Rhode Island Philharmonic Opens with Brahms' Fourth Featuring Violinist Jennifer Frautschi Tonight

A new season begins Saturday September 21 for the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra. Music Director LARRY RACHLEFF's 18th season with the Orchestra begins with an exciting program featuring Brahms' Fourth Symphony and the return of violinist Jennifer Frautschi, joining the Orchestra in Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No.2. The concert takes place tonight, September 21 at 8:00pm at The Vets, 1 Avenue of the Arts in Providence. Resident Conductor FRANCISCO NOYA presents an informal talk about the concert program in the auditorium before the concert from 7:00?7:25. WPRO News Talk 630 is the media sponsor for the season. Tickets ($15-100) are available at www.riphil.org/tickets, and the RIPO box office at 401.248.7000.

"We're opening a new season with a great program of friendly favorites," said music director LARRY RACHLEFF, "beginning with Verdi's masterful, lively, lusty overture to La forza del destino. Jen Frautschi will join us for Prokofiev's glorious Second Violin Concerto. She's played with us the Sibelius and Berg concertos, and we're so glad to have her back playing this colorful work from the 1930s. Very Russian in its sound, very western European in its orchestral colors, the concerto has those soaring tunes we've come to know from Prokofiev." He added: "We close with Brahms' Fourth Symphony. It's always interesting to hear the last major orchestral piece from a composer, when his voice is at its most mature, and most of life's experiences are behind him. Dark but optimistic, the Fourth is a towering work."

Avery Fisher career grant recipient JENNIFER FRAUTSCHI has appeared with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Kansas City Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, San Diego Symphony, Seattle Symphony, among others and toured the United States with the Czech Symphony Orchestra. The New York Times praised Ms. Frautschi'sexpressive variety: "Jennifer Frautschi was the violinist in music that sang exotically at one moment and almost exploded with energy the next." She made her New York recital debut in 2004 at the Carnegie Hall Distinctive Debuts series. She also made debuts that year at 10 of Europe's most celebrated concert venues. She has performed at the Ravinia Festival, La Jolla Chamber Music Society, Boston's Gardner Museum, Beijing's Imperial Garden, and San Miguel de Allende Festival in Mexico. As a chamber artist, Ms. Frautschi performs often at the Boston Chamber Music Society, Caramoor, Chamber Music Northwest and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

The season features eight Classical concerts on Saturday nights at Vets. Four are preceded by Friday Amica Rush Hour concerts, and four will have Friday Open Rehearsals. The Amica Rush Hour Series offers an early start time - 6:30pm - on four Fridays (October 18, November 15, March 21, April 11). These shorter, informal, accessible concerts feature full performances of select repertoire from the Saturday Classical concerts. Four Open Rehearsals, on Fridays at 5:30pm(September 20, January 17, February 21, May 9), offer insight into the collaboration between the conductor, guest artists and orchestra musicians as they prepare for the upcoming classical concert.

Special events include the perennial holiday favorite Handel's Messiah with the Providence Singers, conducted by Resident Conductor Francisco Noya, on Saturday, December 7. Subscriptions are on sale now, starting at just $210 for the eight-concert season, and $100 for the four Amica Rush Hour concerts. Please call the Philharmonic box office at 401.248.7000, or visit www.riphil.org/tickets.