The RPO and a Cup o' Joe

RPO Bassists Lead Master Class in Ithaca

2012-02-14T08:50:00.003-05:00

Before the RPO's performance in Ithaca last weekend, RPO Bassists Gaelen McCormick and Colin Corner (The Anne Hayden McQuay Chair) made a special visit to Ithaca College. The pair was invited by Ithaca College Professor of Bass Nicholas Walker to teach a master class to Walker’s bass studio. They also performed a set of duets for the students.

Remarked Walker: “This was a particularly rewarding day for our double bass students who had the opportunity to spend over two hours with Gaelen McCormick and Colin Corner. How generous of these musicians to drive down early through a snow storm to perform duets for our students, and then give them terrific coaching about their own playing and learning approaches. My students and I were so engaged by their elegant chamber music, and the wealth of knowledge and experience they bring to their art.”
RPO bassist Gaelen McCormick (left) joined us to share her thoughts on the master class; read below for her first-hand account:

"I was so delighted to be contacted by the bass professor at Ithaca College, Dr. Nicholas Walker, asking if any of us in the bass section would like to work with his students on the day the RPO was in Ithaca. Colin Corner (pictured right) and I both said yes to this opportunity. We began the class by performing Dave Anderson's "Seven Duets." Colin used to play in New Orleans where Dave is principal, and had all kinds of (hilarious) background stories to share with the class about the music and the composer.

Then we listened to four of the students play music ranging from American fiddle tunes which a student had arranged for himself as a solo work, a contemporary work written only a few months ago where the student played with great extended techniques and even sang during the solo, to works of Bach. The students were such a great group! They all had a great positive approach to playing, and were very supportive of each other. I was also impressed by their willingness to try new ideas on the spot. I led the class in a Dalcroze Eurythmics exercise where we walked and sang around the classroom. Everyone jumped right in to try this without reservation. After class, the students stayed on to ask Colin about his gorgeous Hill bass, which he recently bought, and to take turns playing a bit on it.

We were delighted to work with such creative and outgoing musicians!"

The Sounds of New Orleans

2012-02-12T19:44:00.001-05:00

Few cities can claim a musical history as prodigious as that of New Orleans. Widely regarded as the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans is a musical hotbed that has produced some of the greatest musicians in history, from past legends such as Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet to current stars such as Wynton Marsalis and Trombone Shorty. This Friday and Saturday, trumpeter and vocalist Byron Stripling and organist Bobby Floyd join Jeff Tyzik and the RPO to bring you a slice of the New Orleans sound.

Trumpeter and vocalist Byron Stripling (left) is currently artistic director of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra and leader of his own quartet. Stripling attended the Eastman School of Music and has performed with ensembles such as the Lionel Hampton Band, the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, as well as with over 50 different symphony and pops orchestras.

Pianist and organist Bobby Floyd (right) has performed with artists such as Ray Charles, and his soulful sound has backed artists such as Chuck Mangione, Branford Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Mavis Staples, Gerald Wilson, and Wycliffe Gordon.

Stripling and Floyd will join the RPO for a salute to the one and only Louis Armstrong, with selections including Bourbon Street Parade, What a Wonderful World, When the Saints Go Marchin' In, Saint James Infirmary, and Basin Street Blues. Click here or below to watch Armstrong perform Basin Street Blues:

The program also pays tribute to two other New Orleans-greats: rock and roll singer/pianist Fats Domino, and gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. Click below for video of Fats Domino performing I'm in Love Again, followed by Mahalia Jackson performing How I Got Over:

Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18 at 8:00 PM, Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Tickets start at $15 ($10 student tickets) and are available online or by calling 454-2100.

Music for Your Valentine ♥

2012-02-06T09:55:00.003-05:00

Valentine’s Day is next Tuesday, which means that couples around the world will be celebrating love and its many-splendors. Everyone loves a good love song and regardless of genre, music has always had a unique capacity to express the passions and emotions associated with love. This Thursday and Saturday, bring your own special Valentine to Kodak Hall as Arild Remmereit leads the RPO in an evening of romantic works.

The program begins with Richard Strauss’ Don Juan, a tone poem based upon the legendary womanizer who ‘loves them and leaves them’ before coming to a fiendish end (click here for a full summary). The Don Juan legend has inspired countless works of art, literature, and music over the years, including the great Mozart opera, Don Giovanni. Strauss’ version is magnificent and wonderfully original, using soaring melodies to encapsulate the swagger, debauchery, and bravado of the lusty seducer.

Strauss (pictured left) composed Don Juan as a young man of 24; its international success and original, groundbreaking style cemented his place as a rising star of the composition world. Notorious for its technical difficulty (it’s an orchestra-audition-list staple), Don Juan is a virtuoso piece that will showcase the abilities of the RPO's world-class musicians to full effect.

The program also includes music from Strauss’ comic opera, Der Rosenkavalier (The Knight of the Rose). Composed 20 years after Don Juan, Der Rosenkavalier shrewdly examines the full spectrum of love; the plot celebrates the excitement and passion of love-at-first-sight, but also shows the repercussions involved when love grows cold. The RPO will be joined by sopranos Noelle McMurtry (as Sophie) and Rebecca Farley Witty (as Marschallin), and mezzo-soprano Laura Vlasak Nolen (as Octavian) for these performances.

Violinist Stefan Jackiw (right) will join the RPO as well, performing Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy. Scottish Fantasy is both Romantic and romantic, evoking the rugged beauty and exuberant spirit of Scotland. The piece is a fantasy on traditional Scottish folk melodies including Auld Rob Morris, Hey the Dusty Miller, I’m a’ doun for lack o’ Johnnie, and Scots wha hae. Click here or below for a preview, performed by Jascha Heifetz.

Valentine's Day is associated closely with roses, and this weekend's program will feature a rose of the musical variety in the form of contemporary composer Karen Tanaka's Rose Absolute. Read below for Tanaka’s introduction to this piece:

“Rose Absolute was inspired by a perfume of the same name, created by the French perfumery Annick Goutal, located near the Place Vendôme in Paris. Rose Absolute is the most beautiful and pure rose of roses. The image of this composition, sounds and colors came to my mind instantly when I visited the shop and was handed a beautiful bottle of the perfume with a lovely scent of roses. The piece was written as a floral bouquet for a lover, as my personal, romantic present.”

Share these romantic works with your Valentine, Thursday, February 9 at 7:30 pm or Saturday, February 11 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online or by calling 454-2100.

* Scottish image: Eilean Donan Castle; scotland-flavour.co.uk

Q & A with RPO Tubist W. Craig Sutherland

2012-02-04T08:27:00.000-05:00

This Sunday's family concert celebrates the tuba's unique and indispensable contribution to the world of music, and just as no orchestra would be complete without the tuba, the RPO wouldn't be complete without its Principal Tubist, W. Craig Sutherland. This week, Craig joins us to share his thoughts on Tubby the Tuba, the Superbowl, and more.

Hometown: Clarence, NY

What music school did you attend, and who were your most inspirational teachers? Abe Torchinsky at the University of Michigan and Warren Deck at The Juilliard School.

What kinds of music do you enjoy listening to? Anything with an interesting bass line...

What can you tell us about Tubby the Tuba? Tubby the Tuba is a timeless classic, teaching children about music and life, and the important message of self-confidence. As any performing artist, you have to believe in yourself and your abilities. As Tubby's story demonstrates, the tuba can do a lot more than just play oom-pahs.  

This is my second time playing Tubby the Tuba professionally. I played the piece when I was a member of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra (CSO) in SC (along with my RPO colleagues Lara Sipols and Heidi Brodwin, who at the time were also members of the CSO). In addition to Tubby, I will be playing, the Largo al factotum aria from Rossini's Barber of Seville.

Who would Tubby like to see win on Sunday? This Tubby is a lifelong Bills fan, who, unlike Tom Brady, loves Buffalo and its hotels! Given that Tubby's creators, composer George Kleinsinger and lyricist Paul Tripp, both spent their lives in New York City, Tubby would most likely be cheering for the Giants this Sunday though he's had good times in New England, too.

A current favorite children's CD in our house: My 8 ½ year old daughter Madison (pictured right) loves to listen to the RPO's newest recording, The Story Babar and A Family for Baby Grand narrated by John Lithgow. I really enjoyed participating in the creation of this CD and adding these musical stories to the repertoire along with Tubby the Tuba and Peter and the Wolf.

5 Fun Facts About the Tuba:  

1. The tuba is youngest of all the brass instruments.   

2. If you were to stretch the metal tubing of a tuba, it would be 18 feet long, the same length as a French horn.   

3. Orchestras typically have one tuba, though some composers have written pieces that call for more, including Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Berlioz' Symphonie fantastique.  

4. Tubas are made of brass, a metal made of copper and zinc. Both of these metals are found in vitamins. This means that during your life you may eat an entire tuba - and it would be good for you!   

5. Tubas are not made in Tuba City, AZ

The tuba family: The brass tubing for the tuba begins at the mouthpiece, and bends and folds until it finally flairs, forming a large bell. Tubas are found in various pitches, most commonly in F, E, CC, or BB in "brass band" pitching. The main tube of a B tuba is approximately 18 feet long, while that of a CC tuba is 16 feet, of an E tuba 13 feet, and of an F tuba 12 feet (not including any valve branches). Tubas are considered to be conical in shape as the bore of their tubing steadily increases in diameter along its length, from the mouthpiece to the bell.   

History of the Tuba: The serpent was invented in France by Edme Guillaume c.1590. As its name suggests, the Serpent was coiled back and forth like a snake and was played by means of six holes. Later on, keys were added so that this instrument could play with greater facility.   This instrument saw wide use in the church as a bass accompaniment for religious music that had evolved from Gregorian Chant. In Britain, in addition to its sacred role, the serpent was soon adopted as the bass member of military wind bands.

Modern Tuba: The modern tuba was invented in the middle of the nineteenth century. In the 1800s it joined the military band. About 100 years later the tuba was included as a regular member of the symphony orchestra.   The Tuba is the largest and lowest sounding member of the brass family. It's sound is very round and mellow. The tuba, along with the string basses and bassoons, provide the lowest sounds for the orchestra. One tuba is used to complete the brass section. Some composers wrote for more than one, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

Symphonie fantastique by Hector Berlioz was the first major work orchestrated for tuba.  

Sousaphone: Contrary to popular belief, J. W. Pepper suggested the design to John Philip Sousa. The Sousaphone, alleged to have been first made by C. G. Conn in 1898, was actually first manufactured by J. W. Pepper in 1893. In fact, the original J. W. Pepper Sousaphone is still in existence.

Hear Craig perform this Sunday at 2:00 pm in Performance Hall at Hochstein! Tickets start at $10 and can be purchsed online or by calling 454-2100.

Let's Dance!

2012-01-30T17:55:00.003-05:00

This weekend, come to Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre for an energy-filled evening of live music and dance, from Johann Strauss, Jr.'s sophisticated and elegant Blue Danube Waltzes, to the bubbly and energetic Lindy Hop, to the fiery and seductive tango.

The performance will feature the choreography of Lindy Hop specialist Carla Heiney, pictured left. Heiney’s choreography has been nationally televised on the hit show So You Think You Can Dance and she has won numerous dance titles, including the 2010 National Jitterbug Championship and the 2008 and 2009 International Lindy Hop Championships. Click below to watch a clip of Heiney’s routine from So You Think You Can Dance.

Jeff Tyzik and the RPO will be joined onstage by vocalists Todd East and Cindy Miller, as well as an all-star lineup of dancers, including Kelsey McCowan, Joseph Barlev, and 2011 Jitterbug Championship winners Stephen Sayer and Chandrae Roettig. You’ll also see the sultry and passionate tango, performed by Argentine tango experts Eva Lucero and Patricio Touceda, as well as tap dancer—and Eastman School of Music student—Alex Dugdale. Click here to read bios on all of the featured performers.

Performances are February 3 & 4 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online or by calling 454-2100.

The Mahler Puzzle

2012-01-23T09:01:00.001-05:00

“Gustav Mahler is the composer of contradictions and paradoxes. He is the composer of ambiguities, contrasts, complexities and cognitive dissonance.” (from “Mahler 4, a contradiction” by Kenneth Woods)

This weekend, the RPO will present its second Mahler Symphony of the 2011-2012 Season with a performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, January 26 and 28 in Kodak Hall.

Mahler 4 is an idiosyncratic piece with a curious background. When starting work on his Fourth Symphony in 1899, Mahler began with the finale and composed “backwards”; the last movement of the Fourth Symphony is built around a charming song entitled Das himmlische Leben (Heaven’s Life) which draws its text from a collection of German folk poems called Das Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth’s Magic Horn). Mahler composed Das himmlische Leben as a free-standing piece in 1892 and toyed with the possibility of using it in the finale of his Third Symphony before deciding that the song should be used in a different symphony. The song (which will be performed this weekend by soprano Christina Pier, pictured below) is sung from the point of view of a young boy, and describes a vision of heaven as a place where no one ever goes hungry. Click here to read the full text and translation.

Thematically, the final movement of the 4^th Symphony can be viewed as an extension of the themes expressed at the end of the “Resurrection” Symphony. The end of the 3^rd movement of Symphony No. 4 briefly works up into a thunderous, “transcendental” trumpet fanfare akin to the finale of the Second Symphony, but quickly dies down, and transitions into the tranquil description of heaven in the Fourth movement. While the finale of the Second Symphony takes us to the gates of the afterlife, the finale of the Fourth Symphony goes through those gates, and shows us what the other side might be like.

Mahler’s Fourth Symphony is often characterized as being lighter and ‘happier’ than many of his other works—it is one of his shortest symphonies, is scored for a relatively small ensemble, and begins with a jovial flute/sleigh bell motif that progresses into an graceful melody. However, in true Mahler fashion, this cheerfulness often belies a darker undercurrent and is subject to extreme and sudden shifts throughout the piece, from major to minor and from cheery to tragic. As conductor Kenneth Woods notes in his blog A View from the Podium, the Fourth Symphony is “often described as his simplest and most straightforward work…but it’s also his most multi-layered, most contradictory, most enigmatic, most paradoxical work. Nothing in this piece is as it seems.”

Leonard Bernstein devoted one installment of his popular 1960s “Young Person’s Concert” educational series to an examination of the contradictions and paradoxes to which Woods refers. In the program, entitled Who is Gustav Mahler?, Bernstein uses the Fourth Symphony to illustrate the ways in which Mahler was a “double man.” Among the doublings identified by Bernstein are the problem of being both a conductor and a composer (a problem with which Bernstein was personally familiar) as well as Mahler’s inner conflict between child-like purity and tormented adult, between smart adult and innocent child, and between the Slavic folk music of his birthplace and of his Jewish background, and the ‘traditional’ Western music of the Classical idiom. As Bernstein describes, it was this sense of inner conflict, this battle between two Mahlers, that made his music so powerful and so original. Click here or below to watch Bernstein’s entire program.

If you came to the RPO’s performance of Mahler’s Second Symphony and loved it, the Fourth Symphony is just as remarkable, but in a different, important way. While Mahler 2 is monumental, powerful, and awe-inspiring, Mahler 4 is made up of many different elements that briefly come forward and then fade into the background—alternatively playful and whimsical, mournful, ferocious, beautiful, and serene, the Fourth Symphony is filled with dichotomies that are woven together into something complex, extraordinary, and characteristic of the man that wrote it.

Experience Mahler's Fourth Symphony, performed live by Arild Remmereit and the RPO, January 26 at 7:30 pm and 28 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. The program also includes Peggy Stuart Coolidge’s Blue Planet, Lehár’s “Vilja Lied” from The Merry Widow, Johann Strauss, Jr.’s Emperor Waltz, and Imre Kálmán’s “Heia in den Bergen” from The Gypsy Princess. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online or by calling 454-2100.

Bennett Brings Legends of Swing to Life

2012-01-16T10:29:00.000-05:00

This weekend, experience the spirit, energy, and exuberance of the Swing Era as Dave Bennett and the Dave Bennett Sextet join Jeff Tyzik and the RPO in a salute to clarinet-greats Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman, Pete Fountain, and more, January 20 and 21 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall.

Clarinet prodigy Dave Bennett has recorded with three of Goodman's famous band members - guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli; vibraphonist Peter Appleyard; and pianist Dick Hyman - and has earned widespread praise for his musicianship, as well as his ability to replicate the technique, style, improvisational skills, and tone of the greatest jazz clarinetists in history.

Of Bennett, Dick Hyman remarked: "Dave is a phenomenon - plays his instrument beautifully, invents and improvises with great skill, and above all, in a perfect Benny Goodman manner, brings tremendous excitement to a performance," while Pizzarelli commented, "if Benny had heard this guy he would have had him over to play duets."

Bennett has performed with numerous orchestras including Toronto, Detroit, Omaha, and Nashville, as well as the RPO. In his second appearance with the RPO, Bennett will perform Benny Goodman's biggest hits, including the electrifying Sing, Sing, Sing, as well as the hits of other great clarinetists of the Swing Era, including Artie Shaw's Begin the Beguine, Jimmy Dorsey's Tangerine, Woody Herman's Woodchopper's Ball, and a New Orleans-style Pete Fountain Medley. Click below for a preview of Bennett performing the George Gershwin classic, I Got Rhythm.

Tickets for these performances start at $15 and can be purchased online or by calling the Box Office at 454-2100.

70 Years After Premiere, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel Retains Contemporary Feel

2012-01-02T09:17:00.002-05:00

When Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel made its premiere in April of 1945, it captivated everyone from theater critics to a 15-year-old Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim, who attended opening night with friend Jamie Hammerstein (son of Oscar) later described the evening as a “seminal experience” and recalled how the musical moved him to the point of tears:

“I remember how everyone goes off to the clambake at the end of Act One and Jigger [the hoodlum villain] just follows, and he was the only one walking on stage as the curtain came down. I was sobbing.” (How Sondheim Found His Sound, p. 64)

For Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, Carousel came at the heels of their debut, the hugely successful Oklahoma! When writing their second musical together, Rodgers and Hammerstein included many of the elements that had made Oklahoma! a success, such as the ballet sequence. They also added new elements; for example, instead of opening the show with the traditional overture, Rodgers composed the “Carousel Waltz,” which was accompanied by an onstage pantomime.

One of the most important innovations introduced in Oklahoma! was the integration of music and story, so that plot advancement and character development were accomplished not only through dialogue, but also through the songs themselves. In Carousel, Rodgers and Hammerstein built upon this concept, creating masterfully-written examples of ‘musical storytelling’ such as Billy Bigelow’s near-8-minute-long “Soliloquy” and the famous ‘bench scene.’

Based upon the play Liliom by Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnár, the plot of Carousel centers on the complex and often turbulent relationship between carousel barker Billy Bigelow (portrayed in this production by Ben Crawford, pictured above, left) and mill worker Julie Jordan (portrayed by Alexandra Silber, pictured right). In contrast to the generally sunny Oklahoma!, Carousel depicts a complicated world that is at times painful, tragic, and dark, a shift in tone that prompted Sondheim to quip, “Oklahoma! is about a picnic; Carousel is about life and death.”

It is, perhaps, this timeless and universally-relatable subject matter that makes Carousel just as moving today as it was 67 years ago. Of course, Carousel features one of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most beautiful scores, with classic songs such as the poignant “If I Loved You,” the exuberant “June is Bustin’ Out All Over,” the wistful and bittersweet “What’s the Use of Wondrin,’ ” and the inspirational “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Together, these elements contribute to make Carousel one of the all-time masterpieces of musical theater and a favorite of everyone from critics to audiences to Richard Rodgers himself:

“One of the most frequent questions I am asked is: ‘What is your favorite of all your musicals?’ My answer is Carousel. Oscar never wrote more meaningful or more moving lyrics, and to me, my score is more satisfying than any I’ve ever written. But it’s not just the songs; it’s the whole play. Beautifully written, tender without being mawkish, it affects me deeply every time I see it performed.” (From Richard Rodgers’ autobiography, Musical Stages, p. 243)

Experience Carousel in a live concert performance, complete with Broadway actors in the leading roles and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s soaring score performed live by your RPO. Performances are January 6 & 7 in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased online or by calling 454-2100.

Usher in the Holiday Season with the RPO!

2011-12-12T10:31:00.000-05:00

It’s Rochester’s favorite family holiday tradition, and it's happening this week: Gala Holiday Pops with Jeff Tyzik and the RPO!

This year, the program will feature a wealth of festive selections, ranging from traditional favorites (O Holy Night, Ave Maria, and Angels We Have Heard on High) to popular contemporary works such as John Williams' "Merry Christmas" from the holiday movie classic Home Alone, as well as Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride. Click below for a video preview of this perennial favorite, performed by John Williams and the Boston Pops:

The concert also will include one of the RPO's favorite couples, violinist Juliana Athayde (The Caroline W. Gannett & Clayla Ward Chair) and oboist Erik Behr (The Dr. Jacques M. Lipson Chair). Together they'll perform Vivaldi's Adagio and Allegro from Concerto in B-flat major for Oboe, Violin, and Orchestra.

The Festival High School Chorale is a fixture of this popular celebration, and has performed with the RPO every year since 1994. Founding director Harold McAulliffe and co-director Amy Story organize and direct this group of approximately 200 outstanding high school vocal students. Feel free to join in with the singers during the sing-along portion of the program!

All concerts will take place at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Showtimes are as follows:
Wednesday, December 14 at 7:30 pm*
Thursday, December 15 at 7:30 pm**
Friday, December 16 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, December 17 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
Sunday, December 18 at 2:00 pm

Tickets start at $15, and kids’ matinee tickets start at $10. For tickets, call 454-2100 or click here!

* Proceeds of this special concert benefit the residents of Monroe Community Hospital.

** Proceeds of this special concert benefit the Rochester Rotary Charitable programs of the Rotary Sunshine Campus and the Rochester City Roberto Clemente School #8.

'Tis the Season for the RPO!

2011-12-05T08:47:00.001-05:00

Come enjoy musical delights of the holiday season! This Thursday and Saturday at Kodak Hall, RPO virtuosos will gift-wrap exquisite classics, perfect for the holidays.

RPO principal flutist Rebecca Gilbert (The Charlotte Whitney Allen Chair) will perform Bach's sparkling Suite No. 2. Since joining the RPO in September 1996, Ms. Gilbert has illuminated the RPO’s classical and pops performances with her expressive and versatile playing.

In addition to the Bach, the RPO will perform several other wonderful works. Audiences will recognize Pachelbel’s adored Canon. Corelli’s tender "Christmas Concerto" will serve as a tender interlude. And although Tchaikovsky’s “Winter Dreams” Symphony has a cold-natured name, the music will surely warm your spirits.

The concert will be led by Maestro Kazem Abdullah, who is quickly becoming one of the most watched young American conductors on the scene today. Abdullah served as an Assistant and Cover Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera from 2006 to 2009, where he worked with prominent conductors such as Lorin Maazel and James Levine. Abdullah has appeared as guest conductor for numerous ensembles, including the Mexico City Philharmonic, Oregon Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Berliner Kammerphilharmonie, and New World Symphony. Abdullah graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in 2000. He originally trained as a clarinetist, and has appeared as a soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony, National Symphony, and the New World Symphony.

Experience these classical masterpieces on Thursday, December 8 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, December 10 at 8:00 pm at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre! Tickets start at $15. Order your tickets online today or call 454-2100 to order by phone.

The Nutcracker - Magic and Memories

2011-11-21T09:30:00.003-05:00

It just wouldn't be the holidays without The Nutcracker. Beloved by generations, the ballet's timeless tale of fantasy, imagination, and enchantment resonates with audiences young and old and perfectly captures the spirit of the holiday season. Whether you have childhood memories of attending with your parents, or more recent memories with your own children, The Nutcracker is a seasonal tradition that inspires remembrance and nostalgia.

As a child, I listened to my father’s old record of The Nutcracker Suite on a daily basis, and still remember the first time my parents took me to see the full ballet. No matter how many times I see the ballet or listen to the music, The Nutcracker still retains the original magic that captivated me when I was young.

For musicians, the memories created by The Nutcracker can be of a slightly different nature. Professional musicians often perform Tchaikovsky’s score multiple times each year, and once in a while, something is bound to go wrong. This week, RPO Principal Clarinetist Kenneth Grant (The Robert J. Strasenburgh Chair) joins us to share some of his own Nutcracker experiences:

My funniest Nutcracker memory was in Columbus, OH, when we did 22 every year. We would lift the pit up to stage level for the overture for each performance. One time, a cellist was leaning back in her chair and when the pit got near the stage lip it caught the scroll of her cello, driving the end pin into the floor. This snapped the neck of the cello, sending pieces of wood into the wind section. As this was occurring we began the overture.

Another time, I forgot to switch clarinets for Le Chocolat. Realizing this, I tried to transpose, failing terribly while the rest of the wind section went into laughter.

A few years after I left Columbus, someone decided to have water fowl on stage during the raising of the Christmas Tree scene. Of course one of the ducks jumped into the pit and started to run around the orchestra until a violist picked it up and threw it back on stage!

Come to Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre this weekend to make Nutcracker memories of your own. Featuring the talented dancers of the Rochester City Ballet, the Bach Children’s Chorus, 150 community children, and Tchaikovsky’s enchanting score performed live by your RPO, The Nutcracker is a holiday classic not to be missed.

The Nutcracker runs for six performances, November 25-27 at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Kids' tickets start at just $10! For tickets, click here or call the Box Office at 454-2100.

The RPO's Got Rhythm: Boléro & Other Latin Works!

2011-11-14T09:12:00.001-05:00

Few pieces in the classical repertoire are as thrilling as Boléro. Based on the Spanish dance of the same name, Ravel's composition builds from a solo snare drum, slowly adding orchestral sections until its dramatic finish, complete with bold slides from the trombone section!

Check out this video of Boléro made by the Copenhagen Philharmonic. They take "adding orchestral sections" quite literally — each section mysteriously appears at Copenhagen Central Station as intrigued pedestrians watch!

On Thursday and Saturday at Kodak Hall, the RPO (led by Arild Remmereit) will conclude the concert with Boléro, preceded by several other great orchestral works. In keeping with the women composers theme, the program will begin with Gabriela Lena Frank’s Three Latin American Dances. The program also highlights Roberto Sierra’s Sinfonia No. 4, a piece commissioned by the RPO, along with 11 other orchestras, as part of the Sphinx Commissioning Consortium. The consortium is an initiative to highlight Black and Latino composers and encourage diversity in classical music. The works by Frank and Sierra are both RPO premiere performances.

The program will also include Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 (in lieu of the previously scheduled Barber Concerto), featuring internationally acclaimed pianist Jon Kimura Parker. A versatile musician, Parker is equally at home performing pop and rock. Although he's not performing a Latin dance piece, Mr. Parker is sure to keep you on your toes — he has even been known to work in the theme from X-Files into his Mozart cadenzas!

See the RPO perform in Kodak Hall this coming Thursday, November 17 at 7:30 pm, and Saturday, November 19 at 8 pm! Tickets start at $15. Order your tickets online today or call 454-2100 to order by phone.

Also, in keeping with the Latin theme of this week's RPO concert, Arild Remmereit continues the Symphony 101 season on November 18 and 20 with The Latin Sizzle in the Performance Hall at Hochstein. Remmereit surveys the Latin American music of our time by Arturo Marquez, Roberto Sierra, and others, including the music that precedes them, and how these Spanish rhythms have captivated composers for centuries. To learn more and purchase tickets for Symphony 101, click here.

Dancer painting by Tom Deacon

Günther Herbig Conducts Dvořák’s "New World" Symphony

2011-11-07T15:17:00.000-05:00

This is music that captures the energy, the exuberance, the promise of a great nation. This Thursday and Saturday at Kodak Hall, Günther Herbig conducts the RPO in one of the most beloved symphonies in the entire repertoire: Dvořák’s love letter to America, the "New World" Symphony.

Born and raised a Bohemian peasant, Antonín Dvořák never strayed far from his simple roots. During his three years as director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York, he developed a particular interest in the music of African-Americans and Native Americans, reflecting his love for his homeland’s native culture.

“I am convinced that the future music of this country must be founded on what we call Negro melodies,” Dvořák told the New York Herald. “This can be the foundation of a serious and original school of composition. They are pathetic, tender, passionate, melancholy, solemn, religious, merry, gracious, or what you will. There is nothing in the whole range of composition that cannot find a thematic source here.”

Wildly popular, the “New World” Symphony helped legitimize American music to the rest of a skeptical world and paved the way to acceptance of twentieth century American cultural exports. Read more of Don Anderson's program notes here. And for an audio preview, click here.

American immigrant Günther Herbig, a nationally and globally prominent conductor, is particularly suited to lead the New World Symphony. Originally from East Germany, Günther Herbig left behind a challenging political environment and moved to the United States in 1984, where he has since conducted all of the top-tier orchestras, including New York, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco.

Thursday and Saturday's concerts will also feature the beguiling Fifth Symphony of the 19-year-old Schubert, and Mozart's delightful Fourth Horn Concerto, with the RPO's Principal Horn Peter Kurau (The Cricket & Frank Luellen Chair).

Kurau also performs Mozart’s Rondo, which was reconstructed in its original form by Professor Marie Rolf of the Eastman School of Music, who added back in 66 measures that had been missing. Peter Kurau first played the complete work in 1991 at a concert at the Eastman School. Use this link to read a story about it in the New York Times.

Experience these classical masterpieces on Thursday, November 10 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, November 12 at 8:00 pm at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre! Tickets start at $15. Order your tickets online today or call 454-2100 to order by phone.

Youth Orchestra Prepares for Sunday’s Concert

2011-11-04T15:04:00.000-04:00

Every September, the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra holds its weekend retreat at the Rotary Sunshine Campus in Rush, N.Y. RPYO parent Dr. Thomas Ball from LeRoy agreed to serve as camp doctor this year.

Staying at the camp for two nights, he observed the retreat’s rehearsals in preparation for the RPYO’s November 6th concert at Performance Hall at Hochstein, with several shared meals, relaxing activities, and an army of dedicated parent volunteers. A few days later, Dr. Ball shared with us these reflections for our RPYO student musicians and families.

To read more about this Sunday's concert, click here.

--Susan Basu, RPYO Manager

Privilege
by Dr. Thomas Ball

We live in a time of uncommon privilege. Yet privilege can seem so common.

"How much trouble can they be?" my wife prodded. The coordinator for the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra's annual retreat was looking for weekend medical coverage. As the parent meeting proceeded, we shifted uncomfortably on the cafeteria's fold-out benches. My wife nudged me gently and offered to be the nurse.

A few weeks later I pulled up the curved entrance to Rotary Sunshine Campus in Rush, NY. We registered and set up my violinist younger daughter in her cabin after dropping off her violin at the lodge before the evening rehearsal. The next morning I awoke bright and early to the clanging of cymbals and some discordant brassy squeals, courtesy of the percussion section. The RPO mentors were introduced after breakfast and took the students for sectional rehearsals.

I retired to my room, which was pretty posh by camp standards, complete with private shower, my choice of three sturdy wooden bunks and even a framed still life of flowers. After organizing the medical supplies I had brought, I discovered that classical music campers are a careful lot. Only one “patient” came to my door. Here was a chance to prove my worth. He leaned forward on his chair and pointed out a ribbon of congealed blood, which had trickled down his shin from a scratched mosquito bite. I rummaged through my bag and found the Epi-Pen, the splint, and even the defibrillator. But no Band-Aid! Like a good sport, my patient took the offered paper towel, wiped off the blood, and thanked me just the same. It's all too easy to take the common things for granted.

That evening I set down my folding chair outside the barn door to listen to rehearsal with Dr. Harman. I will never forget hearing the trumpets opening Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition when my older oboist daughter was in the RPYO six years ago. Hearing such amazing music in the open air made it even more special. The music this night was no less captivating. I imagined the deer and other forest creatures pressing in to listen at the edge of the field as they might for Snow White serenading The Seven Dwarfs.

Mussorgsky again gave me chills with Night on Bald Mountain, and the finale of the Saint-Saëns Bacchanale made me want to lead a thundering charge into battle. The Latin-flavored piece—Danzón No. 2 by the Mexican composer Arturo Márquez— was difficult to sit through without dancing. "You are a big orchestra. You have a lot of power. Use that power only for good." Dr. Harman cautioned them.

The RPYO is clearly using its power for good. The great individual effort from the 105 student musicians of the orchestra, the ongoing teamwork on the part of the parents, and Dr. Harman's exceptional leadership and musicality are all focused on one shared goal: making wonderful music together.

I suppose we might all define privilege differently, but on this evening it was the opportunity to listen to the music of great composers being rehearsed by an extraordinary group of young musicians beneath a canopy of stars. Consider the opportunity you have to be part of such an outstanding orchestra. Having the faculties and the freedom to appreciate such beautiful sights and sounds as we shared on this weekend, and possessing the talent to perform at such a high level is not something to be taken for granted.

Prepare well, enjoy the performances, and above all, be grateful for this privilege.

Oh—and don't forget the Band-Aids.

The Mahler experience (from the back)

2011-10-24T15:10:00.009-04:00

Wow.

That was pretty much my reaction as I was leaving the stage after performing the Mahler 2 concert last Saturday night to a sold out house in Kodak Hall. It's hard in my 25+ years playing in the trumpet section of the RPO to remember very many houses that were quite that full or quite that enthusiastic! The ovation lasted over ten minutes, and as Maestro Remmereit asked each section of the orchestra to stand, the audience roared with a cheer usually only reserved for the famous soloist of the evening. It was a very exciting moment for the musicians in the orchestra that we will not soon forget.

As I was leaving for the night, I thought about how different my experience of Mahler 2 was from those out in the audience. This is something that most people don't think about when they come to hear the RPO, but I've heard mentioned often when we get visitors in rehearsals who sit in the back with the trumpets:

"Wow, this doesn't sound like the RPO at all!"

No, it doesn't. Not from my chair!

And if you were in my chair last week for the Mahler, and turned around, do you know what you would have seen? Trombones. Lots of trombones, up on a riser, pointed straight at you. Usually we sit next to the trombones in one line, so this was a different setup than normal, made necessary by the sheer numbers of musicians that had to fit on the stage.

Let me make one thing exceedingly clear at this point- I love the trombone, it is an awesome piece of acoustical engineering, and is (I believe that has been proven with a decibel meter) the loudest brass instrument in the orchestra. It can also be breathtakingly beautiful at a soft dynamic, especially in a chorale, like in Brahms 1, or yes, Mahler 2. I love the sound, it's a great instrument, and our trombone section is populated with really nice people- not an axe murderer in the bunch. Mahler 2 uses 4 trombones and tuba (that's one more trombone than usual) and in our case we used another bass trombone as our extra, bringing our total to 2 tenor trombones (the regular ones) and 2 bass trombones (bigger, and they would argue, better.)

My chair was more or less centered between these two bass trombones (let's call them Andy and Jeff), sort of an acoustical sweet spot of armageddon. The sound was at once completely awe inspiring, and completely debilitating! When I went to play my own part during the loudest passages of the Mahler in the first rehearsal all I could hear (and feel) was the bass trombone parts. I could have written their parts down from memory after a few passes, and I knew which was Jeff and which was Andy, but couldn't really tell which one was me- how loud was I playing? What was the quality of my sound? To be honest, I sometimes couldn't tell what notes I was playing, I was completely baffled! I could sort of hear the other trumpets, and maybe a hint of percussion off in the distance, but no strings, no winds, no horns, etc. You get the picture! It was a challenge. My world pretty much consisted of me, Mahler, Jeff, and Andy. My wife was jealous, she wanted in, but she was over in the violin section. I had no idea that she existed or was playing at all.

As the week went on, I think my brain adjusted to the new sound and started to filter out the trumpet sound from the trombone sound a bit, and I began to have a little more success. I felt like I could hear my colleagues in the trumpet section a bit more, which improved our blend and intonation. I didn't want to wear ear plugs, which does happen on occasion when things are just too loud to bear or one is concerned about hearing loss, as I didn't feel I was at that point. But if you think about it, there are several instruments in the orchestra besides trumpet and trombone that can be incredibly loud, especially at close range, like the piccolo, snare drum, timpani, cymbals, french horns (if you end up behind them), etc., all packed in a very close space on the stage. We all try to work together and be sensitive to each other, but sometimes the music demands something at a dramatically loud volume, and you've got to protect your ears. (My most intense experience in recent times besides the Mahler was last year's rehearsal for the opera Pagliacci. The Italian tenor stood up right behind me during the rehearsal because of a lack of space at the front of the room, and as soon as he began to sing I knew I was in trouble. His voice, which was huge and beautiful from a safe distance (around 100 yards), was so piercing at point blank range that I had to double over with my fingers in my ears (not the most elegant way to react to an opera singer) until a compassionate and prepared colleague (in the trombone section, actually) passed me some ear plugs before I passed out.)

Anyway, I felt like the sound situation in the Mahler got better as the week progressed, and the concerts continued to improve, so it worked out in the end. But, to get back to my earlier point about how things sound different from the back of the orchestra: In the final climax of the last movement of the Mahler, the 200 members of the chorus who were seated at the front of the hall dramatically stood up, turned around to face the audience and sang their hearts out while the entire orchestra joined in at full power.

The picture of this happening (photo: Kyle Schwab) is incredibly inspiring and exciting. From my seat, however, not only did I not see the choir as they stood up, I couldn't hear them *at all* with 8 trumpets, 4 trombones, 9 horns and a tuba in my immediate vicinity! I can imagine that the choir sounded great, but I *know* that the trombones sounded great, because I was the first one to hear them- they only got their sound to the audience by first getting it through me! And a great sound it was. . .

The Dichter Duo Performs Poulenc!

2011-10-23T11:12:00.000-04:00

"One was struck not only by the synchronism of their musical impulses, but also by the vigor and elegance of the execution." -The New York Times

Pianists Misha and Cipa Dichter met at The Juilliard School as students of the legendary Rosina Lhevinne and made their first joint appearance at the Hollywood Bowl in 1972, four years after their marriage. Since then, the Dichters have performed in recital and with major orchestras throughout the world and have brought to the concert stage many previously neglected works of the two-piano and piano-four-hand repertoires. Now, hear these fantastic musicians in their first performance together with the RPO! Thursday, October 27 and Saturday, October 29 in Kodak Hall.

Born in Shanghai, where his Polish parents had fled at the outbreak of World War II, Misha Dichter came to Los Angeles with his family at the age of two and began his piano studies a few years later. While still a student at Juilliard, he launched his international career with a stunning triumph at the 1966 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

Cipa Dichter was born in Brazil of Polish-Russian parents and had her first piano lessons at the age of six. She made her professional debut at 16 with the Symphony Orchestra of Brazil and came to the United States to study at The Juilliard School shortly thereafter.

The two will perform Poulenc's captivating Concerto for Two Pianos. This concerto is a transitional work, combining the impudent humor of Poulenc's early style with the blossoming vulnerability of the mature composer. Click here to read the program notes.

To hear the first movement of the piece, with Francis Poulenc as one of the soloists, check out this vintage performance video on YouTube:

And use this link to read the Democrat and Chronicle profile of the Dichters.

The concert also includes Saint-Saëns' awe-inspiring "Organ Symphony." More than a century after its premiere, it remains unrivaled in its scope and majesty. Plus, Mozart's symphonic postcard to Paris.

For his Philharmonics Series debut, Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) leads the RPO on Thursday, October 27 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, October 29 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Tickets start at $15. Order your tickets online today or call 454-2100 to order by phone.

Dichter two-piano photo: Robert Caplin for The New York Times

Meet the Mahler Soloists: Ashley Hill & Rebecca Farley Witty

2011-10-19T14:54:00.000-04:00

We're so happy to have Ashley Hill and Rebecca Farley Witty with us for this week's blog! Ashley and Rebecca, both talented young professionals, will perform Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection," with the RPO and the Eastman-Rochester Chorus this Thursday, October 20 at 7:30 pm and again on Saturday, October 22 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.

Ashley Hill, mezzo-soprano, just completed her graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music, earning her Master of Music in Performance and Literature. A native of Florida, Hill has had the privilege of performing in both the United States and Europe.

Rebecca Farley Witty, soprano, also just earned a Master of Music in Performance and Literature from Eastman. Rebecca is a recipient of the Renée Fleming Award, and recently represented Eastman at the Kennedy Center for their "Conservatory Project."

RPO: Rebecca and Ashley, we’re so happy you can speak with us! You must be looking forward to your upcoming performance with the RPO.

Ashley: I am so excited and blessed for this opportunity with the RPO. I have gone to many of their concerts and know full well what a wonderful orchestra they are! And not only do I get the chance to share the stage with them, but share the stage for one of Mahler's most monumental works!

Rebecca: I'm absolutely thrilled to be performing with the RPO! I can't imagine a better masterwork to mark my debut with this fantastic orchestra. I feel so blessed to be chosen for this opportunity!

RPO: As a recent graduate, how does a soloist role help enhance your musical studies?

Rebecca: Being a soloist with a professional orchestra is pushing me to the next level of my studies and my career. It's what students and young professionals train for, and essentially what every student hopes for when they leave school.

Ashley: This opportunity definitely helps me in the professional world. As an emerging professional, opportunities like this are so crucial and definitely beneficial to get the "career ball" rolling just a little more!

RPO: Tell us a little bit more about your musical role in this symphony.

Rebecca: Well, in this epic five-movement symphony, the soprano solo doesn't begin until the middle of the fifth movement. Unlike other choral and orchestral works, like the Mozart or Verdi Requiem, the soprano soloist is more like an equal member of the orchestra and the choir. The first entrance is in unison with the choir, at a triple pianissimo. It is intense and beautiful in its simplicity. The ending is just as, if not more, powerful; but in a much louder, much fuller sonority. The climax of the choir and orchestra together is one of the most glorious and transcendent moments in all of Mahler's compositions (in this soprano's humble opinion!)

RPO: When you approach a musical performance, what do you want to achieve with the end result?

Rebecca: What an interesting question! I think one of the most important things is to communicate ideas to the audience; obviously the text is important to communicate, but also the composer's intent for the piece, the emotions behind the text, and sometimes just the gravity of the topic.

Ashley: Whenever I approach any concert, recital, or stagework, my goal is to be able to get the audience to feel as if they are not just watching a live performance, but are able to connect with the music, words, and emotional landscape the "character" is going through. I want them to be able to relate to what is happening in the performance, and learn more of who they are as a person. Hopefully, this will allow them to evaluate where they are personally — in relation to what they are watching and hearing — and where they desire to be.

RPO: What do you think young performers can bring to an orchestra, as opposed to someone who’s been performing for 20 years?

Ashley: As a young singer who is only just getting started with my career, I do feel strongly that there are things I can bring to the orchestra now that I probably won't be able to in the future, as a seasoned professional. Since I haven't sung many of these orchestral masterworks in the proper context before, I am still open to many options and possibilities when it comes to performing them. I have not yet found "my way" of singing these pieces, like the Mahler for instance, and am up for new ways of singing them. This is not to say that I don't have my own ideas for the music, but I am still very interested to hear what others think and consider putting that into my performance.

Rebecca: It's always good to get a fresh perspective on things. It's true, I haven't been singing with orchestras for 20 years, but I have loved music for 20 years and I think I have something to contribute to the music world.

RPO: What advice can you give to young singers who are just beginning their musical journey?

Rebecca: Mostly, the things I can think of have to do with non-musical things. Every choice you make affects your future. Be kind to every single person you encounter on your journey, and be a great colleague. Your talent gets you hired, your character and your attitude determine whether or not you'll be hired back.

Ashley: I would tell them to relish every moment they have now as students. Those years fly by, and before you know it, you are out in the "real world" with nothing but your passion and previous experience to hang onto, so make the most of it! Take every opportunity you can and continually challenge yourself. Don't ever expect to FEEL "ready," but instead, give yourself the opportunity to BE ready, and you will be amazed at what you can do!

RPO: After Mahler, what’s next for you?

Rebecca: Well, seeing as how I'm still young in terms of the opera scene, I will be taking some auditions for Young Artist Programs and doing some competitions as well. I am in the stage of my career where I am just asking to be heard and receive feedback. It requires a lot of patience and determination, so hopefully I'm up for the task!

Ashley: In this career, we have no idea "what's next" and that's the scary, yet beautiful, reality that we as musicians live. I do plan to take auditions for competitions, emerging professional programs, and roles for various opera companies. I will also continue to give myself opportunities to perform in solo recitals, and collaborative recitals/concerts as well. And I plan to continue to grow my own private studio so that I can share my passion with another generation of musicians, and, in turn, be encouraged by their passion.

See Rebecca and Ashley's debut performance with the RPO this Thursday and Saturday! Tickets start at $15. Order your tickets online today or call 454-2100 to order by phone. Use this link for more information about the concert.

Make This Your Year to Discover Mahler!

2011-10-14T14:57:00.000-04:00

Don’t miss the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s first performances of Gustav Mahler’s colossal “Resurrection” Symphony since 1985. The RPO’s new Music Director Arild Remmereit conducts this masterwork with the Eastman-Rochester Chorus on Thursday, October 20 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, October 22 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.

This marks the first in a series of Mahler works that Arild plans to bring to the RPO, including Mahler’s Fourth Symphony next January. The Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra will also be playing Mahler this season, and with great anticipation, RPYO Manager Susan Basu has prepared the following introduction to the music of Gustav Mahler:

“We have an extraordinary opportunity this year—the 100th anniversary of his untimely death at the age of 51—to get to know the great orchestral music of Gustav Mahler. In addition to the two symphonies on the RPO season, you will have a chance to hear the Youth Orchestra perform movements from two other Mahler symphonies—the breathtaking Adagietto from Symphony No. 5 on its November concert and, together with the RPO, the dramatic finale from Symphony No. 1 on its March Side-by-Side concert. Perhaps never before in Rochester has there been such a conjunction of Mahler favorites in one season!

“Arild Remmereit lived in Vienna for 25 years before coming to Rochester this August. Vienna was Mahler’s city during the late 1800s, where he commanded much of the city’s musical life as director of the Vienna Opera and as an exciting orchestra conductor and strikingly innovative composer. Our new maestro breathed in Mahler’s music from his time in the conservatories, concert halls, and neighborhoods of the city. He knows Mahler’s musical language intimately and, even more important, knows how to share that knowledge with his orchestra musicians and audiences.

“Not so long ago, I had the misimpression that Mahler’s music was largely dense, loud, brassy, confusing, and long—and I avoided it. Big mistake! Yes, those elements are there. But more important are vast sections of great delicacy, soaring lyricism, heart-searing pathos, and expressions of the triumph of the human spirit. As we find with many artistic creations of the highest order, understanding and appreciation does not come all at once. It may require time, patience, and repeated exposure. When that is possible, we often discover new worlds of thought, feeling, and expression. That might happen for you with Mahler’s music.

“Composing at the time of Freud in Vienna, Mahler absorbed that period’s new awareness of human psychology and the whirlwind of emotions that lie under the surface in our sub-conscious minds. It was also a time of growing fractures in European politics and society. Some critics believe that this extraordinary artist, born in the mid-19th century, anticipated in his music the repeated turmoil—personal and cultural as well as political—that tore though the 20th century.

“It may require a few hearings to adjust to Mahler’s very personal way of juxtaposing contrasting musical statements and emotions. They may not always make logical sense. But that turns out to be one of the sources of its powerful and profound impact. He wrote music the way we actually experience our emotions and impressions—not always smoothly but often in sudden and intense transitions from one mood to another.

“My route of entry into Mahler’s music was in part through his wonderful songs, a large collection of melodies and lyrics that he had both collected and adapted from German folk music and composed himself. Many of these songs he later incorporated into the symphonies that you will hear this season. His very accessible Symphony No. 2 that the RPO will perform on October 20 and 22 is an ideal way for you to begin your musical journey with Mahler.”

Use this link to view a video of the London Symphony Orchestra performing the first movement of Mahler's Second Symphony. Tickets for this weekend’s RPO concerts start at $15. Call 454-2100 or click here to purchase online.

Use this link for more information on the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra season.

Cirque Sends Both Acrobats and Sound Waves Flying Through the Air!

2011-10-10T15:15:00.000-04:00

Have you ever watched two circus performers appearing to float in midair? Have you experienced the the thrill of Tchaikovsky's music to Swan Lake? Either act is exciting on its own, but imagine the combined effect of the two together, and you get Cirque de la Symphonie, an innovative, awe-inspiring way to experience symphonic music.

“We like to think we’re taking the Cirque artistry into the true realm of fine arts,” says co-founder Bill Allen.“This isn’t popcorn and peanuts — this is caviar and champagne.”

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Jeff Tyzik, will tackle old and new orchestral works by Sibelius, Rimsky-Korsakov, Smetana, Dvořák and even John Williams. Meanwhile, an array of world-class acrobats, contortionists, strongmen, and jugglers will display their own art in a program custom-designed for the orchestra. In a Cirque performance, it's not uncommon to see an acrobat dangling from silk ribbons and flying around the conductor and the first row of violins. Check out a YouTube video of the group in action!

When aerial artist Alexander Streltsov (whom you'll see perform this weekend!) co-founded Cirque, he wanted people to see circus acts as an art form. But in what has become a true fusion of two art forms, he has helped expand orchestral audiences as well.

Experience Cirque on Friday, October 14 at 8:00 pm and Saturday, October 15 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Tickets start at $15. Order your tickets online today or call 454-2100 to order by phone.

Symphony 101: Explore the Music with Arild!

2011-10-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

How did folk music enter the concert hall? Why did it inspire many of music's greatest masters? What controversies were ignited when folk tunes and spirituals found their way into symphonies of Dvořák and others?

New RPO Music Director Arild Remmereit will answer those questions for us this weekend to kick off the long-anticipated Symphony 101 Season! This special series comprises a unique blend of music and history. In addition to live music performed by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the audience will get to hear the inside story about how these wonderful works came into being, including in-depth looks at the lives of the composers, information about what was happening in the world when the pieces were written, and more.

This weekend's concerts will take place on Saturday, October 8 at 8:00 pm and Sunday, October 9 at 2:00 pm, both in the Performance Hall at Hochstein. Arild Remmereit will present American classics — selections from Amy Beach's "Gaelic" Symphony and Dvořák's "New World" Symphony — each drawing liberally on folk tunes imported here and spirituals shaped here.

Yom Kippur will be recognized with Principal Cellist Stefan Reuss (The Clara and Edwin Strasenburgh Chair) playing Bruch's Kol Nidrei, and RPO Concertmaster Juliana Athayde (The Caroline W. Gannett & Clayla Ward Chair) will explore the folk heritage of Norwegian composer Johan Svendsen’s Romance for Violin.

Check out a preview of this work by playing the video below.

General admission is $24; student tickets for Sunday's concert are $10. Tickets can be purchased by calling 454-2100, or by clicking here.

Arild's Inaugural Features Music of Amy Beach

2011-09-26T13:32:00.000-04:00

One might expect to see one of the famous “Three Bs”— Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms— on the program for Arild Remmereit’s inaugural concert this coming Friday, September 30th, but instead the RPO will kick off the season with Amy Beach’s "Gaelic" Symphony. This marks the first of many exciting pieces to be performed by the RPO this year in an effort to uncover some of the many hidden treasures of women composers.

Upon first hearing Beach’s symphony, composer George Chadwick wrote, “I always feel a thrill of pride myself when I hear a fine work by any one of us, and as such you will have to be counted ... one of the boys.” Although intended to be a compliment, Chadwick’s words confirmed the imposing gender boundary in music composition at the time of Beach’s work.

Completing the symphony in 1896, Beach worked in a time when American women had not yet secured the right to vote. However, she did achieve success after the premiere, enjoying two performances by the Boston Symphony Orchestra and eventually across the country. Her work has resurfaced again in the last decade, and the RPO is proud to bring this exciting music to you.

Click on the image below to listen to the first movement of Beach's symphony.

Later this season, we’ll hear similarly exciting works. To name a few: Job, a poignant cantata by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (October 20/22); Three Latin American Dances by Gabriela Lena Frank (November 17/19); and Clara Schumann’s romantic Piano Concerto (May 10/12).

Tickets for Friday and Saturday's concerts (9/30 and 10/1) start at $15. To purchase, call 454-2100 or click here to buy online.

Red Carpet Spectacular Kicks Off RPO's 2011-12 Season with Arild Remmereit

2011-09-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will usher in Arild Remmereit's tenure as Music Director with a bang! Ticket-holders for the Red Carpet Spectacular on Friday, September 30 will experience not just one, but THREE great events on the evening of his inaugural concert.

First, enjoy a catered dinner in the beautiful new rehearsal hall inside of the Eastman School of Music's East Wing. Then, right before the concert, see the star musicians of the RPO up close outside Eastman Theatre as they walk the red carpet to kick off the season.

Next, follow the orchestra inside the theatre for a spectacular concert filled with innovative programming and the wonderful talents of our very own Concertmaster, Juliana Athayde. The 7:30 pm concert features works from Maestro Remmereit's three musical homes: Norway, Vienna, and now the U.S.

After the concert, ticket holders to the Red Carpet Spectacular are invited to join Arild Remmereit and the musicians for a rooftop party in a translucent tent on the fourth floor of East End Garage (located adjacent to Kodak Hall). Guests will enjoy complimentary desserts, champagne, wine, and beer, as well as the extraordinary musical talents of Latin dance band Orquesta Antonetti.

For a preview of the after-party's Latin festivities, check out this YouTube video:

Single tickets (including the concert and after-party) are just $100 (or $50 if you already have your concert ticket). To view full pricing information, please visit this link. Tickets are available by calling Brian Piazza at 454-7311 x231.

Q&A with RPO Concertmaster Juliana Athayde

2011-09-12T17:09:00.000-04:00

Juliana Athayde

Appointed concertmaster of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 24, Juliana Athayde became the youngest person to hold the position since the orchestra’s inception in 1922. Now in her seventh season with the RPO, Athayde has enchanted audiences with her technical brilliance, virtuosic artistry, and expressive tone. We had a chance to speak with Juliana about life as a concertmaster, the RPO’s upcoming season, and more.

How did you become involved with music?

I grew up in a musical family, the oldest of four children, in the San Francisco Bay Area. My parents, Bob and Julie, are both professional musicians – my dad is a jazz pianist/trumpeter and a middle school music teacher and my mom is a violinist/pianist and violin teacher. Being surrounded by music at home made us all want to join in the fun. Whether it was playing along with my dad's jam sessions at home or listening (as early as my playpen years!) to my mom's violin students, music was everywhere at our house. My siblings and I joke that we just assumed everyone was a musician because it seemed everyone who came to our house played an instrument.

People often ask when I decided to be a violinist but I can't actually remember choosing – I just never imagined wanting to do anything else! I started playing shy of my second birthday, taking lessons in the Suzuki method and can't remember life without my violin. After continuously reaching for my mom's full-sized violin while just a baby, my parents realized I wanted to play and got me my very own violin (a 1/16th size!). My other siblings are also musicians, each of whom started on the violin but moved on to their own passions. My sister Gabrielle (24) is a cellist who went to Oberlin; my brother Kyle (22) is a jazz musician and composer who just graduated from Juilliard and plays just about every instrument with a focus on trumpet and vibes; and the youngest of the bunch, Eliana (20) is still a junior at the University of Southern California where she studies classical and jazz bass. You can imagine the jam sessions we have at home!

What are some of the unique responsibilities associated with being a concertmaster, and what special preparation does it require?

Most audience members recognize the Concertmaster as the first chair violinist who walks out on stage before the concert starts, takes a bow and tunes the orchestra. This is just the beginning! The concertmaster (from the German word, Konzertmeister) was originally the leader of the orchestra as long ago orchestras did not have conductors. The concertmaster would lead the orchestra sometimes standing and using the bow as a baton while other times leading from the chair while playing. Walking out to bow at the start of the concert is actually left over from the days when the concertmaster served as the conductor and is a symbolic nod to the history and evolution of the position. Today the concertmaster bows and receives applause on behalf of all the members of the orchestra.

Now onto my other duties – have you ever noticed that all of the bows are traveling in the same direction? This is because the concertmaster chooses bowings for the entire first violin section and passes these onto the other string principals who then copy the same bowings for their sections. Not only does it look good when we bow together, we can also achieve different sounds depending on the bowings I choose. Often in a rehearsal, a conductor will ask the string section for a certain sound. It is then the job of the concertmaster to decide how to achieve that sound through bowings or other technical means. In this way, I see my job as part violinist, part translator or liaison. The conductor has to keep an eye on every part of the orchestra – since my job is more specific, I can concentrate on the details of string playing and, more specifically, violin playing, to help the orchestra achieve the conductor's musical goals.

Also, as concertmaster, I maintain a close musical relationship with not only the conductor but also the other principal players in the orchestra. By maintaining visual contact with the other principal players during rehearsals and concerts, we are all able to play with rhythmic precision and musical unity. An orchestra is really just a big chamber music group and by treating it as such, the concertmaster is able to keep a large string section together and playing as one.

This season, you will be performing Svendsen’s Romance for Violin and Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto. Can you tell us more about these works?

The Svendsen Romance is a new piece for me and I was introduced to it by our new music director, Arild Remmereit. Svendsen is a Norwegian composer and as you know, Maestro Remmereit is Norwegian – but you may not know that I am also partly Norwegian! It excites me to have the chance to play the music of our shared heritage and I know the audience will love hearing this beautiful singing work. I have never been to Norway but it is easy to imagine the Norwegian countryside as the lyrical melodies unfold.

The Barber Violin Concerto is an amazing work by one of the finest American composers. Samuel Barber's music has wide appeal not only for the soaring melodies but also for the range of emotion. The violin concerto has it all – memorable lyricism, deep emotion, and fast and furious technical pizzazz. The first movement is full of grand gestures, starting with a warm and rich melody, inviting the listener into the piece and at times this movement has mournful and even foreboding melodies. The second movement has a spiritual quality to it, in the opening with the gorgeous oboe solo (which I will enjoy hearing my husband, RPO principal oboist Erik Behr, play!) and when the violin enters with a contemplative melody. This movement has its fair share of despair as well but ends with a consoling and comforting sonority. The last movement is a fast-paced perpetual motion full of virtuosic flair for the soloist and orchestra. This movement will definitely get your heart rate up!

I should mention that this piece has special meaning to me as it is one of my first musical memories. I was only a few years old when one of my mom's violin students was working on the piece. The melodies have always felt familiar to me and I believe this piece and my memory of it is a testament to the fact that music can communicate with everyone. Playing this piece feels like coming home.

As a concertmaster, you must amass an extensive repertoire of violin concertos. What are some of your favorites?

As a concertmaster, I am lucky enough to perform concertos every year with the RPO and other orchestras throughout the country. It's always hard to pick a favorite concerto as almost every one becomes a favorite while I'm working on it. At the top of my list is always the Brahms concerto, for its grand musical gestures and rich melodic material. I always love music from the Romantic period because it calls for a rich and luscious sound but I also love newer music. The Prokofiev Concerto No.2 which I played years ago under Christopher Seaman is the first piece Christopher ever heard me play, as I was a soloist at the Aspen Music Festival before I got the concertmaster job with the RPO. That piece has a special place in my heart as does Allen Shawn's Violin Concerto which I premiered with the RPO in 2010. It is so important to pioneer new works – we wouldn't have a Brahms concerto if the great violinist Joseph Joachim hadn't premiered the piece when it was "new music" in 1879! Two pieces I haven't yet played with the RPO that are at the top of my list are the Sibelius and Beethoven violin concertos.

As the first graduate of William Preucil’s Concertmaster Academy, please explain how the program worked and what it was like to be the program’s first participant.

My experience in the Concertmaster Academy was quite exhilarating, as I was the first and only participant! William Preucil is the concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, one of the best orchestras in the world, and used to teach at Eastman while he was the first violinist of the Cleveland Quartet. He designed the Concertmaster Academy (at the Cleveland Institute of Music) to train one highly gifted violinist per year to become a concertmaster of a major orchestra. The two violinists who came after me in the program have gone on to be concertmasters with the Nashville Symphony and co-concertmaster with the Dallas Symphony. Clearly, the program works! In addition to weekly lessons where I studied both solo and orchestral literature with Mr. Preucil, I also attended Cleveland Orchestra rehearsals on a weekly basis, observing how he led the orchestra. We would talk about bowings and how to be physically clear while leading from a chair. One lesson was made up of me sitting in a chair while he asked me to lead a phantom section. This was designed to make sure I could be clear with gestures and not just my sound; obviously people sitting in the back can't hear the concertmaster but they can visually connect to the physical gestures the concertmaster uses to lead the string section. He taught me the importance of essentially playing chamber music in the orchestra and connecting with the other principals, whether strings, winds, brass, or percussion.

In addition to your duties as concertmaster, you’re also involved in the field of music education. What do you most enjoy about teaching, and which teachers were most instrumental in your own development as a violinist?

I am a passionate educator, teaching at Eastman, Cornell, Roberts Wesleyan, and the Cleveland Institute of Music, most likely due to my parents both being music educators and thanks to the great teachers I had along the way. I still watch my mom teach violin lessons and observe my dad in his middle school music classes whenever I visit them in California. Their energy and passion for education inspires me constantly. My first violin teacher, Dorothy Lee, was a family friend (I still call her "Aunt Dorothy") and I worked with her in the Suzuki tradition from age 2-11. She nurtured my musical voice and always made playing enjoyable which I am thankful for to this day. My Latvian teacher came next – Zoya Leybin. She had trained at the Moscow Conservatory alongside renowned violinist, Gidon Kremer, and had been brought up in a strict tradition of high-level violin playing. She was incredibly demanding and tough – lessons weren't easy – but I thank her for pushing me. I wouldn't be the violinist I am today without the amazing foundation and sound she gave to me. Off to college to work with Paul Kantor at the University of Michigan and then the Cleveland Institute of Music. Paul taught me how to teach myself – knowing I wouldn't always have a teacher to give me the answers, he pushed me to figure things out on my own and led me to greater musical expression. Finally, William Preucil gave me the finishing touches. From him, I learned musical confidence and leadership – characteristics I possessed but needed his help to unlock. His playing is filled with so much style and he inspired me to continue discovering my own violinistic voice. They have all transformed from mentors and teachers to friends and colleagues.

What kinds of music are you listening to at the moment?

I enjoy many kinds of music, not just classical. In fact, I can't listen to classical music as background music because I always end up concentrating on it! If I put on a Bach Orchestral Suite, a Beethoven Piano Concerto, a Mahler Symphony, or any other classical music, I want to focus on it. I listen to a lot of jazz, thanks to my dad and brother being jazz musicians. A few of my favorites (in no particular order) are Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Brad Mehldau, Duke Ellington, Buddy Rich, and Stephane Grappelli. Other types of music I love to listen to include anything Latin, Radiohead, Yellowjackets, Louis Prima, U2, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles ... the list goes on. Thanks to my parents, I have a well-rounded appreciation for everything from jazz to Motown to pop and beyond. I'm not a big rap or country fan but in the words of Jeff Tyzik, there are only two kinds of music, "Good music ... and the other kind."

Where have your travels taken you during the summer break?

My husband, Erik Behr, and I travel to various music festivals during the summer so this year we played in San Diego at the Mainly Mozart Festival and with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony in Sun Valley, Idaho. The highlight of the summer was performing chamber music with famed French pianist, Jean-Yves Thibaudet. After we finished in Idaho, we took a road trip with my parents from Sun Valley down through Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Bryce Canyon National Parks – such a beautiful trip! We finished our summer with a week in California, visiting my family, and are excited to be back for the new season with our dynamic new music director, Arild Remmereit!

Opening Night for Arild's Inaugural Season with RPO is Coming Soon!

2011-09-06T12:17:00.006-04:00

Be there to welcome the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra's new Music Director Arild Remmereit for the launch of his inaugural season on September 30 and October 1 in Kodak Hall.

Plus, you can help celebrate Arild’s opening concert by attending the signature Red Carpet Spectacular on Friday, September 30. This once-in-a-lifetime event features a pre-concert dinner, the annual Red Carpet Walk, and a Rooftop Party on the East End Garage with dancing to the Latin sounds of Orquesta Antonetti. Click here for more information.

To begin his tenure, Arild Remmereit has selected joyous works from his three musical homes. From his native Norway, the Violin Romance of Johan Svendsen, featuring concertmaster Juliana Athayde (The Caroline W. Gannett & Clayla Ward Chair). From his musical home, Vienna, exhilarating selections by Johann Strauss, Jr.

And now, as he moves to America, Arild presents the "Gaelic" Symphony of Amy Beach. Contemporary with Dvořák’s "New World" Symphony, this masterwork of the late 19th century is too rarely performed, and ushers in a season-long celebration of the contributions of women composers.

Arild will energize the masterworks in ways that are fresh and thrilling, and will bring us great music we will be eager to get to know. Use this link to watch a YouTube video of Arild talking about the coming season.

Tickets start at $15. For tickets, call 454-2100 or click here to purchase online.

Tickets Now on Sale for RPO's 2011-12 Season!

2011-08-29T14:01:00.001-04:00

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2011-12 Season is fast approaching, and now is the time to get in on the excitement! Tickets for the upcoming season are on sale now — don’t miss your chance to experience Arild Remmereit’s inaugural season as RPO Music Director, the return of Cirque de la Symphonie, Mahler’s “Resurrection,” Itzhak Perlman, Carousel in Concert, and much more! Use this link to watch a YouTube video of Arild talking about the coming season.

The 2011-12 Season will launch in grand fashion with Arild’s Inaugural concerts, Friday, September 30 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, October 1 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. For this historic event, Arild has selected a special lineup of pieces from his three musical homes. Concertmaster Juliana Athayde will perform the Violin Romance of Johan Svendson, a composer from Arild’s native Norway. The program also will feature two works by Johann Strauss, Jr., representing his musical home of Vienna. And Arild’s season-long celebration of women composers kicks off with the “Gaelic” Symphony of American composer Amy Beach.

Prior to the concert on September 30, join us as we celebrate Arild Remmereit’s opening night with a Red Carpet Spectacular. This special celebration includes a pre-concert dinner in the beautiful Eastman East Wing Rehearsal Hall (5:00 pm) and the Annual Red Carpet Walk (7:00 pm), featuring the RPO musicians. After the concert, there will be a Rooftop Party on the East End Garage (beginning at 9:30 pm), complete with a translucent tent, Latin dance band Orquesta Antonetti, and complimentary desserts, champagne, wine, and beer. Tickets for the Red Carpet Spectacular are available by calling Brian Piazza at 454-7311 x231 or click here for more information.

The 2011-12 Pops Season begins October 14 and 15 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall with the amazing acrobats of Cirque de la Symphonie. The Pops Series also will feature Maureen McGovern performing hits of the 60s and 70s, Gala Holiday Pops, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic musical Carousel in concert, and much more.

Plus, Sunday, January 22 at 3:00 pm, violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman will take the stage at Kodak Hall for a special performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, with Arild conducting. Up-close pit seats have been added for both Itzhak Perlman and the Opening Weekend: Cirque Returns Pops concerts.

There are more extraordinary musical works and spectacular guest artists to be discovered in the RPO’s 2011-12 Season. Click here for the full lineup.

Use this link to purchase your tickets online, call 454-2100, or visit the Eastman Theatre Box Office at 433 East Main Street in the Eastman East Wing.

Michael Butterman Previews the 2011-2012 Season of Education Concerts

2011-08-22T14:12:00.000-04:00

This coming season, the RPO’s Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) leads engaging family concerts that feature unforgettable characters, classic stories, musical hijinks, and more. We spoke with Michael to find out more about the upcoming season.

Next year’s orKIDStra Family Series features several iconic stories. Please tell us more about these concerts.

We begin in October with two tales of wayward bunnies ... The Runaway Bunny is a book by Margaret Wise Brown (author of Goodnight Moon) that has been set to music by composer Glen Roven. It's a work for violin soloist, narrator, and orchestra. The violinist for whom the piece was written, Ittai Shapiro, will be performing with us. He is an internationally renowned soloist who happens to also be a Rochester native. We will also be performing a musical setting of Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit. This is a charming adaptation that requires the narrator to use various character voices as well as to sing. We're pleased that Jennifer Carsillo, who recorded the narration for A Family for Baby Grand, will be joining us for this concert as well.

In February we'll hear about one of the unsung heroes of the orchestra—the tuba—in the well-loved classic, Tubby the Tuba. April's concert happens to fall directly on April 1—so we thought that we'd put together a fun concert that doesn't take itself too seriously. This will be an April's Fools' concert with plenty of surprises in store.

The RPO’s performance of Dr. Seuss’ The Sneetches will be extra-special, because it will be the New York State premiere of the work. Can you tell us about the origins of this piece?

Sure ... we close our season in May with the premiere of a new musical setting of The Sneetches. We had a lot of success presenting Green Eggs and Ham last season and we were approached by Rochester physician and RPO supporter Sid Sobel, who happens to love this story as much as I do. He feels that its disarming way of getting to the heart of human nature is a wonder, and asked his friend, and eminent composer, Lorenzo Palomo, if he would write a work for narrator and orchestra that would bring this story to life in the concert hall. We're very excited to present what we expect will be a major new addition to the repertoire for children and families.

The RPO regularly performs concerts for schoolchildren at Kodak Hall and around Monroe County. What do you have planned for next year?

Our Intermediate Concerts for 4th and 5th graders will center on a work called The Composer is Dead. That ominous-sounding title is taken from a book by Lemony Snicket, author of the popular children's books A Series of Unfortunate Events. It takes the form of a mystery in which an inspector interrogates the various instruments in the orchestra and learns about their particular roles in music. For our Primary Concerts, for third graders, we will present Peter vs. the Wolf, which is a new take on Prokofiev's classic work. In this version, the piece is turned into a courtroom drama/comedy in which the wolf attempts to prove his innocence. Our orKIDStra audience enjoyed our presentation of the work this past season and we thought that it would be well received by our Primary Concert audiences as well. And our Tiny Tots concerts, for pre-schoolers and kindergarteners, will explore basic musical elements in a concert called "High, Low, Fast and Slow: Musical Opposites."

And you’ll be making your Philharmonics Series debut this season. Can you tell us about the pieces that you will be conducting?

I'm very excited about this program because all of the pieces share an important common thread while exhibiting a tremendous variety of styles. Paris has been one of the most important centers in the history of music and each of these pieces is inexorably linked with this great city. We begin with Mozart's "Paris" Symphony—a work that he wrote especially for the accomplished (and large) orchestras of the city and one that he wrote with the Parisian audiences in mind. The Parisian setting opened up new possibilities to Mozart—ones that he fully explored, and exploited, in this exuberant work.

Then, we welcome Misha and Cipa Dichter, with whom I've had the pleasure to work on two previous occasions. They will play for us Francis Poulenc's wonderful Concerto for Two Pianos. Poulenc embraced a wonderful blend of sacred and profane. He was a deeply religious person, but also had a playful streak and could be quite irreverent. Parts of this concerto seem to come right out of Paris' cafés and saloons of the 1920s, while the gorgeous second movement channels Mozart's approach to beauty through simplicity.

Finally, we have Saint-Saёns' massive Organ Symphony—one of the most popular works in the repertoire, but also one of the least performed, due to its large size and need for an organ. We will be bringing one into Kodak Hall. If you saw the film Babe, then you already know one of the great melodies from this piece. It's a work that is beautifully organic in its construction (common themes and motives unite all of the movements) while containing a great deal of surface appeal as well. It has great tunes and builds to a tremendous climax. What more could one want?

What do you enjoy most about conducting Education concerts?

Young people make for the most enthusiastic audiences of all. They hold nothing back. If they like something, they really like it, while the converse is also true. So I know that we have an opportunity to make a significant impact, and we get immediate feedback on how successful we've been. For me, those moments when I can sense that we've played something that has really connected with the kids are the ones that I treasure.

The RPO released a new children’s CD this spring featuring The Story of Babar and A Family for Baby Grand. What was your favorite part of making the CD?

Although I had been involved in recording projects before, they had been "live" events, so the process of planning the recording sessions and working on editing and mastering was absolutely new to me—and quite fascinating. It was very interesting to learn, for example, just how much "magic" can be accomplished with recording technology and by a skilled engineer, and yet how many details, in the end, simply depend on flawless execution on the part of the musicians being recorded. Throughout it all, Jeff Tyzik and our engineer, John Truebger, provided incredible support and I'm very grateful to them both.

What music are you listening to at the moment?

At this very moment it's all-Christmas, all the time. I happen to be conducting three different holiday programs in December (though none in Rochester), and now is the time when those programs are being finalized. So I'm familiarizing myself with the incredible amount of new music that composers and arrangers come out with each year that is geared toward the holiday season. Trying to keep those programs comfortable and familiar without becoming stale and predictable is a pretty big challenge. But it's fun. And as I've been sweating through the summer heat, listening to sleigh bells seems to help ... at least a little bit!

Where are your travels taking you and your family during the summer break?

We were privileged to spend about nine days in New York City in June taking in concerts, several ballets, a little Broadway, and plenty of museum time. It was the top item on our daughter's "wish list" for the summer. But we also managed to squeeze in some beach time and a visit to California to see family and do a little hiking.

Q&A with Jeff Tyzik on the 2011-2012 Pops Season

2011-08-15T11:07:00.000-04:00

This coming season, RPO Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik will lead the orchestra in a diverse array of music, including classic Broadway, swing, Holiday Pops, favorites of the 60s and 70s, and much more. We spoke with Jeff to find out more about the upcoming season.

The Pops Series opens with the return of Cirque de la Symphonie. Tell us what audiences can expect from this collaboration of music and acrobatics.

We are developing a new show with different music from their past performances. The show will have a different feel, but we can all count on Cirque's amazing artistry.

After a run at Geva last fall, Maureen McGovern will return to Rochester this year to perform as a guest artist with the RPO. How do you go about translating music from the 60s and 70s into a symphonic setting?

I've always loved Maureen's vocal artistry. Mel Tormé was a mentor to her. She has a crystal clear tone and a wide range of styles so it will be an interesting concert. She was phenomenal in her one-woman show at Geva and this concert including the RPO will be even more exciting.

Two years ago, the RPO performed a concert version of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific—this year, it’s Carousel in concert. What can people look forward to in this production?

The South Pacific in Concert experience was so gratifying for both the audience and the performers that I decided to go for it again, this time with Carousel. My good friend Doug LaBrecque will be directing again and we are also engaging a number of New York Broadway artists for our lead roles.

This season will feature a “photochoreography” concert in which James Westwater’s photography is choreographed to live music. What can you tell us about this concert?

James Westwater is a visual artist combining his evocative photographic images set to music like Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man and Billy the Kid. Huge screens above the orchestra will show his images that he has choreographed to the music played by the RPO.

The RPO recently held a Birthday Benefit concert in celebration of your 60th birthday. What else did you do to celebrate your birthday this year?

I traveled to a beautiful east coast area near the ocean for some down time with my family. I always wanted to play electric bass and I couldn't believe it, but Jami and her husband Matthew gave me a Fender Electric Bass for my big day. Now I have to learn how to play it.

What music have you been listening to lately?

I'm composing right now, so I'm not listening to anything.

Where are your travels taking you during the summer break?

I'm spending some of the summer near the ocean and some of it in Rochester getting ready for the coming season.

Click here for a full list of the 2011-12 CNB Pops Series.

Acclaimed Violinist Itzhak Perlman to Perform with RPO in January 2012!

2011-08-08T16:52:00.000-04:00

Itzhak Perlman

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is proud to announce that the reigning virtuoso of the violin - Itzhak Perlman - will perform with the Orchestra on Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 3:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre! The RPO's incoming Music Director, Arild Remmereit, will conduct this special afternoon concert featuring Perlman performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, and up-close pit seats will be available.

Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, Perlman is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also to the way he communicates the irrepressible joy of making music. Use this link to find out more about Itzhak Perlman and watch a video of him performing at the Presidential Inauguration. This concert promises to be an extraordinary experience - one you won't want to miss!

Tickets go on sale to RPO subscribers and donors (who contribute $75 or more annually) during Subscriber/Donor Appreciation Weeks, starting Monday, August 15. Then, any remaining tickets will be available for sale to the general public beginning on Monday, August 29. Ticket prices will start at $35.*

If you are not already an RPO subscriber or donor, there is still time to purchase a season ticket package or donate so you can have the chance to purchase the best seats before Perlman tickets go on sale to the public. Click here for more information about subscribing to the RPO's 2011-2012 Season, and use this link to find out about donating.

* Due to the high demand for this concert, no discounts will be accepted for Itzhak Perlman tickets.

Q & A with Arild Remmereit on the 2011-2012 Season

2011-08-01T10:27:00.000-04:00

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2011-12 season promises to be a historic event and an exhilarating journey as Arild Remmereit takes to the stage for his inaugural season as RPO Music Director. For his first season with the RPO, Arild has selected an exciting mix of classic masterworks and new musical discoveries. We had a chance to speak with Arild about the upcoming concerts, his musical background, and more.

RPO: Congratulations on becoming our new Maestro! Throughout your programming you highlight the works of women composers, and we also will be joined by guest artists from the Eastman School of Music. Bravo! What inspired you?

ARILD: Thank you! I have a passion for discovering great works that move me and have, for different reasons, not yet become part of the standard repertoire; I believe the works spread throughout the 2011-12 season can do just that. I am eager to share this passion with audiences and musicians who I am confident will enjoy the experience as well. This is what I mean by “creating classics.” I also wanted to honor the significant role Rochester played in the women’s rights movement. And what better way to do that than through music! As for Eastman, it is simply one of the world’s great music schools with an incredibly rich tradition. The chance to forge new links with such an amazing institution—and to collaborate closely with its world-class students and faculty—was irresistible.

RPO: You’re also bringing us Mahler’s “Resurrection” for the first time in more than 25 years. How excited are you to re-introduce us?

ARILD: Yes! I am thrilled. I love Mahler’s music because it expresses such a wide range of emotions and ideas so powerfully. I have always felt a strong connection to his music. When I learned the RPO did not perform Mahler regularly, it seemed like an exciting opportunity for Rochester, and I hope audiences will become as enraptured by this magical music as I am.

RPO: How did conducting become your passion?

ARILD: I started piano lessons at age six and performed professionally as a boy soprano around Norway. My passion for music and my absolute commitment to being a musician really took off when I was allowed to buy myself a pair of those 1970s platform shoes and an electric guitar! I was 12 years old. After a few years I joined a band with some older kids, playing keyboards. What I had learned in piano lessons as a child then became very useful. My musical taste developed. I was playing more "jazzy" music, and as I was studying voice and piano at the Music Conservatory in Oslo, I was earning my living playing in bands. At some point in my early twenties, I started to feel like focusing my energies in one thing. So I asked myself: If I used all the experience I have gained in different musical settings so far in my life and invested all my energies and hard work into one enterprise, what would it be and what would I do well? Around that time I had a conversation with one of my uncles, Per Brevig. He is the only professional musician in the family and has a very successful career in the U.S. He was principal trombone at the Metropolitan Opera for 30 years and is a teacher at Juilliard and Aspen. He suggested that I check out the conducting program at the Aspen Music Festival and School. At the end of that summer, I concluded that if they (the conducting students) can do it, I can too! And from that point on, I focused on becoming a conductor.

RPO: Speaking of music and childhood, which pieces this season will resonate with younger audiences?

ARILD: That’s very easy to answer. Every single piece in this season is good for younger people and older people and everyone in between.

RPO: Tell us about your batons…your father makes them, right?

ARILD: My father makes all of my batons—hundreds of them—and it’s a wonderful thing. He’s now 82, and I’ve told him, when I’m 82 and still conducting, I don’t want to be in a situation where I run out of batons. He’s still making them!

To see and hear more from Arild Remmereit, the RPO's new Music Director, please visit us online at www.youtube.com/SuperRPO.

You’re Invited to Jeff Tyzik’s Birthday Benefit Bash!

2011-07-25T14:00:00.001-04:00

This weekend, Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik will celebrate his 60th birthday in style, and you’re invited to join in the festivities! Saturday, July 30 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Jeff will lead the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in a musical celebration, complete with special performances by some of Jeff’s close friends, and a few extra surprises. In addition to celebrating his birthday, the concert also will celebrate the RPO Musicians, with all proceeds benefiting the RPO Musicians’ Pension Fund.

Jeff’s birthday bash will feature a wide range of festive favorites, including some of his own compositions and arrangements. The program also will include works by Shostakovich, Mozart, John Williams, Dave Brubeck, and the RPO’s own Wes Nance. Several RPO musicians will take to the stage as featured soloists, including David Brickman, Peter Kurau, Jim Tiller, Michael Griffin, Ray Ricker, and Mark Kellogg. Plus, tenor Tonio DiPaolo and Latin jazz quintet Mambo Kings will both be on hand for special performances.

Tenor Tonio DiPaolo has performed with ensembles around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the London Symphony Orchestra. After singing with virtually every major opera company across North America, DiPaolo now sings for special occasions and friends, and will perform a medley of Italian Popular Songs for Jeff’s birthday celebration.

Recognized as Upstate New York’s foremost Latin jazz ensemble, Rochester’s own Mambo Kings have earned a national reputation for their explosive blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz improvisation. Mambo Kings made their orchestral debut in 1997 with Jeff Tyzik and the RPO. Since then, they have performed with numerous orchestras in cities around the world, including Baltimore, Detroit, and Dallas. Now, Mambo Kings will return to Eastman Theatre, performing favorites such as Day Tripper and Oye Como Va, as well as Dave Brubeck’s Blue Mambo a la Turk.

This concert is a wonderful opportunity to hear some great music, celebrate our remarkable Principal Pops Conductor, and pay tribute to our world-class musicians. Please join us for this special event, and don’t forget to visit Jeff’s new fan page on Facebook to send him a birthday greeting of your own!

The suggested minimum ticket prices for this concert are $25 (zones 3 & 4), $45 (zones 1 & 2), and $65 (box seats). All donations above-and-beyond ticket prices are encouraged. At all Kodak Hall concerts, we encourage ‘summer casual’ attire. To purchase tickets, call 454-2100 or click here.

Kids' Tix Start at $10 for RPO's Magical Music of Disney!

2011-07-18T13:12:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, July 23 at 7:00 pm (a special family-friendly start time), it's The Magical Music of Disney* with your Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra live in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, complete with enchanting images on the big screen set to symphonic arrangements. Kids' tickets start at just $10!

You and your family will travel on a journey to far-off places while you listen to music from Disney's animated films and Broadway shows, including Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Tarzan, and much more. 92.5 WBEE's Terry Clifford narrates this special concert with guest conductor Daniel Meyer.

We encourage all kids to dress up like their favorite Disney character for this concert. And at all Kodak Hall concerts, we encourage "summer casual" attire.

Also this week, you can experience the next generation of orchestral conductors! Extraordinary young conductors from the Eastman School of Music's Summer Conducting Institute will lead the RPO for this special evening in Kodak Hall on Thursday, July 21 at 7:30 pm. This year, ten conductors will participate in the Summer Conducting Institute, and five finalists will be selected to conduct the RPO. Click here to learn more about this year's participants.

Tickets for the Eastman Summer Conducting Institute concert on July 21 start at $15 ($5 for all University of Rochester faculty, staff, and students).

For tickets and more information about either concert, call 454-2100, or click here.

* Presentation licensed by Disney Music Publishing © Disney.

Don’t Miss Porgy and Bess in Concert with the RPO!

2011-07-14T10:42:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is bringing you Summertime in the city with an evening of fantastic music, live in air-conditioned Kodak Hall. Attire is "summer casual" for Kodak Hall concerts this summer.

On Saturday, July 16 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Jeff Tyzik and the RPO will perform music by two American greats—George Gershwin and Duke Ellington. Then, after intermission, it’s highlights from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess in concert, featuring baritone Kevin Deas, soprano Janice Chandler-Eteme, and the Rochester Oratorio Society under the direction of Eric Townell.

Originally conceived by George Gershwin as an “American folk opera,” Porgy and Bess is a unique artistic achievement that draws upon jazz, folk, and orchestral music. The opera includes several songs that have become popular standards, including “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’,” “Bess, You is My Woman Now," and “Summertime,” and you’ll get the chance to hear these songs, plus Gershwin’s captivating score, in this live concert performance. Click here for a video clip of Kevin Deas singing "It Ain't Necessarily So."

Internationally acclaimed bass Kevin Deas has been lauded for his "burnished sound, clarity of diction and sincerity of expression" by the Chicago Tribune. An international concert and opera performer, Deas is perhaps most acclaimed for his signature portrayal of the title role in Porgy and Bess, including performances with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Soprano Janice Chandler-Eteme will take on the role of Bess, having recently performed it, with great success, at the Opera de Lyon in Lyon, Edinburgh, and London. She has been called “one of the loveliest soprano voices on earth” by the Baltimore Sun and “radiant” by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Rochester Oratorio Society will take on the chorus parts for a concert that is sure to be unforgettable!

Tickets for this performance start at $20 and can be purchased by calling 454-2100, or by clicking here.

RPO Offers Up the Classics this Summer at Hochstein

2011-07-05T09:57:00.000-04:00

Michael Butterman

This Wednesday, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra opens its Midsummer Classics series with a special concert featuring an ancient instrument. This series at the Performance Hall at Hochstein will feature world-class conductors and guest artists, and each concert is preceded by chamber music performed by RPO musicians.

On Wednesday, July 6 at 7:30 pm in Performance Hall at Hochstein, Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) will lead the RPO in a concert of classic masterworks that highlight the fortepiano. The concert on Wednesday, July 13 at 7:30 pm features Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony, and the series will conclude on Wednesday, July 27 at 7:30 pm with a celebration of the Double Bass.

For this week's concert, Michael Butterman and the RPO will be joined by fortepianists Malcolm Bilson and Mike Lee, who will perform Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12 and Bach's first Keyboard Concerto. The fortepiano was an early version of the modern-day piano, and the instrument for which composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven would have written their piano music, so you'll get to hear the music the way it was intended it to be heard. Click here to learn more about the history of the fortepiano. Wednesday's concert also will include Bach's Overture to La calamita di cuori (The Calamity of Hearts) and Tchaikovsky's Suite No. 4, "Mozartiana."

Before the concert, RPO musicians will play Schubert's Cello Quintet. Use this link for details about the Pre-Concert Chamber Music, which will begin at 6:30 pm each night.

There's more great music in the upcoming concerts, including works by Schubert, Stravinsky, and Ravel. Plus, don't miss virtuosic solo performances by RPO Concertmaster Juliana Athayde (The Caroline W. Gannett & Clayla Ward Chair) and Principal Bass Colin Corner (The Anne Hayden McQuay Chair). Click here to learn more about each of the upcoming concerts.

Tickets for the Midsummer Classics Series in Performance Hall at Hochstein are $30, general admission. For tickets, call 454-2100 or click here.

Celebrate Independence Day with Your RPO!

2011-06-27T11:20:00.000-04:00

The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and this year, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is bringing you a patriotic extravaganza to remember, with two spectacular concerts, each followed by a fireworks display!

On Saturday, July 2 at 7:30 pm, Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) and the RPO will be at CMAC in Canandaigua for an Independence Day celebration.

The concert will include iconic American composer George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, with piano soloist Ilya Yakuskev, and a tribute to our nation’s Armed Forces. The concert also features The Glory and the Grandeur by Russell Peck, a dazzling work featuring three brilliant percussionists: Jim Tiller (RPO Principal Percussionist), Mark Hodges, and Brad Fuster.

Here’s what Jim had to say about the work: “It's a high-energy piece that begins very dramatically, with the three soloists playing a multi-drum trio throughout the opening section, building to the orchestra's entrance. The soloists move and play their way through a maze of 36 percussion instruments throughout the piece, even sharing the SAME instrument at times. Mark and Brad are good friends of mine and great musicians. We're really looking forward to the July 2nd performance!” To read more about Jim Tiller (including his other interests and favorite composers), click here.

And of course, no July Fourth celebration is complete without the 1812 Overture and Stars and Stripes Forever! Children 12 and under are free on the lawn at CMAC concerts. Tickets start at $13 for the CMAC concert on July 2. Call 454-2100 or click here to purchase online.

Then, on Monday, July 4 at 9:00 pm, Michael Butterman and the RPO will bring the musical celebration to downtown Rochester for a free outdoor concert on the Main Street Bridge that will include all your favorite patriotic tunes, and will culminate in a magnificent fireworks display. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, and attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets. Fireworks will start at approximately 10:00 pm.

Summer's Here! Spend it with Your RPO

2011-06-22T10:42:00.000-04:00

There's no better way to spend the long days of summer than by listening to great music, and this year, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has something for everyone!

To kick off the 2011 Summer Season, the RPO will return to CMAC in Canandaigua for two spectacular concerts. Come to CMAC on Saturday, July 2 at 7:30 pm for Red, White and Boom, an Independence Day celebration to remember, complete with fireworks and patriotic selections such as Stars and Stripes Forever and the 1812 Overture!

Then, on Saturday, July 9 at 7:30 pm, we'll have wizards, Stormtroopers, and much more as Jeff Tyzik and the RPO bring you the iconic movie music of John Williams, including selections from the scores to Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Indiana Jones. Tickets start at $15 for CMAC concerts and children 12 and under are free on the lawn!

You'll also be able to beat the summer heat as the RPO performs its first summer concerts in the elegant - and air-conditioned - Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Jeff Tyzik and the RPO perform highlights from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess - with soloists Kevin Deas and Janice Chandler-Eteme - and music by Duke Ellington on Saturday, July 16 at 8:00 pm.

On Saturday, July 23 at 7:00 pm, bring the whole family to Kodak Hall to experience the magical music of Disney! This enchanting concert will include music from classic animated films and Broadway shows, including Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Tarzan, and more. Kids' tickets start at just $10!

And help us celebrate Jeff Tyzik's 60th birthday in style with Jeff's Benefit Birthday Bash on Saturday, July 30 at 8:00 pm. You'll hear an incredible range of your favorite works, including some of Jeff's own, featuring RPO musicians and special guests Tonio Di Paolo and the Mambo Kings. Plus, proceeds benefit the RPO Musicians' Pension Fund.

The "Midsummer Classics" series will take place on three Wednesdays - July 6, 13, and 27 - at 7:30 pm in Performance Hall at Hochstein, and will feature plenty of timeless masterpieces, including works by Mozart, Bach, Ravel, Schubert, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky. There will be pre-concert chamber music and wine tasting beginning at 6:30 pm.

There's much, much more in this year's summer season, including concerts at Ontario Beach, SUNY Geneseo, Frontier Field, and Temple B'rith Kodesh, and an Independence Day Celebration in downtown Rochester. Explore the 2011 summer series for yourself by clicking here.

Use this link for summer ticket information.

It’s a Busy Summer for RPO Musicians!

2011-06-10T17:02:00.001-04:00

Summer is finally here and the RPO conductors and musicians will be scattering across the country—and world!—to enjoy their summer vacations, play in various music festivals, and enjoy a little rest and relaxation before the start of the RPO summer season on June 29th, or before the next season begins on September 30th.

For instance, Principal Timpani Charles Ross will spend his fourth summer on the faculty of the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, NC. Located at the western tip of the state, near Asheville, Brevard attracts students and faculty from all over the world. This now-annual trip is something the Ross family greatly looks forward to each summer.

Principal Clarinet Kenny Grant also has a busy summer planned. Kenny will take part in three music festivals this summer—the Round Top Festival outside of Houston, the Aria International Summer Academy at Mount Holyoke College, and the Marrowstone Summer Music Festival, north of Seattle. He then plans to remain incognito until the end of August.

Round Top will host another RPO musician this summer—Peter Kurau, Principal Horn. In addition to being on faculty at Round Top, Peter also will spend time at the Kendall Betts Horn Camp in Littleton, NH. Then, Peter and his wife, Pamela, will take a much deserved week of rest on Cape Cod with Principal Keyboard and Personnel Manager Joe Werner and his wife, Diane.

Violinist Lara Sipols will spend time performing with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra this summer. Another familiar face at Chautauqua this summer is Christopher Seaman, who will conduct the CSO on July 19 and 21. Click here for more information about those two concerts (and a planned bus trip to Chautauqua with the RPO).

Principal Cello Stefan Reuss plans to perform in a few chamber music concerts in the area. Then, Stefan and his wife, Valerie, towards the end of summer, will spend two weeks in Germany. The Reusses will be in Tegernsee, near Munich, where they plan to hike in Stefan’s beloved Bavarian Alps. The photo to the left is Stefan hiking last year with his son, David.

Cellist Christopher Haritatos plans to perform at the Victoria Bach Festival in Victoria, Texas. Christopher also plans to visit his family in California, as well as his wife’s family in Sweden.

Concertmaster Juliana Athayde and Principal Oboe Erik Behr are spending two weeks in the first part of June performing at the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego. Juliana and Erik will be back in Rochester to perform with the Orchestra for the summer season, before leaving for Sun Valley, Idaho in August to play with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony.

Gaelen McCormick, double bass, is playing with the RPO for the summer season before heading out west, along with Bill and Nancy Hunt, to play in the Music in the Mountains festival in Durango, Colorado. Gaelen said, “I always look forward to getting into the dry air and brilliant blue skies of the southwest. I'm bringing my toddler daughter, Clara, and my fiancé, Steve, with me for a real family adventure!” The picture to the left is Gaelen hiking last summer.

As Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach, Michael Butterman, puts it, his summer is pretty low-key—and planned intentionally to be that way! Michael and his family are headed to NYC to spend some time with friends and take in a ballet (or two!) with American Ballet Theater before returning to Rochester to conduct Red, White and Boom! on July 2, an Independence Day Celebration on July 4, and Phenomenal Fortepiano, part of the Midsummer Classics series, on July 6. The Buttermans also plan to spend some time at the beach before visiting family in San Francisco. (Pictured at right are Michael and Jennifer at the Education Luncheon in March.)

To learn more about the RPO’s world-class musicians, click here.

Farewell, But Not Goodbye

2011-06-07T11:17:00.003-04:00

Photo: Kyle Schwab

This past weekend marked Christopher Seaman's final concerts as Music Director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and following his final concert on June 4, the RPO held a special gala—aptly called A Bow Tie Affair—at the Country Club of Rochester to celebrate Christopher, his time with the RPO, and all he has done for and with the Rochester community.

The RPO could not, however, let the concert end with Christopher's final downbeat. Following three curtain calls and a farewell speech to the audience from Christopher, the Rochester Oratorio Society entered Kodak Hall to Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance waving American flags and Union Jacks! But instead of the traditional words (in England, it’s known as Land of Hope and Glory), Christopher's longtime friend and RPO supporter Peggy Savlov had re-written the lyrics to honor our beloved Maestro! The audience was able to sing to Christopher, who spontaneously decided to play the timpani along with the Orchestra. As a backdrop, an enormous British flag was unfurled from the ceiling, capping the moment in grand style.

Visit the RPO's Facebook page to view a photo album of images from this special night. To learn more about Christopher, including a timeline of his career in Rochester, and view pictures from his 13 seasons with the RPO, click here. You can also read the commemorative program book which includes numerous tributes as well as the lyrics to the musical tribute which closed Saturday's concert, by clicking here.

This is not goodbye, however: Christopher will assume the role of Conductor Laureate beginning with the 2011-2012 Season, and will return annually to conduct the RPO beginning in March 2012. Use this link to learn about his concert next season. The Christopher Seaman Chair is supported by Barbara and Patrick Fulford and The Conductor Laureate Society (click here for more information).

Before Christopher returns to Rochester, he’ll be back in New York State conducting the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra at the Chautauqua Institution. Join us for a special bus trip to see him on Tuesday, July 19th. Click here for details.

Don't Miss Christopher Seaman's Final Concerts with the RPO!

2011-05-31T09:56:00.014-04:00

After 13 wonderful seasons of music and memories, Christopher Seaman will conclude his tenure as Music Director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in grand fashion. Christopher will lead the RPO in two special farewell concerts, Thursday, June 2 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, June 4 at 5:30 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Don't miss your chance to celebrate Christopher's time with the RPO, and to wish him a fond farewell!

For his final concert as RPO Music Director, Christopher has selected music that is especially close to his heart. First, the RPO will perform a British classic—Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music. Vaughan Williams composed Serenade to Music at the request of the English conductor Sir Henry Wood, whose legacy lives on through the annual Promenade (Proms) Concerts in London, which he founded in 1895 in an attempt to bring great music to ordinary, working class people.

Next, Christopher will lead the RPO in another British masterpiece, Elgar's Enigma Variations. The Enigma Variations provide sketches of 13 of Elgar's dearest friends. As Christopher noted, "This seems very appropriate when I think of all my Rochester friends, from whom I have received endless kindness and support."

The concert will conclude with Brahms' lyrical and joyous Symphony No. 2. Christopher has a strong personal connection to this particular piece which, as he puts it, got him his first job. Christopher says, "The BBC allowed me to conduct it in a trial concert for an Assistant Conductor job with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Luckily I got the job and my conducting career started, for which I have always been grateful to Brahms!"

Tickets for the concerts June 2nd and 4th can be purchased by calling 454-2100, or by clicking here. Limited seating is still available for A Bow Tie Affair. Tickets are $275 per person, and can be purchased by calling the Eastman Theatre Box Office at 454-2100.

orKIDStra Concert and CD Launch Party!

2011-05-24T11:21:00.074-04:00

On May 22, families gathered in the Performance Hall at Hochstein to witness the premiere of A Family for Baby Grand, a charming story that chronicles the journey of a baby grand piano who ventures out into the world to join an orchestra.

A Family for Baby Grand, with narration by Jennifer Carsillo, is one of the pieces on the RPO's newest children's CD, which also includes The Story of Babar by Francis Poulenc, narrated by actor John Lithgow.

Following the performance, audience members were treated to a CD launch party, also at Hochstein. The festive party—complete with cake!—brought together Michael Butterman, Jennifer Carsillo, and composer Brad Ross to autograph CDs and visit with well-wishers.

To purchase the RPO's newest CD, The Story of Babar & A Family for Baby Grand, visit the RPO Theatre Shop, call 454-2100, or click here.

Photos courtesy: Kyle Schwab Photography

RPYO Closes Out 40th Anniversary Season with “Twentieth Century Symphonic Masterworks”

2011-05-12T11:54:00.000-04:00

Some of the area’s most talented young musicians will be featured this weekend as the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra takes the stage under the direction of David Harman, May 15 at 3:00 pm in Hale Auditorium at Roberts Wesleyan College.

The Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra is comprised of more than one hundred students, grades eight through twelve, from over thirty schools in the greater Rochester area. Now in its 40th season, the RPYO has fostered generations of young musicians, many of whom have gone on to pursue careers in music. “Our students have enormous talent and passion for music and incredible drive,” said Harman, who has been music director since 1993. “Wherever they perform, they astound audiences time and time again. Throughout this season, we have been celebrating them and the nearly 1,500 young musicians who have been part of this important cultural institution over the last 40 years.”

Each year, the RPYO presents three full programs of major symphonic works. For their final concert of the 2010-11 season, the RPYO will perform Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis and Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2. In addition, several musicians will get the opportunity to perform solo concertos, accompanied by the rest of the orchestra, as winners of the RPYO’s annual Concerto Competition.

This year’s Concerto Competition winners are: violinist Clare Grieve, a senior at Fairport High School; violist Rachel Haynes, a senior at Penfield High School; cellist Samantha Merrill, a senior at Brighton High School; and percussionist Matthew Parris, a senior at Charles Finney High School in Penfield. They will perform concertos by Bloch, Bruch, Hindemith, and Rosauro.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Click here to purchase tickets online, or call the RPO Box Office at 454-2100, or the RPYO at 454-7311 x224. Tickets also will be available at the door.

Go Behind the Music With Your RPO

2011-05-10T10:16:00.006-04:00

The long-anticipated 2011-12 Symphony 101 Season has been announced! This special series is a unique blend of music and history. In addition to live music performed by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the audience gets to hear the inside story about how these wonderful works came into being, including in-depth looks at the lives of the composers, information about what was happening in the world when the pieces were written, and more. The concerts in this series will take place Friday evenings at 7:30 pm (except where noted) and Sunday afternoons at 2:00 pm, in Performance Hall at Hochstein.

There are five entertaining and illuminating concerts in the upcoming Symphony 101 Season, four of which will be conducted by new Music Director Arild Remmereit. Arild has chosen to expand upon themes from his innovative Philharmonics Series, and will explore fascinating and thought-provoking topics such as the influence of folk music on classical composers, the evolution of the waltz, and the way in which Beethoven’s legacy was at once inspiring and intimidating for composers that lived in the century following his passing. The concerts also will cover a wide range of cultures and historical eras, from the distinctive rhythms of Latin American music to the music that emerged out of the tumult and censorship of the Russian Revolution. Click here for more information on the topics discussed in each concert. And use this link to view podcasts of Arild talking about the upcoming RPO season.

Arild and the RPO will also be looking to you for input on the pieces performed in these concerts. As a special “thank you,” those who subscribe to the Symphony 101 Series by May 27 will be able to go online and vote on which piece they would like to hear the RPO perform in the first two Symphony 101 concerts!

Ticket packages for the Symphony 101 Series can be purchased by calling 454-2100, or by clicking here.

RPO Concert Features Unique Instruments for Music of Mozart and Bruckner

2011-05-03T10:13:00.009-04:00

This weekend, Christopher Seaman leads the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in two magnificent works. On Thursday, May 5 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, May 7 at 8:00 pm, Principal Clarinet Kenneth Grant (The Robert J. Strasenburgh Chair) will take center stage at Kodak Hall in Eastman Theatre for a performance of one of Mozart's most popular compositions, his lyrical Clarinet Concerto. Then, the RPO will perform Bruckner's colorful and expansive Symphony No. 7.

At Thursday night's concert, the RPO will honor local teachers with the annual RPO Musicians' Awards for Outstanding Music Educators. Click here to read more. Plus, you will have the opportunity to buy an Eastman Theatre book for $65 at the concert Thursday or Saturday, and Christopher Seaman and author Betsy Brayer will autograph it for you after the concert! Use this link to find out more about this special book.

Kenneth Grant's performance of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto will be extra special this weekend, because Grant will be playing a special clarinet with an interesting history. As Christopher Seaman describes, "Mozart wrote this for an instrument called the basset clarinet, which has a range one-third lower than the regular clarinet. So if the piece is played on the regular clarinet, passages using those lowest four notes of the instrument have to be changed. But Kenny will use a basset clarinet, so we'll hear what Mozart actually wrote. The basset clarinet was considered to be extinct until recent years, when it has gone back into production."

Although the basset clarinet has only recently been rediscovered, Christopher has first-hand experience conducting this obscure instrument, and a special connection to the Mozart Clarinet Concerto. "I conducted the world premiere of the original version of the piece, played on a specially constructed basset clarinet by the English clarinetist Alan Hacker," Seaman says. "It was the very first week of my very first conducting job!"

Often called a "cathedral in sound," Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 is a magnificent piece that will give you the opportunity to see and hear another rare instrument—the Wagner tuba. Originally created for Richard Wagner's "Ring" operas, the Wagner tuba produces a sound that falls between the traditional orchestral horn and tuba. Bruckner's orchestration calls for four of these special brass instruments.

Come to Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre this weekend to experience the full splendor of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto and Bruckner's Symphony No. 7, and to hear these extraordinary works as they were meant to be heard—live, unaltered, and performed by top-notch musicians.

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased by calling 454-2100, or by clicking here.

James Judd Joins RPO for Scheherazade and Tchaikovsky

2011-04-27T16:53:00.000-04:00

Maestro James Judd will take the place of guest conductor David Robert Coleman this weekend, leading the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in two concerts, Thursday April 28 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, April 30 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Coleman’s Albeniz Phantasy will be replaced by Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini, and due to the program change, guest violist Edmundo Ramirez will not be performing with the Orchestra this weekend. The remainder of the program—Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Ravel’s Shéhérazade, featuring soprano Christina Pier—remains the same.

British-born conductor James Judd has conducted some of the finest orchestras in the world. He first came to international attention as the Assistant Conductor of the Cleveland Orchestra, a post he accepted at the invitation of Lorin Maazel. Judd spent eight years as Music Director of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and 14 years as Music Director of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra. He is a frequent guest conductor, and has appeared with major orchestras around the world.

American soprano Christina Pier has performed leading roles with opera companies around the world, and has appeared as a guest artist with several orchestras, including the Indianapolis Symphony (Handel’s Messiah), and the Hartford Symphony (Ravel’s Shéhérazade). Pier received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Music at Indiana University.

In addition to two unique versions of Scheherazade, you’ll have the opportunity to hear Tchaikovsky’s romantic and dramatic symphonic poem, Francesca da Rimini. Like Scheherazade, Francesca da Rimini was inspired by a literary work. Francesca da Rimini was a real person and a contemporary of Dante Alighieri, and he included her story in the Inferno section of his epic poem, The Divine Comedy. Click here to read the program notes.

Like Ravel and Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky makes masterful use of the orchestra, and vividly depicts the fire, fury, and passion of this tragic tale. This concert provides a great opportunity to experience musical storytelling at its finest — buy your tickets today!

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased by calling 454-2100, or by clicking here.

Don’t Miss an Evening of Musical Storytelling with the RPO

2011-04-19T16:10:00.010-04:00

The story of Scheherazade and her 1,001 Arabian Nights is widely known, and has been translated into countless languages. This weekend, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will give you the opportunity to experience this classic legend in a whole new way—through the language of music.

On Thursday, April 28 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, April 30 at 8:00 pm at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, the RPO and guest conductor David Robert Coleman will bring you two unique musical representations of Scheherazade. You’ll hear Ravel’s evocative and mesmerizing song-cycle, featuring soprano Christina Pier, and, Rimsky-Korsakov’s colorful and tempestuous orchestral suite. The program also will feature Costa Rican violist Edmundo Ramirez in a performance of Albeniz Phantasy for Viola and Orchestra, a work composed by the concert’s conductor, David Robert Coleman. Click here to read the program notes for this piece.

The legend of Scheherazade centers on a cruel Sultan who, believing that all women are fickle, resolves to take a new bride each day and put her to death the next. As Christopher Seaman describes, the Sultan’s new wife, Scheherazade, “charms him into delaying her execution by telling him hair-raising stories…In the end, the Sultan can’t resist the charms or the stories of Scheherazade, so he postpones her execution permanently. A wise choice.”

Both Ravel’s Shéhérazade and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade are based upon the same story, but each expresses the Arabian Nights legend in uniquely different ways. Ravel’s version is a musical setting of several poems by Tristan Klingsor, the pen name of Ravel’s friend, Arthur Justin Léon Leclère (click here to read the text with English translation), and is more of a vague, dream-like evocation than an explicit account. Christopher Seaman describes Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade as “a much more direct work than Ravel’s,” and points to the use of musical motifs used by Rimsky-Korsakov to signify “the cruel Sultan” and “his delightful wife Scheherazade (violin solo!).”

Since these works are programmed back-to-back, you will be able to explore the ways in which Ravel and Rimsky-Korsakov’s respective versions differ from each other, the ways in which they evoke the legend of Scheherazade, and the ways in which they go beyond a literal depiction of the story to take on a unique musical "language."

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased by calling 454-2100, or by clicking here.

Wycliffe Gordon, Voices of Praise Team Up for the Gospel According to Jazz

2011-04-12T14:35:00.003-04:00

Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre will be swingin’ this weekend as renowned jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon takes the stage for an evening of gospel music. Gordon will team up with Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and Rochester’s own Voices of Praise for two electrifying concerts, April 15 and 16 at 8:00 pm.

One of the nation’s foremost jazz musicians, Wycliffe Gordon has received numerous accolades, including the Jazz Journalists Association Award for Trombonist of the Year. Gordon is a former member of two premiere jazz ensembles—the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra—and has performed with jazz legends past and present, including Dizzy Gillespie and Lionel Hampton. Use this link to see a video of Wycliffe performing.

In addition to being an acclaimed musician, Gordon is also an accomplished composer and arranger, and will play several of his own compositions. The program will also include jazz and gospel standards such as Mood Indigo, Basin Street Blues, Down By the Riverside, O Happy Day, and a special performance of There Will Never Be Another You, featuring Gordon and the RPO trombone section. Click here for an audio preview.

Gordon will be joined by Rochester-based gospel choir Voices of Praise, under the direction of Julius Dicks. VOP sings at the Baber A.M.E. Church, and also participates in community events, including the Memorial Art Gallery’s 2010 Fashion Show.

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased by calling 454-2100, or by clicking here. Select seats will be “Pay What You Can” with a suggested minimum donation of $5, sponsored by Eastman Kodak Co. These tickets will be available the night of the show, at the door.

RPO and Eastman-Rochester Chorus Perform Brahms' Monumental German Requiem

2011-04-05T13:53:00.014-04:00

Hailed by generations of audiences, Brahms' A German Requiem is a monumental masterpiece that addresses universal themes of death, faith, and transition. This magnificent work will be performed live by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Eastman-Rochester Chorus on April 7 at 7:30 pm and April 9 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.

Christopher Seaman, Photo Courtesy Walter Colley Images

RPO Music Director Christopher Seaman conducts this unforgettable evening, which also features soloists Kathryn Lewek and Tyler Duncan. The first half of the concert includes selections from Handel's Water Music.

Soprano Kathryn Lewek earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Vocal Performance from the Eastman School of Music, and has performed throughout the United States and Europe, including performances in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. Lewek has performed with the RPO on several occasions, including last month's Symphony 101 concert, in which she was a guest artist for Ralph Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music.

Lewek will be joined onstage by Canadian baritone Tyler Duncan in his RPO debut. Duncan has performed acclaimed recitals around the world, and has performed leading roles with numerous opera companies, including the title role of The Marriage of Figaro with the Munich Chamber Orchestra.

Click here for more information on the Brahms Requiem, including the original German text with English translation.

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased by calling 454-2100, or by clicking here.

Spend an Enchanting Afternoon with the RPO!

2011-03-22T11:49:00.014-04:00

The magic of music will combine with the magic of stories as the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra performs a host of fairy-tale themed selections, Sunday, April 3 at 2:00 pm at Performance Hall at Hochstein. Classic fairy tales will be brought to life as Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) leads the RPO into a world of princes and princesses, enchanted forests, witches, mermaids, and more. If you and your children love sharing fairy tales, then you are sure to enjoy this magical musical event!

The concert will feature music inspired by the most captivating and beloved fairy tales, including Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Hansel and Gretel, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Aladdin. These classic fairy tales will be told through the musical scores of great composers such as Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Ravel. You’ll also be taken “under the sea” as the RPO performs music from the film score to Disney's The Little Mermaid. Click here or click below for a preview of Anatoli Liadov’s Baba-Yaga, based on the Russian folk tale of the same name.

With bewitching stories, beautiful music, and the unmatched excitement of a live professional orchestra, this concert will be a delightful experience for the whole family—don’t miss it!

Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased by clicking here, or by calling 454-2100.

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the RPO!

2011-03-15T10:40:00.018-04:00

Looking for a way to capture the spirit of Ireland this St. Patrick’s Day? Come to Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19 at 8:00 pm for an unforgettable evening of Irish music and dance.

Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined by tenor Benjamin Brecher and dancers from Rochester’s own Boland School of Irish Dance to bring you a stirring selection of reels, jigs, and traditional Irish songs that will leave you humming—so wear your green and make your way down to Kodak Hall for this fun-filled concert!

Acclaimed tenor Benjamin Brecher has performed a wide range of repertoire with the world’s finest opera companies and symphonies, including the New York City Opera and the symphonies of Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Baltimore. Now, Brecher will take the stage at Kodak Hall, bringing you rollicking Irish tunes and moving, sentimental favorites, including Molly Malone, Toora-Loora-Loora, Believe Me if All Those Endearing Young Charms, Danny Boy, and When Irish Eyes are Smiling. Click here to listen to Brecher perform Danny Boy, and don’t miss his live performance of this poignant and timeless classic.

This concert will also feature the high-stepping members of the Boland School of Irish Dance, directed by Barbara Boland. Well known throughout Monroe County for their lively performances, the Boland Dancers first performed onstage with the RPO in 1996 and have since been a part of many of the RPO’s Irish programs. The Boland Dancers have also performed with acclaimed Irish vocal groups The Chieftains and Solas. This year, the Boland Dancers return to Kodak Hall to bring you an exuberant display of authentic Irish jigs and reels, choreographed to traditional melodies, such as Red Butterfly.

The program also includes vibrant and expressive orchestral pieces with Irish themes, including Leroy Anderson’s Irish Suite, Charles Villiers Stanford’s Irish Rhapsody No. 6, featuring concertmaster Juliana Athayde, and Percy Grainger’s Irish Tune from County Derry (also know as the Londonderry Air). Don’t miss this celebration of Irish culture!

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased by clicking here, or by calling 454-2100.

RPO to Capture History with Live Recording

2011-03-08T09:41:00.029-05:00

For the first time ever, Christopher Seaman is recording live with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and you have the chance to be part of the experience. On Thursday, March 10 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, March 12 at 8:00 pm at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Christopher will lead the RPO in a performance of Vaughan Williams’ A London Symphony.

Then, on March 11 at 7:30 pm and March 13 at 2:00 pm at Kodak Hall, Christopher and the RPO will take to the stage for a performance of Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, as part of the popular Symphony 101 series. Both pieces will be recorded live in concert, and will be released on the harmonia mundi label in time for Christopher’s 70th birthday celebration in 2012. Christopher’s previous albums were recorded in studio sessions, so these upcoming concerts will mark the first time he will record with the RPO in front of a live audience. Come and show your support for Christopher and the RPO, and be a part of this historic event!

The concerts on March 10 and 12 will also feature Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Schumann’s Piano Concerto, performed by Rochester favorite Jon Nakamatsu. Nakamatsu gained worldwide attention after being named Gold Medalist of the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1997. Since that time, he has appeared as a guest artist with orchestras around the world, including the RPO, and has toured throughout the United States and Europe, performing in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Kennedy Center. Nakamatsu has released several albums, including two with the RPO, and the RPO's Steinway piano was donated to the RPO in Jon's honor. Use this link or click below to view video of Nakamatsu in performance, and don’t miss his live performance of Schumann’s Piano Concerto.

The Symphony 101 Series concerts on March 11 and 13 will feature an equally exciting lineup of pieces. In addition to Serenade to Music, featuring 16 singers from Mercury Opera, selected by Benton Hess, the RPO will perform works by Ravel, Sibelius, Prokofiev, and Bernstein. Christopher Seaman will share interesting stories and enlightening commentary on each piece, and you’ll also be able to ask questions of your own during the live Q & A session following the performance.

Tickets for the Philharmonics Series concerts (March 10 and 12) start at $15; tickets for the Symphony 101 Series concerts (March 11 and 13) are $24, or $10 for students (Sunday only). Both can be purchased by clicking here, or by calling 454-2100.

RPO Tackles Mighty Masterpieces

2011-02-22T09:40:00.024-05:00

On Thursday, March 3 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, March 5 at 8:00 pm, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will treat you to a musical lineup of monumental proportions. Guest conductor Yoav Talmi will take to the podium to bring you Sibelius’ lush symphonic poem, Finlandia; Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, featuring pianist Marcus Groh; and Shostakovich’s magnificent Fifth Symphony. Come to beautiful Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre and experience the full force of these awe-inspiring works.

Internationally renowned German pianist Marcus Groh has appeared as a guest artist with some of the finest orchestras in the world, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, and London Symphony, and has garnered a reputation as one of the finest pianists in the world. Now, Groh will make his way to Rochester for what is sure to be an extraordinary performance of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4. Click here to view video of Marcus Groh in concert.

This concert will be led by charismatic Israeli conductor Yoav Talmi. Talmi has over four decades of conducting experience, and is currently Artistic Director and Conductor of the Quebec Symphony, Principal Guest Conductor of the Israel Chamber Orchestra, and Head of the Orchestral-Conducting Department at the University of Tel-Aviv Buchmann-Mehta School of Music. Talmi has served as guest conductor to major orchestras around the world, including the Dallas Symphony, Vienna Philharmonic, and Berlin Philharmonic, and has also achieved great success as a recording artist and composer.

Talmi’s interpretive artistry will be on full display with the program’s powerful finale, Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony. This classic work comes with an interesting back-story — Shostakovich lived and worked in the midst of Stalinist Russia, and, throughout his career, faced intense pressure from the Communist Party to compose nationalistic music that glorified the Soviet Union. The Fifth Symphony does indeed end with a triumphant, nationalistic march; however, many believe that there is an undertone of rebellion and protest present within the Symphony. Click here for more information on the historical context, political implications, and differing interpretations of Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, and be sure to come to Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre March 3rd or 5th to hear the Fifth Symphony, Finlandia, and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 performed live by your RPO.

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased by clicking here, or by calling 454-2100.

Two Rising Stars Make RPO Debuts

2011-02-17T10:41:00.000-05:00

This weekend, the stars will align to produce several rare occurrences: February 17 at 7:30 pm and February 19 at 8:00 pm, two female guest artists will take center stage at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre as guest conductor Sarah Ioannides and violinist Lara St. John team up with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra to perform Hindson’s Violin Concerto, “Australian Postcards.” Both Ioannides and St. John will be making their Rochester debuts. In addition, this performance marks the RPO premiere of the Hindson Violin Concerto.

Although Ioannides will conduct the RPO for the first time this weekend, she has a prior connection to the RPO in the form of Music Director Christopher Seaman. Ioannides, who was born in Australia and raised in England, once received conducting lessons from Seaman. Christopher says, "Some years ago I gave Sarah some coaching as a conductor at the Guildhall School in London, and always believed she would succeed, which indeed she has."

Described by The New York Times as a conductor with “unquestionable strength and authority,” Ioannides is currently the music director of two American orchestras—the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and the Spartanburg (SC) Philharmonic Orchestra—and juggles her busy conducting career with motherhood. She is the mother of three young children, including twins who were born last April.

Ioannides will be joined onstage by Canadian-born violinist Lara St. John. Hailed by The Strad as “something of a phenomenon,” St. John is a critically-acclaimed soloist and recording artist, and will use her artistry and skill to depict Hindson’s evocative portrait of Australia. Use this link to view videos of St. John in concert, including footage of the adventurous star playing her violin in a hot air balloon.

In 2008, Sarah Ioannides and Lara St. John teamed up to release the one and only recording of the Hindson Violin Concerto. Now, they are coming to Kodak Hall to bring you the unparalleled excitement of live music. Also featuring Debussy’s shimmering La Mer and Stravinsky’s exciting Suite from The Firebird, this concert is sure to chase away your winter blues, and provide you with a transcendent musical experience. As a recent review of Lara St. John states, her “passionate and riveting performance [makes] the temperature rise, regardless of the season.”

Tickets start at $15, and can be purchased by clicking here, or by calling 454-2100.

Happy Valentine’s Day to Our Orchestra Couples

2011-02-11T17:10:00.000-05:00

Over the years, there have been numerous husband-and-wife teams in the Orchestra. The first we have record of, in the late 1930s, were Dorothy (viola) and Frederick (percussion) Fennell.

In the past few years, we have written about our Concertmaster Juliana Athayde and Principal Oboe Erik Behr, who were married in September 2009, and Liana Koteva Kirvan (violin) and Lars Kirvan (cello), who were married in August 2009.

Among the other couples currently in the Orchestra are:
Jan and Dave Angus (flute and French horn)
Joanna Bassett (flute) and Mark Kellogg (trombone)
Nancy and William Hunt (violins)
Shannon and Wesley Nance (violin and trumpet)
Diane Smith (flute) and Joseph Werner (keyboards)
Patricia Sunwoo (violin) and David Brickman (violin)

In recent months, another husband-and-wife team arrived, this time even in the same section. Min Na Lee (clarinet) joined the Orchestra last season while her husband Jonathan Han continued to play clarinet with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. He has now moved to Rochester and is playing with the RPO while currently on sabbatical from San Francisco. He also is attending the Simon School at the University of Rochester for an MBA degree and they are expecting a baby girl in mid-April!

We checked back in with a few of the musicians to find out what their special plans are for Valentine’s Day – read on for their stories and photos.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Erik and I will be busy teaching our private students until early evening on the 14th but we plan to cook a delicious meal together. We both love cooking and have a lot of fun doing it together. We'll probably each try to surprise one another with a gift but the most enjoyable part of the evening will be just being home together. There are so many evenings that we are performing, albeit together, that we really appreciate the downtime we can enjoy at home!
– Juliana Athayde and Erik Behr
(Picture taken last December at the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa)

On Valentine's Day, Jonathan will be taking midterms at University of Rochester. We are planning on having chocolate fondue at home (we just bought the dessert fondue mix from the Hershey Store at Niagara Falls) that night, with banana, strawberry, bread, and cheesecake. Unfortunately, since I am pregnant, we won't be having any wine or champagne to celebrate. We will probably have warm milk instead. However, this will be a very special Valentine's Day since this is the first time we are celebrating with our daughter.
– Min Na Lee and Jonathan Han

Mark and I (together with Rob) will be going to hear the brass and percussion chamber ensemble "Rhythm & Brass" in a concert at Ithaca College. Mark was a founding member of this group and took a year's leave from the orchestra to perform with them during 1994-95. It will be a nice chance to catch up with old friends and to introduce Rob to this part of our lives before he was born!
– Joanna Bassett and Mark Kellogg

Valentine’s Day is on a Monday this year, which is usually RPO’s day off. That also means that Monday is usually packed with kids’ activities, so among other things it means driving the four kids to school by 7:50 am. These are our kids, the kids of musicians, so like us, they do not like mornings as a general rule. While they are at school we do have some free time, so I’ll bet that if we do anything that day it will be a Valentine’s Day lunch! After school includes driving one or more kids to:

Brooke’s horn lesson
Brandon’s cello lesson
Wes teaches one trumpet lesson
Bridget’s dance class
Brianna’s gymnastics class
Brandon’s TaeKwonDo class
Brooke’s Bible study

Besides that we have homework for all kids, some kind of dinner plan, and all kids practicing on piano, as well as their primary instruments (except for Brooke and Brandon, who have lessons). Shannon and I will get away some other evening we are free and have a nice dinner out, I promise! (and she’ll still get flowers. . .)
– Wes and Shannon Nance
(photo by Kate Lemmon)

Law & Order: RPO—Don’t Miss Prokofiev’s Classic, Performed With a Twist

2011-02-10T15:02:00.000-05:00

Originally written in 1936, Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf has become a classic tale, beloved by generations of children. On Sunday, February 13 at 2:00 pm at Performance Hall at Hochstein, you and your family will have the chance to see Peter and the Wolf as you’ve never seen it before. The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach Michael Butterman (the Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair), will be joined by a bevy of actors to present Peter vs. The Wolf. This delightful production uses Prokofiev’s vivid and colorful score to enact a court case, in which the wolf gets to present his side of the story to the audience.

The playful story of Peter vs. The Wolf unfolds with the wolf pleading his innocence in the alleged “duckicide.” Each instrument is demonstrated as they are individually called into cross-examination by the wolf. By the end of the questioning, it looks as though all evidence will be thrown out, proving the wolf’s innocence. However, a turn of events lands the audience in the middle of his fate with a cunningly ironic ending. To read a synopsis of the story, click here. Also, use this link or click below to watch the Peter vs. The Wolf trailer.

Peter vs. The Wolf features a cast of amusing, engaging, and often quirky characters, played by talented local actors. Rob Kellogg (pictured), son of RPO Principal Trombonist Mark Kellogg and RPO Flutist Joanna Bassett, will play Peter. Other actors include storyteller Jay Stetzer as the Wolf, WXXI’s Chris Van Hof as the Judge, Michael Connor as the District Attorney, and Marcy Savastano as the Court Reporter. Members of the RPO will also be thrust into the spotlight as they are called on to take the witness stand and provide their musical “testimonies.”

Peter vs. The Wolf is a captivating, funny, and educational twist on a time-tested classic, and is sure to be a hit with the whole family. Tickets start at just $10, and can be purchased by clicking here, or by calling 454-2100.

An “Unforgettable” Valentine’s Weekend with the RPO!

2011-02-01T11:34:00.000-05:00

For the upcoming Valentine's weekend, book a date with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and prepare to be swept off your feet! Friday, February 11 and Saturday, February 12 at 8:00 pm at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Jeff Tyzik and the RPO welcome acclaimed vocalist Dee Daniels to the stage.

With a unique stylistic mix of jazz, gospel, and blues, Daniels - who has performed with jazz legends such as Sarah Vaughan and Lionel Hampton - will put her own special spin on the work of some of the greatest singers and songwriters in history, including Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Frank Sinatra, and Nat "King" Cole. Click here to see a video of Daniels live in concert.

Daniels and the RPO will perform classic songs such as Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely, Unforgettable - composed by Irving Gordon and made famous by Nat "King" Cole - Bobby Troop's Route 66, Charlie Chaplin's Smile, and Don Redman's Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You, made famous by both Nat "King" Cole and Ray Charles.

Don't miss what is sure to be an "unforgettable" evening! Child care is available at the YMCA MetroCenter for the Saturday performance - click here for details.

Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased by calling 454-2100, or by clicking here.

Pops Concert This Weekend Features Spectacular Music & Dance!

2011-01-28T12:57:00.000-05:00

For the first time ever on the Pops season, the RPO is teaming up with Rochester City Ballet for Dance Mix – tonight and Saturday night at 8:00 pm at Kodak Hall.

I had a chance to see last night’s rehearsal and the combination of music and dance was really spectacular! Gershwin’s Three Preludes was appropriately jazzy and sultry, and in addition to the amazing RCB dancers featured our wonderful Principal Clarinetist Kenny Grant.

Jeff Tyzik’s Bravo! Colorado evocatively depicted both the epic grandeur and the delicate beauty of the alpine setting that inspired it. Use this link to read about Bravo! Colorado from a dancer's perspective.

The evening also includes Duke Ellington’s version of the Nutcracker Suite as well as other music with dance themes, such as Arnold’s lilting Four Scottish Dances and the Latin rhythms of Marquez’ Danzon No. 2.

Tickets are still available for this weekend’s concerts and start at $15. Click here for more concert information.

(Bravo! Colorado photo by Tim Leverett)

Swing and Sway with the RPO and the Rochester City Ballet—2 Nights Only

2011-01-20T10:37:00.027-05:00

What happens when two different art forms come together on the same stage? The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Rochester City Ballet are giving you the chance to find out. For the first time ever on the Pops Series, Jeff Tyzik and the RPO are teaming up with Rochester City Ballet—come and experience this dynamic fusion of music and dance!

The talented dancers of the RCB and the exciting choreography of RCB Artistic Director Jamey Leverett will take center stage at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Friday, January 28 and Saturday, January 29 at 8:00 pm.

Leverett’s choreography will be paired with equally exciting music: George Gershwin’s Three Preludes, featuring RPO Principal Clarinetist Kenneth Grant; a jazzed-up version of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite, as arranged by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn; and Bravo! Colorado, composed by the RPO’s own Jeff Tyzik.

Click here to read the RCB blog for a dancer’s perspective on Ellington’s “Sugar Rum Cherry.” Also, use this link or click below to view video footage from Bravo! Colorado and learn more about the company.

The program will also be sprinkled with an eclectic mix of orchestral dance music, ranging from Johann Strauss, Jr.’s elegant Blue Danube waltzes to Arturo Marquez’ electrifying Danzon No. 2. This is a fantastic opportunity to see and hear two first-rate groups perform live, and to see and hear what makes Rochester such a great arts town—don’t miss it!

Tickets start at $15, and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 454-2100; or, click here to buy online.

Canadian Conductor Julian Kuerti Leads Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony

2011-01-13T14:34:00.000-05:00

You’ve probably heard the opening four notes many times: Dah, dah dah daaaaaaaah. Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony has perhaps the most familiar opening in all of classical music. That rhythm appears throughout the first movement, and is only one way in which Beethoven broke new ground when the piece was first performed in 1808. (Click here to learn more.)

You’ll have a chance to hear it for yourself next week when Julian Kuerti makes his RPO debut on Thursday, January 20 & Saturday, January 22. (Use this link for concert details.)

One of the most significant conducting talents to emerge in recent years, this Canadian conductor comes from a very musical family: his father is the famed pianist Anton Kuerti. Julian Kuerti recently completed a post as assistant conductor to James Levine at the Boston Symphony and has led orchestras across North America. Before beginning his studies in conducting, he completed an honors degree in engineering and physics and performed as concertmaster and violin soloist. He also toured Brazil with the Toronto-based world-music band Kahana. Click here to read more about Julian Kuerti.

This concert also features the debut of violinist Karen Gomyo, who performs Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto. She is a recipient of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and has performed with orchestras around the world. Born in Tokyo and raised in Montreal, she has been described as "a first-rate artist of real musical command, vitality, brilliance, and intensity" (Chicago Tribune). Use this link to read about Karen Gomyo.

Tickets start at $15. For tickets, call 454-2100 or click here to buy online.

Coming Soon - Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, with $10 kids’ matinee tickets!

2010-12-22T17:42:00.000-05:00

Remember watching Bugs Bunny and friends on the Saturday morning cartoons? Well now imagine seeing these classic Looney Tunes cartoons on a big screen in the Eastman Theatre, with live music performed by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

You’ll have your chance to do just that, when Bugs Bunny at the Symphony comes to Kodak Hall on January 7 & 8, with two evening performances plus a special 2:00 pm Saturday orKIDStra Series matinee for families.

This sequel to Bugs Bunny on Broadway (which was here in 2007) includes Chuck Jones’ inspired What’s Opera, Doc? and The Rabbit of Seville, while adding in other Warner Bros. classics like Friz Freleng’s Rhapsody Rabbit, and the virtuoso orchestral roller coaster ride of the Road Runner epic Zoom and Bored.

Also new are special guest appearances of Tom and Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl, and other “guest stars” from the larger Warner Bros. animation family ... including The Flintstones and Scooby-Doo.

The Emmy-winning conductor and producer George Daugherty, who is also the show’s creator, will be in Rochester once again to conduct the return of our favorite “Wascally Wabbit.” Click here to read an interview with Daugherty about the show. Daugherty is no stranger to the Rochester, having made the professional guest-conducting debut of his entire career in 1979 with the RPO at the Eastman Theatre, at the age of 24.

Children’s tickets for this performance start at $10; tickets for the other two performances start at $15 and can be purchased by clicking here, or by calling the Box Office at 454-2100.

LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and
© Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
THE FLINTSTONES, THE JETSONS, SCOOBY-DOO and all related characters
and elements are trademarks of and © Hanna-Barbera.
TOM AND JERRY and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and
© Turner Entertainment Co.
(s10)

Hallelujah! Handel’s Glorious Messiah Returns to Kodak Hall

2010-12-02T12:19:00.000-05:00

Next weekend, you can experience Handel's magnificent choral work telling the greatest story ever told. The "Hallelujah Chorus" so moved King George II that he sprang to his feet on hearing it, and audiences have continued to do so ever since.

Handel's Messiah "remains an absolute 'evergreen' for music lovers," says Christopher Seaman, "due to the power of the words and the extraordinary genius of Handel."

Seaman will conduct the RPO from the harpsichord with the 150-voice Rochester Oratorio Society and guest soloists Karen Clift, Krysty Swann, Ryan MacPherson, and Stephen Powell.

These will be the RPO’s first performances in the new Eastman Theatre complex. You’ll be able to walk out of the East End Garage and enter the new wing at the corner of Main and Swan Streets. Walk down the hall and you’ll find the new Eastman Theatre Box Office in the atrium, along with a new Theatre Shop. And you’ll be able to view the spectacular Chihuly chandelier!

The concerts are Thursday, December 9 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, December 11 at 8:00 pm. Eric Townell of the Oratorio Society will lead the Pre-Concert Chat one hour before each concert.

Click here to read the program notes for the concert. Use this link for more concert information.

The Magical Family Tradition of The Nutcracker Takes Center Stage!

2010-11-23T17:16:00.000-05:00

This weekend, let yourself be transported by the captivating music and dance sharing the spotlight at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre for six performances of The Nutcracker, November 26-28 at 2:00 & 7:00 pm each day.

The classic tale of Clara and her magical Nutcracker is brought to life by talented dancers from the Rochester City Ballet, with guest artists from America's top ballet companies, 150 community children, and the Bach Children’s Chorus – with Tchaikovsky's wonderful music performed live by your RPO, conducted by Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair).

Children's tickets start at only $10! Get your kids ready for The Nutcracker by downloading coloring pages with images of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Mouse King.

Know someone performing in The Nutcracker? Use this link to view the full program notes and read more about the RCB dancers.

And before you start making your own Nutcracker memories … click here to read the Ballet’s blog with other stories of Nutcracker memories. Congratulations to the winner of the Ballet’s contest!

Call 454-2100 to order tickets by phone or click here to buy online.

Symphony Magazine Features Jeff Tyzik in Story on Pops Arranging

2010-11-12T14:32:00.001-05:00

Jeff Tyzik with guitarist Sharon Isbin
(photo Gelfand-Piper)

Anyone who attends an RPO pops concert with Jeff Tyzik has experienced his creative brilliance and engaging rapport with the audience – but did you know that he is also an accomplished composer and arranger, writing more than 160 works for orchestra?

Jeff’s talent for arranging music for Pops concerts is featured in the November-December issue of Symphony Magazine. Click here to read the story online.

He talks about the challenges of arranging popular music for a symphony orchestra, which includes taking music that may have been created just in a recording studio, and turning it into a piece for live performance.

“You have to understand the acoustic balance between brass, strings, woodwinds, and percussion, and it’s even more crucial if you have a rhythm section,” Jeff says. “One snare drum can wipe out a whole string section.”

He also gives the orchestra music that is interesting to play, that challenges them to be as great as they are – which is not always the case in pops arrangements.

Your next chance to hear Jeff’s arranging genius is at the Gala Holiday Pops concerts on December 16-19 (use this link for concert info).

The concert includes Jeff’s version of The Little Drummer Boy, which is an inventive take-off on Ravel’s Bolero. You’ll also hear Jeff's variations on Deck the Halls, and his gospel version of the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah.

Little Drummer Boy and the Gospel Hallelujah are also on the RPO’s most recent holiday CD – which makes a wonderful holiday gift! Click here for details.

The Nutcracker Memories Contest!

2010-11-04T18:18:00.000-04:00

In eager anticipation of the Nutcracker performances in just a few weeks, Rochester City Ballet is holding a contest looking for your memories of The Nutcracker. What makes The Nutcracker special to you and your family? When did you first see The Nutcracker? What role does The Nutcracker play in your holiday traditions?

To be entered in the contest, send your special Nutcracker memories by email to:
nutcrackermemories@rochestercityballet.com. The winner will receive four Box seat tickets to the Nutcracker on Saturday, November 27 at 7:00 pm and a private meet & greet with Rochester City Ballet company members directly after the show.

The winner will be selected by a panel of RCB judges on November 22. For more information about the contest, and to read the stories already posted on the RCB blog (including one from RCB company member Erik Johnson), visit www.rochestercityballet.org/.

Use this link to find out more about The Nutcracker, with six performances, November 26-28. This magical tale is brought to life by Rochester City Ballet's talented dancers, with guest artists from America's top ballet companies, 150 community children, and the Bach Children’s Chorus—and Tchaikovsky's wonderful music performed live by your RPO. Children's tickets start at only $10!

And to get ready for The Nutcracker, come to Nutcracker Day at The Strong on Thursday, November 11 from 11:00am-3:00 pm. RCB dancers in Nutcracker costumes will read the story of The Nutcracker, and musicians from the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra will perform musical selections. Click here for more information.

Upcoming Concert Features Russian Pianist Andrey Pisarev, World Premiere, and RPO Musicians

2010-10-29T12:44:00.000-04:00

Internationally acclaimed Russian pianist Andrey Pisarev returns to Rochester for a special concert featuring the music of Chopin and Beethoven on Sunday, November 7 at 7:30 pm at Performance Hall at Hochstein.

Pisarev will perform the world premiere of composer Marek Harris' arrangement of the Chopin Piano Concerto in E Minor for piano and string quintet. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Juillard, Harris was specially commissioned to arrange this beloved concerto as a piece of chamber music.

Pisarev will be joined by the Amenda Quartet – which features RPO musicians David Brickman (violin), Patricia Sunwoo (violin), and Melissa Matson (viola), and cellist Mimi Hwang – as well as RPO bassist Colin Corner. The concert also includes the Amenda Quartet performing two Beethoven string quartets.

Pisarev, who is a professor at the Moscow Conservatory of Music, has won top prizes at the Mozart, Pretoria, and Busoni International Competitions. Click here to view a video of Pisarev playing Chopin.

The concert is presented by the RPO with support from the RIT Performing Artists Concert Series. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Click here for more concert information.

Andrey Pisarev will also perform a solo recital of Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata, Schubert’s Four Impromptus, and selections by Liszt on Friday, November 5 at 8:00 pm at RIT’s Ingle Auditorium. Use this link for more information about that concert.

Juliana Athayde Takes Center Stage in Expressive Russian Violin Concerto

2010-10-20T11:13:00.000-04:00

The RPO’s celebrated Concertmaster Juliana Athayde performs Glazunov’s expressive Violin Concerto as part of an evening of Russian masterworks on Thursday, October 21 and Saturday, October 23 at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.

With the RPO since 2005, Juliana has had numerous solo appearances covering a wide range of composers from Mozart and Brahms to Prokofiev as well as last season’s world premiere of Allen Shawn's violin concerto, which was written for her. The oldest of four musical siblings born to musician parents, Juliana is also accomplished as a jazz soloist, performing Jeff Tyzik’s Jazz Suite for Juliana with the RPO in 2006. Click here to learn more about Juliana (including her favorite flavor of ice cream and what’s on her iPod).

For this weekend’s concerts, Christopher Seaman also leads the RPO in Stravinsky’s evocative Pétrouchka, the tragic-comic story of the pathetic clown puppet we know as Punch. And the program includes Sibelius’ Suite from Karelia—some of you may recognize Christopher’s signature tune from WXXI’s "Concert Companion" broadcasts several years ago.

Christopher Seaman hosts the Pre-Concert Chat beginning one hour before the performance. Use this link to read the program notes.

Tickets start at $15. Click here for more information.

Green Eggs & Ham Highlight of Musical Menu at Family Concert

2010-10-13T17:16:00.000-04:00

You can satisfy your appetite for great music at the next orKIDStra family concert this Sunday, October 17 at 2:00 pm at Performance Hall at Hochstein.

Conductor Michael Butterman has planned the concert like a restaurant menu. The featured main dish is Green Eggs and Ham, a "merry, whiz-bang romp" (The Star-Ledger) through Dr. Seuss’ touching and funny tale that seamlessly incorporates sophisticated references to familiar classical and popular music with a timeless parable about prejudice.

Composer Rob Kapilow—who wrote the Polar Express setting that the RPO performed at Christmas a few seasons ago—provides the musical accompaniment to this tug-of-war between a child named Sam-I-Am and a character called the Grouch. Vera Mariner and Sarah Rosati – a junior at East Palmyra Christian School and a member of the Bach Children’s Chorus – are the featured soloists.

Michael says of the concert, “We open with a brief ‘taste’ of something to whet the appetite, followed by something a bit calming (like a consommé), moving on to something crisp and refreshing, followed by the entrée, and a little sweet trifle for dessert. So, while Green Eggs and Ham is definitely our entree, we'll also hear music by Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, and Offenbach (his famous Can-Can is our dessert).”

The concert is designed for families with children ages 3 and up, and tickets start at $10. Click here for more information.

Dr. Seuss properties TM & © 1960 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. All Rights Reserved.

Celebrate 88 Keys & 88 Years at Red Carpet Spectacular!

2010-09-29T11:48:00.000-04:00

photo by Julia Kracke Photography

We’re rolling out the red carpet for the RPO’s 88th Season!

Get ready for an extraordinary evening as Jeff Tyzik ushers in the Pops season with the RPO’s annual Red Carpet Spectacular followed by The Music of Ray Charles concert in Kodak Hall. This gala event takes place on Friday, October 8 beginning at 5:30 pm.

The evening starts with a tour of the brand new Betty’s Café and the newly enhanced Ranlet Lounge, followed by the Wegmans Culinary Extravaganza in Cominsky Promenade at Eastman Theatre. Enjoy an array of hors d’oeuvres, an entree introducing a new Wegmans product, a sushi station, and desserts, with wines courtesy of Constellation Brands.

Ray Charles Robinson, Jr. – Ray Charles’ eldest son who has written a new book sharing reflections on life with his father – will make an appearance and give a pre-concert talk at 7:00 pm.

Then, trumpeter Herb Smith and other RPO musicians will led a New Orleans-style street parade down the red carpet and into Kodak Hall, joined by patrons and dignitaries, for the 8:00 pm concert.

Singer and keyboardist Ellis Hall – former lead singer with Tower of Power – has performed his Ray Charles tribute show with orchestras from the Kennedy Center to the Hollywood Bowl. You’ll hear some of your favorite Ray Charles classics, including "Georgia on My Mind," "Hit the Road, Jack," "Unchain My Heart," and "I Can’t Stop Loving You." He will be joined onstage by three female back-up singers. Use this link for a video clip of Ellis Hall singing "Georgia on My Mind."

This special event includes valet parking and a gift bag as well. Festive attire suggested. Reserve your tickets now by calling 454-2100. Click here for more information on the Red Carpet Spectacular.

(Note: The Music of Ray Charles concert repeats on Saturday, October 9 at 8:00 pm. For concert tickets and more information, click here.)

Music of Ray Charles Opens Pops Season

2010-09-14T11:47:00.000-04:00

Jeff Tyzik opens the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s Pops season on October 8 and 9 with a tribute to the Music of Ray Charles, featuring vocalist and pianist Ellis Hall. You’ll hear some of your favorite Ray Charles classics, including “Georgia on My Mind,” “Hit the Road, Jack,” “Unchain My Heart,” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.”

Use this link or click on the image below for a video clip of Ellis Hall singing "Georgia on My Mind."

Former lead singer and keyboard player with Tower of Power, Ellis Hall has performed his Ray Charles tribute show with orchestras from the Kennedy Center to the Hollywood Bowl. Click here to read about Hall’s first meeting with Ray Charles.

Use this link or click on the image below to see video of Ellis Hall with Jamie Foxx on the set of Ray.

We’ll also have a special guest for the concerts – Ray Charles’ eldest son Ray Charles Robinson, Jr. will join the RPO for pre-concert readings of his new book You Don't Know Me, which shares reflections on life with his father. Click here for more info about his book. Books will be available for purchase at the concerts and Ray will do signings as well.

Tickets start at $15. Call 454-2100, or use this link to buy tickets online. Click here for more information about the concert.

RPO Season Opens with Tchaik 4

2010-09-03T16:35:00.000-04:00

Christopher Seaman opens the RPO’s 2010-11 Season - his final season as the RPO's Music Director – on September 30 with Tchaikovsky’s triumphant Fourth Symphony. Affectionately known in the orchestral world as "Tchaik 4,” this piece has always been one of Christopher’s favorites. (Tchaikovsky himself once said it was his best).

But the work has a special significance for Christopher because it was on the program for his trial concert for the job of Principal Timpanist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. (Not surprisingly, he got the job! Click here to read more in an interview with Christopher.)

Tchaikovsky began writing this symphony during a particularly tumultuous time in his life, including a disastrous marriage and a nervous breakdown. However after escaping to France, Italy, and Austria, he finally finished it. He wrote to the wealthy patron who was financing his musical compositions to say, “If you find no pleasure in yourself, look about you. Go to the people. See how they can enjoy life and give themselves up entirely to festivity. There still is happiness, simple, naive happiness. Rejoice in the happiness of others – and you can still live.”

The upcoming concerts on Thursday, September 30 and Saturday, October 2 at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre also feature Russian pianist Ilya Itin. A graduate of the Moscow Conservatory who won top honors at numerous competitions, he joins the Orchestra for Liszt’s First Piano Concerto - powerful, dramatic, and romantic. Click here to view a video clip of Ilya Itin.

The program also includes Elgar’s Cockaigne, a colorful work that portrays the sights and sounds of London.

Christopher Seaman hosts the Pre-Concert Chat beginning one hour before the concert. Click here to read the program notes.

Tickets start at $15. Call 454-2100, or use this link to buy tickets online.

Christopher Seaman Talks About the RPO's 2010-11 Season

2010-08-26T17:52:00.000-04:00

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2010-11 Season promises to be one for the history books, as we celebrate our Maestro, Christopher Seaman, in his final season as the RPO's Music Director.

We caught up with Christopher - who has been "Down Under" this summer, conducting and teaching in Australia - to find out more about the upcoming Philharmonics and Symphony 101 Series concerts.

This year’s Philharmonics Series features some of your favorite pieces. Can you tell us about a few that have particular meaning for you, as you look back over your career?

Well, our opening concert features Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony, affectionately known in the orchestral world as "Tchaik 4." This has always been one of my big favorites (Tchaikovsky himself once said it was his best), but the work gained a special significance for me because it was on the program for my trial concert for the job of Principal Timpanist of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. I was 22, very inexperienced, and felt a bit shaky at the rehearsal. But when the concert came I decided that as it would be the only time I would ever play with a great orchestra, I should enjoy myself, which I did. The next morning the General Manager called me and offered me the job, so I ended up spending four years with that wonderful orchestra during which I learned an enormous amount and played with some very great conductors, including Munch, Solti, Haitink, Boult, and Svetlanov.

We’ll be doing Vaughan Williams’ "London" Symphony, which I played with the renowned conductor Sir Adrian Boult, who knew Vaughan Williams. After I conducted the piece for a broadcast on the BBC, I had a letter from him saying I had got it "right." I also conducted it for a guest appearance with the Rochester Philharmonic in March 1997, and as a result was later asked to be the RPO’s Music Director. Many of the Orchestra members associate that piece with me, and particularly wanted me to do it.

And our closing Philharmonics concert features Brahms’ Second Symphony, which got me my first conducting job, four years after the London Phil, as assistant conductor for the BBC Scottish Symphony in Glasgow.

We have several guest artists returning for the occasion – including Olga Kern and Jon Nakamatsu, with whom you also have recorded. Can you share some stories about what it was like working with them?

I first met Olga Kern on stage the week we recorded the Tchaikovsky First Piano Concerto with her, back in 2003, and we very quickly developed a close musical relationship. I’m glad to have her coming back this season. Jon Nakamatsu has a long relationship with the RPO, since Al Davis first saw Jon perform during the Van Cliburn competition in 1997 and encouraged us to bring him to Rochester. For years now, we’ve been playing the piano that was donated in Jon’s honor, and so of course we wanted him on this season.

Several of the Orchestra musicians are featured on concerts this year. Can you tell us more about the pieces they will be performing?

It is always a big event when Juliana Athayde, our Concertmaster, appears as soloist with the Orchestra. Over the past few years she has had major triumphs with a whole range of concertos (including a world premiere last season). This season she plays the Glazunov Violin Concerto, a work which will show her brilliance, expressive power, and virtuosity to the full.

Stefan Reuss, our principal cellist, joined the RPO in 1988, and is well known in Rochester not only for his fine work with the orchestra but also for his very active participation in chamber music. Stefan's cello is a beautiful Guadagnini made in 1798, and on it he will play the much-loved first concerto by Saint-Saens.

Our Principal Clarinetist Kenny Grant will be joining us next May for Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, but he will be playing it on the basset clarinet, reaching a third lower than the usual clarinet. Mozart originally wrote this concerto for this instrument, so Kenny will be able to play it as Mozart intended, without having to transpose any notes. I conducted the first UK performance of this concerto on basset clarinet, with Alan Hacker—one of the clarinetists credited with the revival of the instrument—back in 1968.

What can patrons look forward to in the Symphony 101 and 201 concerts this season?

This year’s Symphony 101 concerts will feature music by some of the greatest composers, pieces that mark milestones in the history of music. For the first concert, in addition to playing music by Handel, Gluck, and Mozart, we will be playing something by Antonio Salieri. Many know Salieri as Mozart’s rival in the film Amadeus, and we will get to see how their music compares. One of the concerts will feature some of my own musical milestones, including works by Bach, Wagner, and Vaughan Williams. And our expanded Symphony 201 concert in Kodak Hall will go in-depth on Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7.

What is one of your funniest or oddest RPO concert memories ...

So little has gone wrong. But there was one time, during a Symphony 101 concert, when there was a power outage and all the lights went out. I asked the audience, "Would you wave one hand in the air?" They did, and right after that the lights came back on and I said, "Confucius said, ‘Many hands make light work’."

What is your favorite restaurant in town?

There are so many and probably one or two I haven’t discovered yet—but Thali is a very nice Indian restaurant, and One is very good. I also like Virtu and Richardson’s Canal House. And I have been going to the Highland Park Diner ever since I started coming to Rochester and they all know me there.

Use this link for more information on the RPO 2010-11 Philharmonics Series.

Click here for more information on the Symphony 101 Series.

Tickets go on sale Monday, August 30 at 10:00 am! For just that one day only, there is a special ticket price of $20.10 for select Thursday Philharmonic performances in honor of Christopher Seaman’s final season as music director. Click here to buy online.

You can also become a season ticket holder now and save up to 20% off regular prices, plus have additional benefits such as the no-hassle ticket exchange and Subscriber Standby. For more information on subscribing, click here, or call 454-2100.

Q&A with Michael Butterman on the 2010-2011 Season

2010-08-18T14:29:00.002-04:00

This coming season, Michael Butterman, the RPO's Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair), leads engaging family concerts that tell a complete and compelling musical story. We had a chance to talk with Michael to find out more about the upcoming season.

Next year’s orKIDStra Family Series continues the theme of music that has a story. Please tell us more about those concerts.

We open with Green Eggs and Ham—the great story in which a child teaches an adult about prejudice—in a wonderful musical setting for soprano and child actor by Robert Kapilow, the composer who wrote the Polar Express setting that we performed at Christmas a few seasons ago.

A Family for Baby Grand is a terrific story that introduces the instruments of the orchestra to young children. The composer, Brad Ross, is the brother of our principal timpanist, Chip Ross.

For our Fairy Tales concert, we'll hear some of the great music for concert, opera, and ballet that has been inspired by classic fairy tales and learn how composers can tell stories or paint pictures with the music they write.

Peter vs. The Wolf, which closes our season, is a wonderful dramatic twist on Prokofiev's well-loved children's classic. In this version, we hear the story unfold in retrospect through a courtroom drama in which the wolf attempts to prove his innocence to the jury. It's the same great music as always, but with some added humor that will delight both children and their parents.

What will you be doing for the Around the Town concerts next season?

In the fall, we'll be featuring the winner of the Rochester Philharmonic League's Young Artist Competition for 2010. The young flutist will be joining us to play one of the staples of the flute repertoire: a work by Griffes entitled Poem. We'll partner that with another work by the same composer (who grew up in Elmira, NY) called The White Peacock and fill out the program with famous works about other exotic people, places, and things.

This year you’re conducting one of the Symphony 101 concerts – what do you have planned?

This season, the Symphony 101 series is exploring "Musical Milestones"—pieces that changed the course of music history or represented important achievements by significant composers. My concert focuses on the 19th Century and the Romantic Era. We'll begin with Beethoven, who was a pivotal force in the transition from the Classical period to early Romanticism. From there, we'll look at program music—music that tells a story—from Berlioz and Liszt. We'll talk about Wagner's unique aesthetic approach and then end with Debussy and the beginnings of impressionism, as well as the transition to the eclecticism of the 20th century that he helped usher in.

What is one of your funniest or oddest RPO concert (or rehearsal) memories ...

It's a moment that was funny mostly because of how much funnier it could potentially have been. The celeste plays an important role in Tchaikovsky's orchestration of The Nutcracker, especially during the famous "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy." Because of space limitations in the pit, we typically use a synthesizer instead of an actual celeste. The type that we used a few years ago had one of those wheels that could be rotated to scroll through the various sounds from which to choose. Well, during the intermission, someone must have bumped up against it, because when it came time for the Sugar Plum Fairy to dance to the little tinkling-bell sound of the celeste, we heard instead the twangy sound of a harpsichord. Everybody in the pit immediately glanced over at Joe (keyboard player Joe Werner), who seemed as surprised as anyone at the sounds that were emanating from his keyboard. The incident became much funnier in retrospect as we imagined how much worse it could have been. Instead of a harpsichord sound, the wheel could have landed on something like dogs barking, chickens clucking, or cannon shots. I think any of those would have brought the show to a halt!

What is your favorite restaurant in town?

There are so many good ones from which to choose. It really depends on the sort of mood I'm in. I love 2 Vine, but also Dinosaur BBQ. Of course, there's always Golden Port, which is right across from the RPO offices. The owner, Wayne, is always friendly, welcoming, and supportive of the orchestra. I've known him since before the restaurant moved from its former location on Clinton Avenue. I enjoy going to the Highland Park Diner with Christopher, which must certainly be his favorite spot. But, truth be told, I'm always plenty happy to just go to the Pittsford Wegmans and graze!

Where are your travels taking you during the summer break?

I've had a couple of concerts out in Colorado, which is beautiful this time of year. We also got to NYC for several days to take in some ballets. This was a treat for our daughter, who at six is a budding ballerina. Her biggest thrill was getting a backstage tour of the Met given by Sarah Lane, one of American Ballet Theatre's principal dancers, whom we know from her many appearances as the Sugar Plum Fairy in the RPO's Nutcracker over the years. Also got up to Canada for a few days to visit some relatives and right now, as I write this, we're headed to the beach for a little end-of-summer R & R.

Use this link for more information on the RPO 2010-11 orKIDStra Series.

Click here for more information on the Symphony 101 Series.

Tickets go on sale August 30, but become a season ticket holder now and you can save up to 20% off regular prices, plus have additional benefits such as the no-hassle ticket exchange and Subscriber Standby. For more information on subscribing, click here, or call 454-2100.

Q&A with Jeff Tyzik on the 2010-2011 Season

2010-08-12T13:27:00.000-04:00

This coming season, the RPO’s Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik leads the orchestra for all the best in popular music, featuring jazz, Broadway, the return of Bugs Bunny to Rochester, and our festive tradition of Gala Holiday Pops. I had a chance to talk with Jeff to find out more about the upcoming Pops concerts.

The Pops Series opens with a tribute to the Music of Ray Charles. Tell us more about Ellis Hall, the featured guest that night.

Ellis Hall has worked with Michael McDonald and other artists. He is endorsed by the Ray Charles family as an artist that most represents the Ray Charles sound. He recently had a successful concert with the Boston Pops. He sings the hits of Ray Charles, plays B3 Hammond Organ and a background vocal group comes with him to lend an air of authenticity for the Ray Charles sound.

Use this link for a video clip of Ellis Hall singing "Georgia on My Mind."

Note: the Pops season opening concert also includes a Red Carpet Spectacular with a Wegmans culinary extravaganza. Click here for more information.

We have a few guest artists coming back this season with new projects, including Debbie Gravitte, Wycliffe Gordon, and Michael Cavanaugh. Can you tell us more about those concerts?

Each of these artists is a top entertainer and it will be fun to see them return with a new show. We will feature Debbie doing eclectic Broadway and swing music. Wycliffe will be doing his signature jazz and then a whole half of a concert dedicated to the mix of gospel music and jazz. Michael Cavanaugh—who was here for the tribute to Billy Joel—will now unveil his tribute to Elton John.

And we hear you’re working with actor and singer Keith David on a tribute to Nat King Cole —how did that come about?

Both Chris Stager, our marketing consultant, and Byron Stripling, a performer who has had many appearances with the RPO, suggested Keith David. He is a wonderful actor who happens to love the music of Nat King Cole. His voice has an uncanny resemblance to Nat King Cole and I am creating this concert for its first performance here in Rochester.

The Rochester City Ballet will be part of the Pops Series for the first time this season, although Jamey Leverett has choreographed dances to your music before, for Bravo! Colorado. What is that process like?

I have had two experiences working with Jamey Leverett and the RCB. These experiences have been among the most profound of my career. I'm looking forward to this interesting and unique opportunity to have two of Rochester's most important cultural assets on stage at the same time.

What is one of your funniest or oddest RPO concert (or rehearsal) memories ...

One of the funniest and most stressful was the time we had the Mambo Kings in the orchestra pit. They were supposed to rise on the elevator while we were playing together during the performance. We had a stage crew member in the pit who had to press a button to activate the upward movement of the elevator while the concert was in progress. We were all playing and when he pressed the button, nothing happened. Everyone was panicked. It took a few minutes to realize that the stage manager at the time had forgotten to activate the switch from backstage. It's funny now, but at the time it was terrifying.

We know you like to cook – what are some of your favorite meals this summer?

This summer is all about light meals. Grilling local vegetables. Eating our local fruits like raspberries, strawberries and peaches and lots of seafood from Wegmans.

Where are your travels taking you during the summer break?

I'll be spending time on the North Fork of Long Island, NY—at the very tip of Long Island—and then a little time on Cape Cod. Both locations are near the ocean. Early morning walks on the beach to clear my head and get ready for the new season. I also get to spend good time with Jill and of course our dog, Puccini.

Click here for a full list of the 2010-11 Pops Series.

Tickets go on sale August 30, but become a season ticket holder now and you can save up to 20% off individual ticket prices, plus have additional benefits such as the no-hassle ticket exchange and Subscriber Standby. For more information on subscribing, click here, or call 454-2100.

Maestro Ling Leads RPO in Mozart and Dvorak

2010-07-28T13:00:00.001-04:00

Next Wednesday, August 4, the RPO welcomes back guest conductor Jahja Ling for an evening of works by Mozart and Dvorak - in the air-conditioned comfort of the Performance Hall at Hochstein for the last of the “Midsummer Classics” concerts this summer.

The concert opens with the animated overture to Mozart’s opera The Marriage of Figaro, and then the brilliance of Mozart continues with pianist Jessie Chang and the sparkling Piano Concerto in G major. Then in the second half, you’ll hear Dvorak’s joyful Eighth Symphony. Use this link for more concert information.

The concert starts at 7:30 pm, but come early and you can enjoy wine tastings beginning at 6:00 pm and pre-concert chamber music at 6:30 pm. A trio of RPO musicians will perform Spanish-flavored music by Williams, Granados, and Turina. Among the featured wineries are Mayers Lake Ontario Winery and Eagle Crest Vineyards. Holly Howell of the Democrat and Chronicle also will be on hand to answer questions about wine.

Plus, the Rochester Plaza Hotel - just a few blocks from Hochstein - is offering RPO patrons free on-site parking and a dining discount at the State Street Bar and Grill. Click here for details about all the pre-concert activities.

Maestro Ling is now in his seventh season as Music Director of the San Diego Symphony and recently celebrated his 25th Anniversary with the Cleveland Orchestra, including six seasons as director of the Blossom Festival. Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, of Chinese descent and now an American citizen, Mr. Ling studied at Juilliard and with renowned conductors, among them Leonard Bernstein.

Tickets are $30. Call 454-2100, or use this link to purchase online.

Cirque Acrobats Perform with RPO at CMAC

2010-07-13T16:18:00.002-04:00

The circus is coming to town, but in the more elegant form of “cirque,” featuring the amazing aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers, and strongmen of Cirque de la Symphonie!

Back by popular demand after a sell-out performance in 2009, they will perform for one acrobatic evening only on Saturday, July 24 at 7:30 pm, with ALL NEW performances customized for our own Jeff Tyzik and the RPO! Bring your entire family – kids 12 and under are FREE on the lawn at CMAC!

You’ll have a chance to watch many of the best Cirque artists in the world — including world record holders, gold-medal winners, and Olympians — as they literally drop into CMAC, right above the orchestra as it performs live. The combination of live music and acrobatics is totally mesmerizing. Click here to read more about the show from the perspective of one of the RPO musicians.

Click this link or the image below to view video of Cirque de la Symphonie performing with the Cincinnati Pops.

Alexander “Sasha” Streltsov, the company’s chief aerial artist, grew up in the circus world of Moscow. At age 12 he started working with future Cirque du Soleil choreographer Pavel Brun, and went on to perform on Broadway at the Gershwin Theater. CMAC audiences will see him soaring above the stage – suspended from silk fabric – in a spectacular display of aerial artistry, or performing his riveting spinning cube act.

The program also features the amazing strongmen Jarek and Darek, Irina Burdetsky’s twirling hula hoops, and Vladimir Tsarkov’s spellbinding combination of mime and juggling feats.

While all this is going on, you’ll hear the orchestra performing selections from Carmen, Swan Lake, The Firebird, and John Williams’ scores to Harry Potter: The Sorcerer’s Stone and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, among others.

Tickets start at $20. Order your tickets online today or call 454-2100 to order by phone.

RPO’s “Mozart and Marriage” Concert Features Musical Couple

2010-07-07T13:43:00.002-04:00

RPO Concertmaster Juliana Athayde and Principal Oboist Erik Behr — a husband and wife team — will be featured in next week’s Midsummer Classics concert at Hochstein. Christopher Seaman conducts music of Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven on Wednesday, July 14 at 7:30 pm, his final summer performance as the RPO’s Music Director. (Click here for concert information).

We had a chance to talk with Juliana about the works they will be performing, and their summer activities.

Tell us a little about the pieces you’re performing for the “Mozart and Marriage” concert.

First off, the Bach double concerto for violin and oboe is obviously a favorite of ours. It’s a beautiful piece, especially the slow movement, and shows off both instruments' lyrical and technical abilities. The violin and oboe are wonderfully matched due to the similar ranges of the instruments as well as the voice-like qualities of each. We have performed this piece a number of times and discover something new in every performance.

I have fond memories of the Bach A minor violin concerto from my childhood as a Suzuki violin student. This piece is "in the books," as they say (referring to the set of 10 Suzuki books pertaining to the Dr. Suzuki method of violin playing), and I probably first played it when I was no more than 6 or 7 years old. I am most looking forward to hearing what Christopher's harpsichord playing along with the orchestra will bring to this work — I've only ever played it accompanied by the piano!

What have you been doing this summer to occupy yourselves while the RPO is on break?

We are lucky to be busy during the time off from the RPO. In June, we visited four different cities in as many weeks! The first week of June, Juliana performed as a guest concertmaster with the Kansas City Symphony with Michael Stern (son of late virtuoso violinist, Isaac Stern) conducting. The middle two weeks of June we both performed in San Diego as members of the Mainly Mozart Festival. The last week of June we flew to Maryland where Juliana is on the faculty of the National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland. Finally, Juliana was flown to Aspen, Colorado, under the auspices of the Aspen Music Festival, to deliver the convocation speech to all 700 students and 75 faculty members. After the RPO finishes the summer season in July, we will be headed to Sun Valley, Idaho for the Sun Valley Summer Symphony during the month of August. And if that wasn't enough travel, in September we plan to visit Erik's family in Cape Town, South Africa!

When do you practice? Are you early risers or night owls? Do you practice together?

Whenever we need to! As an oboist, Erik has to make reeds — a daily endeavor which starts with bamboo cane, includes many different steps, and after a few hours, results in new oboe reeds — constantly and has a very nice "reed room" in which to do so. We are both more prone to nighttime practicing and thankfully, our neighbors like the sounds of our instruments! We are definitely night owls and often stay up past 1 am — something we try to avoid when we have 9:30 am RPO rehearsals the next morning. While we don't ever practice together, we try to practice at the same time — that way we can enjoy our free time together. Speaking of which, we're heading to the pool right now!

Bravo, Michael Butterman!

2010-06-29T16:10:00.000-04:00

Did you know that the RPO performed more than 30 concerts this past year for schoolchildren and for families? From the various school concerts, to the orKIDStra Family Series, to the “Around the Town” community concerts, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has a deep commitment to music education and community engagement.

When Michael Butterman was named Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) in 2000, he was the first conductor in America to hold a position devoted to programming for young people. This pioneering move for Rochester and the RPO was a major milestone along a path that dates back to the early days of the Orchestra.

The Rochester Civic Orchestra (predecessor to the RPO) was among the first ensembles in the U.S. to be devoted to presenting educational concerts. This includes the innovative “School of the Air” beginning in October 1929, when orchestra concerts were broadcast over the radio to schools around the area, and in later years, throughout the state. George Eastman himself contributed new radio receivers to 36 schools so they could hear the concerts. After each one, students could vote for their favorite composition (and this was way before “American Idol”), and the most popular works were later performed in an all-request program.

Michael Butterman’s extraordinary ability to communicate the glories of great music to audiences of any age has made him a natural for this position. Michael tells us, “Sharing the magic of music and finding ways of igniting that spark of imagination in young minds is among the most gratifying work I can imagine.”

And while his career has taken off over the past decade to include music directorships in Boulder and Shreveport and Resident Conductor status in Jacksonville — in addition to an impressive array of guest conducting engagements across the country — we are grateful that he continues to serve in this vital role here in our community. Happy 10th Anniversary, Michael!

By the way, you have three chances to hear Michael conduct the RPO this summer: a free concert at Ontario Beach tomorrow, June 30, the "Red, White, and Boom!" concert at CMAC this Saturday, July 3—which also will include pre-concert activities for families—and the free July Fourth concert in downtown Rochester. Kids 12 and under are FREE on the lawn for the CMAC concerts this summer!

And you can click here for more information about next year’s series of family concerts conducted by Michael Butterman — which includes Green Eggs and Ham and Peter vs. The Wolf. When you subscribe now to the orKIDStra Series, you can add on tickets to a special matinee of Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, at a 75% discount.

What are Your Musical Memories?

2010-06-08T11:11:00.000-04:00

Something as mundane as folding laundry can take me on a trip: here’s the souvenir t-shirt from this winter’s trip to Florida, last summer’s Vermont vacation, a trip to Colorado a few years’ back, or a memorable Paris vacation.

In much the same way, music can have that same effect, transporting me to a particular time and place – be it a pop hit from high school, that dance number that was popular in the clubs during college, the music that was played at my wedding.

Just the other day, I heard the acoustic hit single “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas on the radio and grew nostalgic, thinking of long summer days during school breaks. I could even picture the 45 single I bought when it first came out (yes, I know I’m dating myself!) and, amazingly, was able to find it in my record collection.

What is one of your musical memories? We posed this question to the RPO musicians and staff – read on for their responses … and you can post one of your own as a comment.

And by the way, if I lived at the RPO Symphony Showhouse, I could be inspired by Carmina Burana as I was folding my laundry … but that’s another story – click here.

As I and my son Josef think of Mozart's Sinfonia concertante and the Liszt Piano Concerto in Eb, we invariably get transported to a capacity-filled, standing room-only Eastman Theatre with our family being featured as soloists with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in performances of these works on a memorable evening of 1985.

Music is a marvelous time machine. Memories of our performances as a family and our extended family of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra's musicians connect me and my son within the spirit of my family and our eternal music making throughout our lives and our work together.

– Michail and Josef Verba

Bernstein's "Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story will probably always bring me back to my first job, which was with a training orchestra in Miami Beach. We rehearsed the piece so thoroughly that I think everyone had it nearly memorized, then we took it on a very exotic and exciting tour to South America.

– Lara Sipols

During our recent performances of the Verdi Requiem, I kept thinking of the first time I played during the Spoleto festival in Italy. The brass fanfare players surrounded the audience, performing from private balconies. It was overwhelmingly beautiful.

– Heidi Brodwin

Violinist Fritz Kreisler playing Liebesfreud (appropriately, “Love’s Joy”) on one of my first dates with my now-husband of 30+ years. Has to be Kreisler himself playing, scratchy recording and all!

– Amy Blum

Vaughan Williams’ Concerto in A minor for Oboe and Strings. My absolute favorite. A dear friend of mine, who played oboe in the RPYO during high school, introduced it to me then… and every time I hear it, it takes me somewhere new.

– Nancy Goldsmith Zawacki

This is kinda silly, but… Anything by Norah Jones reminds me of the beginning of my senior year of college…transports me back to hanging out in our apartment kitchen with the windows all open and the breeze flowing. Definitely summertime music.

– Sarah Goldstein Post

Celebrity Chef Carol Tabone Prepares Summer Meal for Chef's Night

2010-06-02T13:55:00.000-04:00

This year’s Showhouse experience includes several special events, including Chefs’ Demonstrations. We caught up with Carol Tabone, former director of The Cooking School at Jungle Jim’s International market in Cincinnati, to discuss her planned menu for the evening of Sunday, June 6 at 6:00 pm.

Tabone may have just finished up 21 years as director of The Cooking School, but she has not slowed down. She continues to keep up a fairly full teaching schedule, while allowing more time for family, friends, and travel. Tabone has partnered with a friend who owns a travel agency to offer gourmet/travel experiences to a group of foodies with wanderlust. “We have ridden camels in the Middle East, picked grapes in Italy, sunbathed in the south of France, and held cooking classes on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean.” Tabone recalls. “My love for travel continues so I am hoping to continue these annual getaways.”

Travel played a role in Tabone’s early career path, too. When Tabone moved to England, she encountered many new English friends who were excellent cooks and created elegant dinner parties with an elevated concept for entertaining and cuisine. “I learned to cook more elaborately,” she states. “A few friends suggested we take a Cordon Bleu class and the seed was planted!”

Tabone is not new to the Showhouse experience, having participated several years ago at the urging of a local friend who supported the RPO and shared their common love of music. “I enjoyed the experience and the evening seemed to be well received,” Tabone says. “I am happy to have the opportunity to support the RPO again this year.”

The menu Tabone has chosen for the evening is perfect for entertaining in the summer months because everything can be served “alfresco” at room temperature and prepared ahead. “The host and hostess are able to enjoy their own party and no one is stuck in a hot kitchen,” she exclaims. “This is stress-free entertaining!”

What is Tabone’s favorite ingredient? “SALT, it enhances everything else,” she says. Tabone is of Italian descent and her mother was a wonderful traditional Italian cook, so you can guess her favorite dish quickly. “Pasta—it is versatile and adaptable.” Tabone says. “We ate pasta twice a week but my grandfather had pasta every day of his life.”

Click here to see Tabone’s full menu and other details about this RPO Symphony Showhouse Special Event.

Symphony Showhouse Kicks Off This Weekend!

2010-05-21T17:19:00.000-04:00

The ribbon at the entryway has been cut—and Symphony Showhouse 2010 opens this weekend, starting with a gala affair tonight, and public tours tomorrow and Sunday. These two newly constructed houses—dubbed the "Pops House" and the "Philharmonics House" and built by Ketmar Development Corporation—feature the work of 40 designers in 54 rooms and spaces, with each room reflecting a designer’s unique style.

Dani Palidor of Suite Artistry Interior Design is transforming the basement of the Philharmonics House into a full service suite cleverly disguised as a playroom for all ages as part of this year’s Showhouse. The multi-use space (see before, at left, and after, below) is split into several unique feature areas, the designs of each harmoniously blending together to create one unified look.

The design concept is based on a journey to Lewis Carol’s Alice in Wonderland set to the musical styling of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. “The theme was selected because of the trans-generational appeal of both Alice in Wonderland and Rhapsody in Blue,” said Polidor. “Rhapsody in Blue was unanimously selected by all members of the entire design team as it spoke to each person in a different way.”

The greatest challenge for Polidor and her team is co-coordinating all the diverse specialists, materials, and personalities. “Everyone involved has a real passion for the project and there have been no daunting challenges that have not been overcome with a sense of humor and a smile,” she states. “The professionalism displayed by all participants is wonderful.”

Showhouse is not a new endeavor for Polidor as she also participated in the 2006 fundraiser. Polidor and her team believe strongly in supporting the arts. Note that all the participating designers have donated their services—and the proceeds benefit the RPO’s education program.

This event is also made possible by 500 volunteers, who have been on the committees planning the events, and will serve as ticket takers, room hosts, and docents giving guided tours. I attended the volunteer training Wednesday night and it was impressive to see all the volunteers and appreciate how much work has gone into making the behind-the-scenes logistics run smoothly. Kudos to Marilyn Merrigan, the RPO’s Manager of Special Events, and Showhouse Co-Chairs David Ackroyd, Pat Taylor, and Carole Avery Webster.

For tickets and more information—including details on all the various special events, from Chefs’ Nights to an evening of Wine & Jazz—visit http://www.rposhowhouse.org/.

Debussy Inspires French-Themed Room at Symphony Showhouse

2010-05-12T17:17:00.002-04:00

Susanna Kopp of Design Details is another veteran of RPO Symphony Showhouse, having also participated in the 2006 Green Lantern Inn and 2008 Ellwanger Estate events.

With a love for things of the past, Kopp started out earning a degree in Archaeology with an emphasis on Ancient Architecture. From there she found her way to Architecture/Design and actually re-designs vintage furniture with her Maison Fleur de Lis Vintage Furniture line.

“With this design philosophy and process in mind, I’ve launched my vintage furniture line, re-creating unloved pieces into unique treasures. To me it's a full circle; I am again bringing the past to the present.” noted Kopp.

Kopp will be recreating the mechanical room in the basement of the Philharmonics House. The room is a raw space with exposed ceiling rafters, bare stud, and cinderblock walls, with a concrete floor and an electrical panel box. It will be transformed for Showhouse using vintage accessories, architectural salvage, and a little magic.

The theme will be a vintage French art studio in Provence, featuring items from her hand-painted Vintage Furniture collection.

“The musical inspiration is ‘Les Fetes’ from Nocturnes by Claude Debussy. It is a lively and lyrical piece which mimics the scrolls, vines, and embellishments that I paint on my furniture. I was enticed to return to push myself as a designer by taking the space that no one else wanted ... to create something from nothing.”

Kopp works mostly with timeless neutrals of crème and matte black. “Occasionally I go on the wild side and use a ‘new neutral’ as in the 2010 Showhouse, such as French Blue, Sage, or Beige. I prefer my pieces to be classic and elegant, that way then can be enjoyed in any home for decades to come.”

Symphony Showhouse 2010 opens on May 22 and runs through June 13. This "duet of cottages" features two newly constructed homes at Thornell Road and Route 64 in Pittsford and built by Ketmar Development. More than 50 spaces will showcase the work of 40 area designers. There are public tours, as well as numerous special events. Use this link for more information.

Music from Carmina Burana Inspires a Laundry Room

2010-05-05T12:02:00.003-04:00

Darcy Paddock of DK Design has participated in several past RPO Symphony Showhouse events, decorating three prior sitting rooms. (She’s also serving this year as co-chair of the design committee). She’s been drawn back by the mere fact of various designers coming together to raise funds for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

While Paddock’s life has been literally drenched in art and design since birth, her greatest challenge this year was finding a room theme to compliment the music selection, a highlight of this year’s Showhouse. Paddock will be designing the laundry room in the Philharmonics House and had this to say about her choices:

“I looked over the list of the music given to the participating designers to choose from and was immediately struck and lifted by the energy of Carmina Burana, a scenic cantata composed in 1935 by Carl Orff from a collection of 24 medieval poems with the same title. In the mid-1920s Orff began to formulate a concept he called elementare Musik, or elemental music, which was based on the unity of the arts symbolized by the ancient Greek Muses (who gave music its English name) and involved tone, dance, poetry, image, design, and theatrical gesture. I was especially taken by the piece titled, Oh Fortuna. This piece of music had motivated me during a difficult event in my life…let’s just say, it will get you to your feet! At the very least, to do the laundry!

“I really appreciate laundry rooms and believe that they are to women what garages and basements are to men. Okay, so it is a stretch to compare the modern amenities present in this sumptuous laundry room with how laundry or any work would have been done in the time this music refers to, but are we not still just as subject to the uncertainty of fate and fortune, and our shared human condition now, as we were then?

“Then the question came of how to relate it to the interior design of a laundry room. Red for the walls seemed to best express the energy of the music but not a bright busy red; instead, a deep grounding red, barn-like because this music is set in the lives of simple people. The black and off-white fabric on the window depicting the life of early farming—complete with a woman chasing a man with an old wooden pitch fork—helps express a part of the mood and theme of the music. The blacks and off-whites against the red help maximize visual strength and contrast.

“But in the midst of all this there is a pleasant place to sit on a stool near a window and tend to whatever quiet work is at hand.”

Paddock has certainly made the chore of laundry appear more like another form of art!

Symphony Showhouse 2010 opens on May 22 and runs through June 13. This "duet of cottages" features two newly constructed homes at Thornell Road and Route 64 in Pittsford and built by Ketmar Development. More than 50 spaces will showcase the work of 40 area designers. There are public tours, as well as numerous special events. Use this link for more information.

A View from the Front of the Stage

2010-04-29T15:01:00.000-04:00

For two weeks in a row, a pair of Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra musicians who are leaders of their instrumental sections will be featured out front in rare solo opportunities. Principal Trumpet Douglas Prosser and Principal Viola Melissa Matson stopped by to chat about what it's like to wear a solo "hat," and more...

"The first difference is how I approach the playing," said Melissa, who will be performing Berlioz's Harold in Italy on May 6 and 8. A soloist versus a section player "requires a different kind of energy." As a leader of the viola section (the job of a section principal), her voice is representative of the whole section and texture. "In a solo spot, I'm out in front of the orchestra and need to make the sound really project." Although Harold in Italy is a well-known work for viola solo and orchestra, this will be her first performance of the piece. She's looking forward to "enjoying the roller coaster ride" of the solo experience!

Douglas Prosser—featured in Tomasi's Trumpet Concerto on April 29 and May 1—talked about the differences in the level of intimacy with the audience and also the trumpet sonority standing out front. "When you're cueing the section, you're ‘inside' the ensemble," he said. "A soloist has the opportunity to step out and get into his own personal interpretation and sound of the piece." He described Tomasi's Concerto as being a "playful and spontaneous conversation" between the soloist and the various orchestral sections. And audiences can expect the first movement to sound quite improvisatory, as the sections "play off of each other."

Harold in Italy also has an interesting "interplay" concept: a "duet" between viola and harp. Guest conductor Andreas Delfs and Melissa already have been in contact about some possible "staging" ideas.

RPO patrons who know Melissa also are aware of her "other" talents in textiles. In fact, she's shared with us that she's making two dresses for the pair of concerts. If they both come out well, she's planning on wearing a different one each night. Stay tuned!

South Pacific Features Broadway Stars

2010-04-22T13:31:00.002-04:00

This weekend's RPO performances of South Pacific feature lead actors from New York City who have starred in numerous Broadway and touring productions of South Pacific. In fact, the singer playing Emile de Becque is in the Broadway show right now, and will travel to Rochester from New York City just for these performances.

Jeff Tyzik and the RPO – along with a 24-voice chorus – will be recreating the full-length concert version of South Pacific that the New York Philharmonic performed at Carnegie Hall in 2006 and also was broadcast on PBS. According to Doug LaBrecque, the producer of our show, concert versions of Broadway musicals are a relatively new addition and have been very successful in New York and elsewhere. (Certainly true here – there are only a few seats left!)

And even though this Rodgers and Hammerstein hit musical is more than 60 years old, it explores issues that find a contemporary parallel even today. Click here for more.

For more information about the concert, use this link.

Pictured above: William Michals (Emile de Becque), Sara Jean Ford (Nellie Forbush), Aisha de Haas (Bloody Mary), Hugh Panaro (Lt. Cable).

Summer's Comin'!

2010-04-16T12:35:00.008-04:00

Ahh, summer in Rochester. We wait so long, and when it comes, we cram so much into it! Well, no matter where you live, what your schedule looks like, or how your musical tastes run, the RPO covers the gamut this summer. And tickets are now on-sale!

Between the end of June and early August, we perform more than a dozen concerts in numerous venues indoors and out. We’re excited to share the news that we’ll be back at CMAC in Canandaigua for three of the most imaginative concerts you can think of. And lawn tickets are free for kids 12 and under for all our CMAC concerts. The Marcus Roberts Trio reprises its sold-out concert with the Berlin Philharmonic under Seiji Ozawa in a swinging jazz fusion version of Gershwin’s Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra. Click here to see the incredible YouTube clip. Red, White, and Boom! conducted by Michael Butterman celebrates the holiday early with fireworks. Next, Jeff Tyzik takes the “swingin” up a couple of decades, in The Swingin’ Sixties and Seventies with the fabulous group, New York Voices. Finally, we “swing”- literally - from the rafters (okay, not the RPO musicians themselves), with a jaw-dropping group of some of the best Cirque acrobats returning by popular demand, in a custom-designed program of Cirque de la Symphonie specifically for the RPO and Jeff. So bring the family!

We’re also expanding last year’s new classical series at Hochstein to three concerts, now called Midsummer Classics, with world-class conductors and guest artists and pre-concert wine and music. Young Norwegian conductor Arild Remmereit - who made quite the impression in his RPO debut - opens the series with violinist Joan Kwuon in Mozart’s Fifth Violin Concerto. Love is in the air the following week, with our newlywed couple, Concertmaster Juliana Athayde and Principal Oboe Erik Behr sharing the stage in Bach’s Concerto for Oboe and Violin conducted by Christopher Seaman. Juliana also performs Bach’s First Violin Concerto. Midsummer Classics concludes with a return of Jahja Ling leading the orchestra in Dvořák, with dynamic pianist Jessie Chang making her RPO debut in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17.

In addition to these two series, there are plenty of concerts to fill up your musical summer. Lots of Rochesterians have been followers of the Eastman Young Artists International Piano Competition. For the first time, the RPO will be accompanying these young pianists in the final round. What an opportunity to hear these teenagers before they make it onto the international music scene. We’ll also be the orchestra for the concert featuring the gifted young conductors participating in the Eastman School’s Conducting Institute.

And don’t forget the concerts at SUNY Geneseo, the annual fundraiser for Temple B’rith Kodesh, and the free concerts at Ontario Beach, Frontier Field, and our July 4th concert on the Main Street Bridge downtown with fireworks. (Photo here thanks to Walter Colley.) See you soon!