American Symphony Orchestra Presents Strauss' Opera DAPHNE At Carnegie, March 23

The American Symphony Orchestra (ASO) presents Richard Strauss' rarely-heard one-act opera Daphne on March 23, 8 pm, as part of its Vanguard Series at Carnegie Hall. Music director Leon Botstein leads the Orchestra, the Bard Festival Chorale, and soloists in the work's first New York City performance in more than 15 years.

The evening features soloists including soprano Jana McIntyre, described by Opera News as gifted with a "dancer's grace, mercurial wit, and vibrant soprano tone"; Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Ronnita Miller, whose season comprises a Carnegie Hall appearance as soloist with the Oberlin Orchestra in Dett's The Ordering of Moses; Met Opera tenors Kyle van Schoonhoven, recipient of a 2019 George London Award, and Aaron Blake, acclaimed for his role as the High Priest of Amon in The Met's Grammy Award-winning album of Philip Glass' Akhnaten; and bass Stefan Egerstrom, who makes his Met Opera debut this season as A Nobleman in Lohengrin.

Daphne

Opera in one act by Richard Strauss with libretto by Joseph Gregor

Thursday, March 23 at 8 pm

Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage)

American Symphony Orchestra

Leon Botstein, conductor

Bard Festival Chorale

James Bagwell, music director of the Bard Festival Chorale

Daphne: Jana McIntyre, soprano

Apollo: Kyle van Schoonhoven, tenor

Leukippos: Aaron Blake, tenor

Gaea: Ronnita Miller, mezzo-soprano

Peneios: Stefan Egerstrom, bass

Erste Magd: Marlen Nahhas, soprano

Zweite Magd: Ashley Dixon, mezzo-soprano

Richard Strauss: An den Baum Daphne (choral epilogue to Daphne)

Richard Strauss: Daphne "Bucolic Tragedy in One Act," Op. 82

The ASO spotlights Richard Strauss' seldom heard pastoral opera Daphne at this performance. With its lush orchestral palette, endlessly shifting harmonic motion, and sumptuous melodies, combined with a diaphanous serenity typical of Strauss' later style, Daphne reveals a composer arguably at the peak of his powers, confident in his abilities as both composer and dramatist. In an even rarer presentation, the program also offers the opera's epilogue, an a cappella choral addition written in 1943, a poignant illustration of the affection Strauss had for Daphne.

Tickets: Priced at $25-$65, tickets are available at carnegiehall.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800, or visiting the box office at 57th St. & 7th Ave. Ticket holders will need to comply with the venue's health and safety requirements, which can be found here.

Now in its 61st season, the American Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski with the mission of providing music within the means of everyone. Music director Leon Botstein expanded that mission when he joined the ASO in 1992, creating thematic concerts that explore music from the perspective of the visual arts, literature, religion, and history, and reviving rarely performed works that audiences would otherwise never have a chance to hear performed live.

The ASO's signature programming includes its Vanguard Series, which presents concerts of rare orchestral repertoire, and various other events dedicated to enriching and reflecting the diverse perspectives of American culture. During the summer months, the ASO is the orchestra-in-residence at Bard's SummerScape, performs at the Bard Music Festival, and offers chamber music performances throughout the New York City area.

As part of its commitment to expanding the standard orchestral repertoire, the ASO has released recordings on the Telarc, New World, Bridge, Koch, and Vanguard labels, and live performances are also available for digital streaming. In many cases, these are the only existing recordings of some of the forgotten works that have been restored through ASO performances.

For more information, please visit americansymphony.org.

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