John Adams News

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents Seductive Ravel this weekend, September 27-28, 2013, led by guest conductor Roberto Abbado. The performances open with Stravinsky's Violin Concerto in D major featuring violinist Augustin Hadelich, followed by Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé with the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus directed by Lee Erickson. Both concerts include Meet the Music, an interactive pre-concert discussion beginning one hour prior to concert start time in the Anello Atrium.

The Stockton Symphony is thrilled to announce that it will receive organized and sustained support from the local Latino community in the newly formed Amigos for the Artes-Symphony. Founding members include Chair Arlene Galindo, Christine Schweininger, Linda Stockton, Sandi Castañón-Ramirez, Ana Maria Zapien, and Dr. Ines Ruiz-Huston.

Music Director Alan Gilbert opens the New York Philharmonic's 2013-14 season with the Opening Gala concert, headlined by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, tonight, September 25, 2013, at 7:30 p.m. Mr. Gilbert will conduct Mr. Ma and the Orchestra in two works by Argentinian composers: the World Premiere of Octavio Brunetti's arrangement, commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, of a suite from Astor Piazzolla's La serie del Ángel, and Osvaldo Golijov's Azul, composed for the eminent cellist. The program opens with Ravel's Alborada del gracioso and closes with Bolero, two pieces that reflect the French composer's fascination with Spain. The concert will be telecast nationally on Live From Lincoln Center at a later date, and Classical 105.9 FM WQXR at 7:30 p.m.

Three Day Hangover gets all romantic with R+J: Star-Cross'd Death Match, their next Shakespeare drinking theatrical extravaganza performed in a bar with audience participation and booze. Lori Wolter Hudson directs a cast of ten, including Nick Mills* (The Unavoidable Disappearance of Tom Durnin, The Steadfast) as Romeo and Suzy Jane Hunt* (Broadway's Dead Accounts, rogerandtom) as Juliet, with Matt Bradley*, Garrett Deagon, Grace Gealey*, David Hudson*, Paul Kite*, Jenna Panther*, Brendan Spieth*, and Titus Tompkins*. Six performances will be staged at Harley's Smokeshack (Midtown), 356 West 44th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10036 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm from today, September 25-October 4, 2013.

Composer-conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen will return to the New York Philharmonic to lead the New York Concert Premiere of his Violin Concerto, featuring Leila Josefowicz as soloist in her Philharmonic subscription debut; Ravel's Mother Goose Suite; and Sibelius's Symphony No. 5, Wednesday, October 30, 2013, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, October 31 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, November 1 at 11:00 a.m.; Saturday, November 2 at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m.

The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera continues its commemoration of the Civil War sesquicentennial by presenting a Barnett & Company Masterworks concert featuring American composers and capped off with Copland's Lincoln Portrait, narrated by City of Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke.

Deadline reports that Sunday night's Season Four premiere of ITV's DOWNTON ABBEY in the UK was a ratings hit, delivering 9.5 million viewers and a 39.6% share. The long-awaited season launched with a 90-minute episode.

The creators of '1776' held political opinions that strongly disagreed with the ideals of many, like former president Richard Nixon, who ultimately came to enjoy and appreciate the musical. One can easily assume members of both major political parties made up the opening night audience of American Conservatory Theatre's co-production of the show, and surely a conservative or two chuckled at the universal hypocrisy and false pride presented in 'Cool, Cool Considerate Men,' which makes fun at those who lean ever to the right, never to the left. Values and people differ, but like the representatives who signed their names to the Declaration of Independence, we find a common bond in our history and, in the case of Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone's '1776,' in music and drama mixed.

Grammy Award winning opera singer Sasha Cooke makes her Atlanta debut at Emory University on Friday, October 18 at 8 p.m. as part of the 2013-2014 Flora Glenn Candler Concert Series.

Oakland Youth Orchestra will open its 50th anniversary season November 2 and 3 with a concert featuring two young soloists who are the winners of the Youth Orchestra's annual Concerto Competition, Artistic Director and Conductor Michael Morgan has announced. Flutist Hallie Jo Gist, age 17, will perform Frank Martin's Ballade for Flute, Piano and Strings (1941) and violinist Jo Griffin, age 15, will perform the first movement of the Barber Violin Concerto (1939) on a program that also includes Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2 in C minor, Op. 17 “Little Russian” and Wagner's Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Conducted byMichael Morgan and Bryan Nies, the concerts will be given Saturday, November 2, at 3 pm at Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland and Sunday, November 3 at 3 pm at Holy Names University in Oakland and admission to both concerts is free of charge. For more information, visit www.oyo.org .

Ensemble ACJW-an inspirational collective of young professional musicians who are fellows in a two-year program that supports them in building careers as top-quality performers, innovative programmers, and dedicated teachers-returns for its seventh year in the 2013-2014 season. Members of ACJW play music at the highest level, partner with New York City public school music teachers and classrooms throughout the school year, lead biannual residencies at Skidmore College, perform in a variety of community settings, and possess a strong commitment to professional development. Established in January 2007 by Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the New York City Department of Education, Ensemble ACJW reflects the belief that the artist of tomorrow will require both the ability to perform at the highest level and the capacity to give back to the community, inspiring the next generation of musicians and music lovers.

A new preview of the highly anticipated fourth season of DOWNTON ABBEY has been released. In the sneak peek, Lady Mary Crawley still deals with the tragic death of her beloved husband Matthew.

Music Director Marin Alsop will lead the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) in Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade and Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture on Friday, September 20 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, September 22 at 3 p.m. at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, andSaturday, September 21 at 8 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore. Also on the program is the United States' premiere of the BSO co-commission of John Adams' Saxophone Concerto, performed by Tim McAllister. BSO opens the subscription season with a performance of the national anthem, arranged by James Lee III. Please see below for complete program details.

On Tuesday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m., sopranoJessica Rivera and mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor are joined by pianist Robert Spanoon a program featuring three New York premieres, two of which are Carnegie Hall co-commissions. Ms. O'Connor and Ms. Rivera have collaborated in concert halls and on modern operatic masterpieces including Osvaldo Golijov's Ainadamar and John Adams's El Niño. This unique program features Ms. O'Connor performing the New York premiere of David Bruce's That Time With You, a four-song cycle that she co-commissioned with Carnegie Hall. Ms. Rivera sings the New York premiere of Jonathan Leshnoff's Monica Songs, another Carnegie Hall co-commission. Two selections from The Kitchen Songbook by Gabriela Lena Frank will also have their New York debuts, sung by both Ms. O'Connor and Ms. Rivera. Completing this diverse program, the artists present vocal duets by Saint-Saens, Mendelssohn, and Gounod, as well as Debussy's erotically charged Chansons de Bilitis and Mompou's haunting "Combat del Somni."

The October broadcasts of The New York Philharmonic This Week — the weekly radio series of concerts and recordings by the New York Philharmonic, hosted by Alec Baldwin — begin with two programs featuring The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence Yefim Bronfman. In the first, Lorin Maazel leads Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1, with Mr. Bronfman as soloist, and Sibelius's Symphony No. 2. The following week Music Director Alan Gilbert conducts Ravel's Alborada del gracioso; Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story; and Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1, again with Mr. Bronfman as soloist.

This year's The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York Heritage Award recipient The Foundation for Filipino Artists Inc., together with executive committee members Loida Nicolas Lewis, Aida Bartolome, Jerry Sibal, Michael Dadap, Dr. Angie Cruz, Edwin Josue and Robert Perlstein, brings to New York Felipe Padilla de Leon, Philippine National Artist for Music, and Guillermo Tolentino's 1957 opera 'Noli Me Tangere,' based on the 1887 classic romantic novel by Dr. Jose Rizal, the Philippines' national hero.

Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA has announced two performances only of The Last Look Back, a world premiere play by Stephen Serpas directed by Gates McFadden, and starring Brent Spiner, Sadie Alexandru, Tracey A. Leigh, and Ramon de Ocampo, on Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5 at 8pm. Proceeds will go to support EST/LA, the artistic home for new works from the best established and emerging playwrights in Los Angeles.