseda Conductor Alexander Toradze Piano Petrassi Partita Ravel Piano Concerto in G major Beethoven Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”)

Subscriber Benefits:

Beethoven Selections from The Creatures of Prometheus Bates Alternative Energy Mozart Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271 (“Jenamy”) Liszt Prometheus

Mahler’s Third Symphony Sunday, May 21 2 PM Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Karen Cargill Mezzo-soprano Philadelphia Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director The American Boychoir Fernando Malvar-Ruiz Music Director Mahler Symphony No. 3

For complete program information see pages 6-32.

Subscribing is the best way to guarantee you don’t miss out on your favorite concerts!

All subscribers enjoy the following benefits as our way of saying thank you for your loyalty and your continued belief in the power of live music.

Schedule Flexibility:

Discounted Parking:

Always on the go? We offer subscribers many easy options to exchange tickets with no additional fees so you never have to miss a concert.

Why worry about finding a place to park? As a subscriber, you can purchase pre-paid discounted parking for all your concerts in the Avenue of the Arts Garage, located steps away from the Kimmel Center.

Everyday Savings: Subscribing automatically saves you money over the general public single ticket prices. Save up to 20% off single ticket prices depending on the concert and section you choose. Plus, add on additional tickets and the savings continue.

Create Your Own Series: Enjoy the flexibility of choosing a concert package that is personally tailored to fit your needs with the Create-Your-Own 6-concert series.

Payment Plans:

Dining Savings:

There are several payment plans to fit any budget making it all easy to subscribe. Order early, take advantage of our payment plans, and still get the best seats.

Enjoy a variety of discounted offers and special benefits through partnerships with area restaurants, exclusive for subscribers.

46

Yannick and the Orchestra performing for Pope Francis at the Festival of Families

The Philadelphia Orchestra is grateful to the many corporations, foundations and government agencies that provide generous support each year. These wonderful partners support our performances, educational and outreach programs, and other innovative projects.

We would also like to give special thanks to the Paul M. Angell Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, Jessie Ball duPont Fund, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Gray Charitable Trust, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, MKM Foundation, Neubauer Family Foundation, William Penn Foundation, Presser Foundation, Raynier Institute and Foundation, and the Wyncote Foundation for their unwavering support.

LiveNote is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information about institutional support, please call 215.893.1984.

Photos: Jessica Griffin, Chris Lee, Pete Checchia, Ryan Donnell, Jan Regan, Jeff Fusco, Will Figg, Peter Borg, Caroline Bergeron, Felix Broede, Fred Toulet, Marco Borggreve, A.J. Waltz, Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Giorgia Bertazzi, Nicole Szalewski, Oded Antman, Sorin Popa, John Batten, Dario Acosta, Steve J. Sherman, Gert Mothes, Kacper Pempel, Shirley Suarez, Chris Wahlberg, Eugene Beregovoy, Neda Navaee, Mat Hennek, Patrice Nin, K.K. Dundas, Matthew Hall, Lisa Marie Mazzucco, Johann Sebastian Hanel, Robert Williams, Tyler Boye, Zach Mahone

Simon Rattle Yuja Wang

Itzhak Perlman

Subscribe Now! www.philorch.org

2016-17 Highlights include: three-week Paris Festival, American music from Mason Bates and Leonard Bernstein to John Williams’s E.T. with film, Rachmaninoff Festival, Bluebeard’s Castle, the four Brahms symphonies, Daphnis and Chloé, Carmina burana, and much more.

Charles Dutoit

Midori

One South Broad Street, 14th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Daniil Trifonov

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 33 Lansdale, PA