Michael Tilson Thomas News

In the third of Alan Gilbert's final four subscription weeks as New York Philharmonic Music Director, he will lead an enhanced concert production of Wagner's Das Rheingold. Soloists include bass-baritone Eric Owens as Wotan, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton as Fricka (in her New York Philharmonic debut), baritone Christopher Purves as Alberich (debut), tenor Russell Thomas as Loge, mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor as Erda, bass Morris Robinson as Fasolt (debut), bass Stephen Milling as Fafner (debut), soprano Rachel Willis-Sorensen as Freia (debut), tenor Brian Jagde as Froh (debut), bass-baritone Christian Van Horn as Donner (debut), tenor Peter Bronder as Mime (debut), soprano Jennifer Zetlan as Woglinde, mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano as Wellgunde, and mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford as Flosshilde. The enhanced concert production will be directed by Louisa Muller with costume design - featuring character-based treatment of modern concert attire - by David C. Woolard. The performances will take place Thursday, June 1, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 3 at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m.

Ian Maksin, cellist, composer and vocalist, celebrates the release of his most recent CD, "Zaria" - Where the Earth Ends and Music Begins.  Maksin, internationally renowned for his unique ability to blend different and unusual genres and styles, takes this concept to yet another orbit with the release of "Zaria". 

Starring Joshua Morgan with performances by Nick Blaemire, Brennyn Lark, Chris Dwan, Ryann Redmond and more!

The New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy (NWS), will perform its sixth annual New Work program—dedicated to commissioning and premiering new pieces from high-profile and developing artists across a range of genres, intersecting music with theater, dance, poetry, video, lighting, and other art forms—on Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. at the New World Center.

Langan has performed with such opera luminaries as Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and Marilyn Horne

The Merola Opera Program launches its 60th Anniversary season on Sunday, June 11 with a Benefit Gala at City Hall and a concert immediately following at Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, featuring some of the acclaimed Merola program's most illustrious participants. The 60th Anniversary concert will feature performances by Merola alumni from the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and current and recent participants, including: soprano Deborah Voigt (1985); mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick (1983); Mark Morash, pianist and Merola Opera Program Music Director (1987); and soprano Tracy Dahl (1985); soprano Kristin Clayton (1993), mezzo-soprano Catherine Cook (1990), Bojan Knezevic, bass-baritone (1992, 1993, 1994), and John Churchwell, pianist (1996); baritone Quinn Kelsey (2002); 2013 Merola graduates mezzo-soprano Zanda Šv?de and tenors Pene Pati and Issachah Savage; soprano Julie Adams, and bass Anthony Reed,  all from 2014; Amina Edris and Toni Marie Palmertree, sopranos; and Brad Walker, bass-baritone, both from 2015; and 2016 artists Sarah Cambidge, soprano; Amitai Pati and Kyle van Schoonhoven, tenors; Andrew G. Manea, baritone; John Elam and Jennifer Szeto, pianists; and director Aria Umezawa.

It's a new era at the Basque National Orchestra. That much was clear at a press conference held this week in San Sebastian, where the orchestra has its base (though they are resident in cities across the Basque Country). Oriol Roch, the orchestra's General Manager, was presenting not only the 2017/18 season, but music lovers' first insight into the programming philosophy of Roch's big new hire, incoming Music Director Robert Trevino.

It's Broadway baby! Pacific Symphony Pops brings two award-winning Broadway superstars—Megan Hilty and Brian Stokes Mitchell—together on one stage to deliver an evening of unforgettable music from the Great White Way. With stunning voices and booming careers on Broadway, television and concert stages, Hilty and Mitchell join the 88-piece orchestra to bring fresh insight to a program of Broadway hits and memorable melodies that have become timeless standards, including music from Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin. Hilty dazzles with songs such as Gershwin's “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “They Just Keep Moving the Line” from the NBC-TV series “Smash” and “The Rainbow Connection” from her album “Live at the Cafe Carlyle.” Then, Mitchell takes the stage with masterpieces such as “Stars” from “Les Misérables,” “The Impossible Dream” from “Man of La Mancha,” “It Ain't Necessarily So” from “Porgy and Bess,” and the ultimate lounge tune, “Feeling Good.” 

After a lavishly praised star turn in Washington National Opera's revival of Dead Man Walking this winter, Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Susan Graham turns to a U.S. tour in April of her equally successful and wide-ranging recital program, “Frauenliebe und -leben: Variations,” inspired by and centered on Schumann's iconic song cycle, with longtime recital partner Malcolm Martineau. She also joins a cast of the world's greatest opera luminaries to celebrate the Metropolitan Opera House's 50 Years at Lincoln Center in an Anniversary Gala; performs selections from Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn with the Met Orchestra and Esa-Pekka Salonen in Carnegie Hall; and sings Berlioz's La mort de Cléopâtre, a staple of her signature French repertoire, with the San Antonio Symphony.

The New York Choral Society (NYCHORAL) under the direction of its Music Director David Hayes will give the New York Premiere of celebrated Scottish composer James MacMillan's St. Luke Passion. NYCHORAL will be joined by organist Jason Roberts as well as the remarkable Brooklyn Youth Chorus under Artistic Director Dianne Berkun Menaker. James MacMillan's St. Luke Passion, written in 2013, is the second of four planned works, each based on one of the Gospels which aim to approach the differing passion accounts from contrasting stylistic per-spectives. The concert will take place on Saturday evening, April 8, 2017, 8 pm  at the landmark St. Bartholomew's Church, at 51st Street and Park Avenue. The program follows:

Richmond Ballet returns to The Joyce Theater for the first time since 2010 to perform four NY premieres from the more than 60 works commissioned by the Company since its inception. Under the 37-year leadership of founder Stoner Winslett – one of the longest tenured artistic directors of a major American ballet company and one of the few women in this position – Richmond Ballet has grown into one of the most respected midsized companies, presenting its body of works around the world. For their 2017 New York season, the Company has selected pieces by four gifted choreographers including Chinese-born Ma Cong, Warsaw-born and New York-resident Katarzyna Skarpetowska, San Francisco-based Val Caniparoli, and Richmond Ballet's Artistic Associate, Malcolm Burn.

Music Director Alan Gilbert begins his final weeks by leading the New York Philharmonic in Schoenberg's A Survivor from Warsaw and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. The program juxtaposes the tragedy and optimism of human experience through Schoenberg's depiction of the horror of the Holocaust and the message of hope, brotherhood, and joy in Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Schoenberg's A Survivor from Warsaw will feature Gabriel Ebert as narrator (in his Philharmonic debut) and the men of the Westminster Symphonic Choir, directed by Joe Miller. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony will feature soprano Camilla Tilling, mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack (debut), tenor Joseph Kaiser (debut), bass-baritone Eric Owens, and the Westminster Symphonic Choir, directed by Joe Miller. The performances will take place Wednesday, May 3, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, May 5 at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, May 6 at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m. The program will be presented without intermission.

The Cleveland Orchestra and Music Director Franz Welser-Most have announced details of the Orchestra's 2017-18 calendar.  The season will be the ensemble's 100th year of concerts and marks the launch of its Second Century.  2017-18 is also the 16th year of the Orchestra's acclaimed partnership with Franz Welser-Most. 

Music Director Alan Gilbert will conduct the New York Philharmonic in a program celebrating John Adams's 70th birthday year, featuring John Adams's Harmonielehre and Absolute Jest - with the New York Philharmonic String Quartet as solo ensemble in its debut - on Thursday, March 9, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 10 at 2:00 p.m.; and Today, March 11 at 8:00 p.m.

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra presents the fourth concert in the FAIRWINDS Classics Series, Rimma Plays Tchaikovsky on Saturday March 18, featuring Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Concertmaster Rimma Bergeron-Langlois. Performance is at Bob Carr Theater, 401 W. Livingston Street, Orlando, Florida at 8 p.m.

Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas leads the San Francisco Symphony in two consecutive concerts in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage this April, marking 70 years since the orchestra first performed at Carnegie Hall.

Courtney Lewis, former Assistant Conductor, will make his New York Philharmonic subscription debut leading Jonathan Biss as soloist in Timo Andres's Piano Concerto No. 3, The Blind Banister, and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2; the program also includes selections from Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet and Elgar's In the South (Alassio). 

The New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy (NWS), will perform its sixth annual New Work program-dedicated to commissioning and premiering new pieces from high-profile and developing artists across a range of genres, intersecting music with theater, dance, poetry, video, lighting, and other art forms-on Saturday, April 29, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. at the New World Center. The program will include a new Michael Tilson Thomas-led and -conceived stage production of Niccolo Castiglioni's Inverno In-Ver, the premiere performance of an orchestral version of Oscar Bettison's Lights in Ashes led by NWS Conducting Fellow Dean Whiteside, and the world premiere of a New World Symphony commission from John Supko, composed for viola and electronics.

Music Director Alan Gilbert will conduct the New York Philharmonic in a program celebrating John Adams's 70th birthday year, featuring John Adams's Harmonielehre and Absolute Jest - with the New York Philharmonic String Quartet as solo ensemble in its debut - on Today, March 9, 2017, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, March 10 at 2:00 p.m.; and Saturday, March 11 at 8:00 p.m.

Cathedral of St. John the Divine...will present Benjamin Britten's powerful invocation of the perils of battle, the War Requiem on Thursday, April 6th, 2017 and Friday, April 7th, 2017 at 7:30 pm, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue (at 112th Street).