Columbus Symphony Announces 2013-14 Masterworks and Pops Season

Subscriptions are now on sale for the Columbus Symphony's 2013-14 Masterworks and Pops seasons.

Masterworks will continue to present eight concerts at the Ohio Theatre and four concerts at the Southern Theatre. All Pops concerts will remain at the Ohio Theatre.

2013-14 MASTERWORKS SEASON
The 2013-14 Masterworks season is made possible through the generous support of Anne and Noel Melvin.

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MASTERWORKS 1 - RACHMANINOFF & BRAHMS
Friday, October 11, 8pm
Saturday, October 12, 8pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor
Maxim Mogilevsky, piano

Program:
John Estacio, Brio
Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2
Brahms, Symphony No. 4

Perhaps the most beloved of all piano concertos, Rachmaninoff's second overflows with appealing Russian-flavored melodies, heady emotions, and dazzling solo virtuosity. The last of Brahms' symphonies sums up that magnificent composer's life with waves of warmth, nostalgia, regret, defiance, and joy.

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MASTERWORKS 2 - SUITES & SONGS
Friday, October 18, 8pm
Saturday, October 19, 8pm
Sunday, October 20, 3pm
Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.)
Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor
Abigail Fischer, mezzo-soprano
Kim Garrison Hopcraft, CATCO, narrator (Neruda Songs)

Program:
Respighi, Trittico Botticelliano
Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin
Lieberson, Neruda Songs

Ravel's composition pays graceful homage to François Couperin and the other composers of eighteenth-century France. The CSO will also perform two additional movements from the original piano suite orchestrated by Jean-Marie. Ottorino Respighi's sparkling suite portrays the delightful paintings of Italian master Sandro Botticelli. You will also enjoy Peter Lieberson's gorgeous musical love letters derived from the sonnets of Nobel prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

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MASTERWORKS 3 - MOZART - FATHER & SON
Friday, November 1, 8pm
Saturday, November 2, 8pm
Sunday, November 3, 3pm
Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.)
James Sommerville, conductor/horn

Program:
Rossini, Overture to The Barber of Seville
Silvestrov, Stille Musik
Leopold Mozart, Horn Concerto in D
Mozart, Horn Concerto No. 3
Haydn, Symphony No. 94 ("Surprise")

James Sommerville, principal horn of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, combines his solo and conducting skills for this immensely enjoyable program featuring a pair of attractive concertos by the Mozarts-father Leopold and son Wolfgang Amadeus. Rounding out the bill are Haydn's enchanting "Surprise" symphony, and operatic master Rossini's most familiar work-the merry overture to his comic masterpiece, The Barber of Seville.

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MASTERWORKS 4 - BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH
Friday, November 15, 8pm
Saturday, November 16, 8pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Thomas Wilkins, conductor
Ilya Gringolts, violinist

Program:
Montague, World Premiere
Elgar, Violin Concerto
Beethoven, Symphony No. 5

Arguably the best-known opening theme in all of classical music, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony leads you on a thrilling, uplifting, emotional journey. Ilya Gringolts, whom the Financial Times has praised as "one of the most inspirational violinists today," performs Englishman Sir Edward Elgar's expansive, thoroughly romantic violin concerto. Also on the program is the world premiere of a work by distinguished composer and OSU graduate, Stephen Montague.

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MASTERWORKS 5 - RAVEL & BRUCKNER
Friday, January 10, 8pm
Saturday, January 11, 8pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor
Benedetto Lupo, piano

Program:
Messiaen, Les offrandes oubliees (Forgotten Offerings)
Ravel, Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Bruckner, Symphony No. 9

In this fascinating concerto written as a gift to pianist Paul Wittgenstein who lost his right arm in WWI, Ravel ingeniously wrote a one-handed piano part that sounds like it is being played by two hands and also demonstrates his love of jazz. Bruckner's final, unfinished symphony is a richly scored, stirring question for emotional fulfillment.

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MASTERWORKS 6 - ROMANTIC PASSIONS
Friday, January 31, 8pm
Saturday, February 1, 8pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Jacques Lacombe, conductor
Zuill Bailey, cello

Program:
Grieg, Peer Gynt Suite No. 1
Dvo?ák, Cello Concerto
Franck, Symphony in D minor

Czech master Dvo?ák's cello concerto is not only the greatest work of its kind, but a masterpiece in its own right. Composed at the close of his three-year period in America, this large scale work aches with homesickness for his native Bohemia. The symphony in D minor of César Franck also wears its heart on its sleeve, progressing from initial uncertainty to a triumphant conclusion. Grieg's delectable Peer Gynt Suite adds a splash of Norwegian sunshine to the program.

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MASTERWORKS 7 -Romeo & Juliet
Friday, February 14, 8pm
Saturday, February 15, 8pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Michael Stern, conductor

Program:
Berlioz, Love Scene from Romeo and Juliet
Bernstein, West Side Story Dances
Prokofiev, Ballet music from Romeo and Juliet

What better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than an evening with your sweetheart and Shakespeare's immortal star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet! This outstanding program brings you selections from three of the finest musical settings of their story, each filled with the soaring emotions of young, passionate love.

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MASTERWORKS 8 - MOZART & SCHUMANN
Friday, February 28, 8pm
Saturday, March 1, 8pm
Sunday, March 2, 3pm
Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.)
Justin Brown, conductor/piano

Program:
Schwertsik, Epilog zu Rosamunde
Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 27
Schumann, Symphony No. 2

Praised as a "remarkable conductor" with "exceptional gifts," British conductor Justin Brown demonstrates his impressive versatility by serving as both conductor and soloist for Mozart's elegant and final piano concerto. He then picks up the baton to lead Schumann's exciting and soulful Symphony No. 2.

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MASTERWORKS 9 - TCHAIKOVSKY & SIBELIUS
Friday, March 28, 8pm
Saturday, March 29, 8pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Anu Tali, conductor
Guy Braunstein, violin

Program:
Pärt, Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten
Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto
Sibelius, Symphony No. 2

In the hands of Guy Braunstein, the first concertmaster of the world-renowned Berlin Philharmonic, Tchaikovsky's glorious violin concerto sparkles, caresses, and thunders as never before. Jean Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 is an epic piece, filled with color, drama, and a sense of sweeping forward momentum. The quiet and moving work of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt pays sincere tribute to Benjamin Britten, one of the twentieth century's most illustrious composers.

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MASTERWORKS 10 - MOZART & STRAUSS
Friday, April 11, 8pm
Saturday, April 12, 8pm
Ohio Theate (39 E. State St.)
Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor
Susan Gritton, soprano
Columbus Symphony Chorus

Program:
Strauss, Four Last Songs
Mozart, Requiem

On this special Easter-season program, you'll hear how two great composers concluded their careers and bid farewell to earthly life. In the Requiem that 35-year-old Mozart left unfinished, he offered a compelling mixture of beauty, anguish, majesty, and drama. At 84, Richard Strauss looked back over a long, brilliant career in the achingly nostalgic Four Last Songs.

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MASTERWORKS 11 - CONCERTO FESTIVAL
Friday, May 2, 8pm
Saturday, May 3, 8pm
Sunday, May 4, 3pm
Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.)
Gregory Vajda, conductor
Lilya Zilberstein, piano

Program:
Beethoven, Leonore Overture No. 3
Bach, Piano Concerto No. 1 in D Major
Stravinsky, Dumbarton Oaks
Shostakovich, Piano Concerto No. 1

Three engaging concertos - two for piano and one for chamber orchestra - demonstrate the remarkable diversity of pieces with that name. The Bach piano concerto is a serious and substantial piece, while the Shostakovich is anything but. It's a high-spirited romp featuring a major part for solo trumpet. Stravinsky's work, inspired by Bach's Brandenburg concertos, is a choice example of the athletic, lean-textured school of Neo-Classicism.

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MASTERWORKS 12 - CARMEN IN CONCERT
Friday, May 9, 8pm
Saturday, May 10, 8pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Columbus Children's Chorus
Opera Columbus

Program:
Bizet, Carmen

Don't miss this marvellous opportunity to enjoy one of the most popular operas of all time! Bizet's Carmen overflows with alluring and familiar melodies as it tells the spellbinding story of a beautiful but heartless Spanish gypsy woman who leads a naïve young army officer into a tempest of passion and betrayal. This collaboration with Opera Columbus brings to life Carmen's vibrant world with a cast of excellent singers plus full orchestra and chorus, all conducted by Jean-Marie.

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2013-14 MASTERWORKS SPECIAL EVENTS
The CSO's 2013-14 Masterworks season will have two special event performances which are stand-alone concerts and not part of any subscription package. However, subscribers can purchase tickets prior to the general public for these one-night-only events:

Season Opener Special Event - MAHLER'S RESURRECTION
Saturday, October 5, 8pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Dominique Labelle, soprano
Sasha Cooke, mezzo-soprano

Program:
Mahler, Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection")

In Mahler's mighty "Resurrection" symphony, he dramatically addresses life-and-death issues as only he could-"One is battered to the ground and then raised on angels' wings to the highest heights." Jean-Marie leads the orchestra, including off-stage brass echoing the last judgement from another world, two world-class vocal soloists, and a massed chorus in what is sure to be an unforgettable experience.

Special Gala Event - AN EVENING WITH Lang Lang
Thursday, February 6, 8pm
Ohio Theater (39 E. State St.)
Jean-Marie Zeitouni, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

Program:
Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 3
Stravinsky, The Firebird: Suite 1945

Heralded as the "hottest artist on the classical music planet" by The New York Times and the "world's ambassador of the keyboard" by The New Yorker, international piano superstar Lang Lang joins the CSO for an extraordinary event! The Chinese fireball will blaze his way through Prokofiev's third piano concerto, a work tailor-matched to his astonishing talents. Stravinsky's 1945 version of the fairytale ballet "The Firebird" includes much of the scintillating music found in the full ballet written 35 years earlier.

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2013-14 POPS SEASON

THE Midtown Men
Saturday, November 9
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
As original cast members of Broadway's Jersey Boys, Tony Award winner Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard, and Tony Award nominee J. Robert Spencer took the world by storm in one of the biggest hits of all-time. Now they are together again bringing to life their favorite hits from The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Motown, The Four Seasons, and more.

HOLIDAY POPS
Friday, December 6, 8pm
Saturday, December 7, 8pm
Sunday, December 8, 3pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Ronald J. Jenkins, conductor
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Columbus Children's Choir
BalletMet
A great annual Columbus tradition continues as Ronald J. Jenkins leads the Columbus Symphony and Chorus in some of the season's most-loved holiday songs and carols. Santa will also stop by to help spread holiday cheer!

STAYIN' ALIVE
Saturday, January 18, 8pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Stayin' Alive recreates the experience of the brothers Gibb live in concert, performing Bee Gees blockbusters including "Night Fever," "Jive Talkin'," "How Deep is Your Love," "You Should Be Dancing," "Nights on Broadway," and "Stayin' Alive."

Peter Nero: THE GERSHWIN PROJECT
Saturday, February 8, 8pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Peter Nero's recording career has spanned 50 years, resulting in 67 recordings, numerous awards, and international recognition as one of the premiere pops conductors. Also a two-time Grammy Award-winning pianist, Nero is hailed as one of the premier interpreters of Gershwin, and will perform such beloved songs as "Embraceable You," "Rhapsody in Blue," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "S'Wonderful," and "They Can't Take That Away."

EN VOGUE
Saturday, April 5, 8pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Fusing style, sophistication, sass, and sex appeal, En Vogue has sold more than eight million albums with their long line of red-hot R&B/pop megahits including "Hold On," "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)," "Giving Him Something He Can Feel," "Free Your Mind," and "Whatta Man."

TBA
Saturday, April 26, 8pm
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)

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Subscriptions for the 2013-14 season are on sale now and can be purchased in the following packages:

Masterworks 12 - Includes all 12 Masterworks programs in both the Ohio and Southern Theatres. Subscription packages range from $276-$744.

Masterworks 8 - Includes the eight Masterworks programs to be performed in the Ohio Theatre only. Subscription packages range from $184-$496.

Masterworks 4 - Includes the four Masterworks programs to be performed in the Southern Theatre only. Subscription packages range from $96-$252.

Masterworks Pick 4 - Choose any four Masterworks programs at the Ohio Theatre only. Subscription packages range from $96-$252.

Pops Series Subscription - Includes all six Pops programs to be performed at the Ohio Theatre. Subscription packages range from $138-$372.

Subscriptions can be purchased at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.) or by phone at (614) 228-8600.

Single tickets will go on sale to the public on August 15.

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