Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Announces 2017-2018 Season At Carnegie Hall

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra today announces programming for its 45th season, with four concerts in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. Orpheus is joined by world-renowned soloists including pianist André Watts; Norwegian cellist Truls Mørk in his first appearance with Orpheus; classical trumpet soloist Tine Thing Helseth in her Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage debut; and violinist Lisa Batiashvili in her first appearance with Orpheus. As part of Orpheus' on-going American Notes commissioning initiative, two new pieces-by Indian-American jazz pianist and composer Vijay Iyer, and award-winning Chinese composer Shuying Li-are additionally featured next season.

Orpheus kicks off its 2017-18 season on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 8:00 p.m. with the world premiere of Asunder, a new piece by 2013 MacArthur Fellow Vijay Iyer. Additionally, the concert includes Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9, "Jeunehomme," featuring Grammy award-winning pianist André Watts in his first appearance with Orpheus since 2003, as well as Beethoven's First Symphony.

On Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 7:00 p.m., Norwegian cellist Truls Mørk joins Orpheus for the first time playing Shostakovich's First Cello Concerto. The program also includes a world premiere by Shuying Li, inspired by early motherhood's private emotions, entitled Down Came the Sunlight: Into the Twenty-third Day; along with Handel's Orchestral Suite No. 2, Water Music; and Stravinsky's Suite from the ballet Pulcinella.

Classical Norwegian trumpeter Tine Ting Helseth makes her Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage debut with Orpheus on Saturday, February 3, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. and is featured in two works-Albinoni's Trumpet Concerto Op. 9, No. 2, and Bach's Trumpet Concerto in D Major (after Vivaldi), BWV 972. Rossini's Overture to his operatic farce Il signor Bruschino; Haydn's Notturno No. 1 in C Major; and Mozart's dramatic Symphony No. 40 round out the program.

On Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 7:00 p.m., Georgian violinist and Musical America's 2015 Instrumentalist of the Year Lisa Batiashvili is featured with Orpheus for the first time, highlighted in Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 63. Additionally, the concert includes Orpheus' first performance of Schubert's Symphony No. 8, Unfinished; Paul Chihara's latest creation for chamber orchestra which expands on Prokofiev's piano transcriptions of waltzes by Schubert; and Schubert's Entr'acte No. 1 from Rosamunde.

"We are excited to welcome three new soloists to Orpheus this season, and to collaborate in our unique process of music-making with them," said Artistic Director Alan Kay. "As we look towards our 45th anniversary season, we hope to continue to expose and challenge our audiences to works both familiar, rarely heard, and new-including our two world premiere compositions by Vijay Iyer and Shuying Li."

Orpheus Chief Financial Officer Kristine Spensieri is leaving Orpheus on January 16th to become the Executive Director of the American Classical Orchestra.

"Orpheus will be forever indebted to Kristine for her passion and dedication to the organization, especially her recent success as interim Executive Director during the 2015-16 season," said Executive Director Alexander Scheirle.

A standard-bearer of innovation and artistic excellence, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is one of the world's foremost chamber orchestras. It was founded in 1972 by a group of like-minded young musicians determined to combine the intimacy and warmth of a chamber ensemble with the richness of an orchestra. With 71 albums, including the Grammy Award-winning Shadow Dances: Stravinsky Miniatures, and 43 commissioned and premiered original works, Orpheus rotates musical leadership roles and strives to perform diverse repertoire through collaboration and open dialogue. Performing without a conductor, Orpheus presents an annual series at Carnegie Hall and tours extensively to major national and international venues.

Program Information

ORPHEUS CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 8:00 p.m.
André Watts, piano

VIJAY IYER Asunder (World premiere, commissioned by Orpheus)
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271, "Jeunehomme"
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1

Saturday, December 2, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.
Truls Mørk, Cello

HANDEL Orchestral Suite No. 2, HWV 349, Water Music
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1 SHUYING LI Down Came the Sunlight: Into the Twenty-third Day (World premiere, commissioned by Orpheus) STRAVINSKY Pulcinella Suite

Saturday, February 3, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.
Tine Thing Helseth, Trumpet

ROSSINI Overture to Il signor Bruschino
HAYDN Notturno No. 1 in C Major
ALBINONI Trumpet Concerto Op. 9, No. 2
BACH Trumpet Concerto in D Major (after Vivaldi), BWV 972
MOZART Symphony No. 40

Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 7:00 p.m.
Lisa Batiashvili, Violin

SCHUBERT Entr'acte No. 1 from Rosamunde
PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 63
PROKOFIEV / CHIHARA Schubert Waltzes Suite
SCHUBERT Symphony No. 8, Unfinished

About Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Educational Initiatives

Orpheus has trademarked its signature mode of operation, the Orpheus Process®, an original method that places democracy at the center of artistic execution. It has been the focus of studies at Harvard University and of leadership seminars at IBM, Morgan Stanley, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital, among others. Two unique education and engagement programs, Access Orpheus™ and Orpheus Institute®, aim to bring this approach to students of all ages.

Access Orpheus™ shares the orchestra's collaborative music-making process with public school students from all five boroughs in New York City. Due to declining resources for arts education, many public schools do not have access to full-time arts teachers to provide music instruction and exposure to art and culture. Access Orpheus™ helps to bridge this gap with in-class visits, attendance at working rehearsals, and free tickets for performances at Carnegie Hall.

Orpheus Institute® brings the Orpheus Process® and the orchestra's musicians to select colleges, universities, conservatories, and businesses to work directly with leaders of tomorrow. Corporate employees and students in all fields of study learn from Orpheus' creative process and in areas of collaboration, communication, creative problem solving, and shared leadership. In the coming seasons, Orpheus will continue to share its leadership methods and performance practices as the ensemble provides audiences with the highest level of musicianship and programming.