TON to Open 3rd Season of 'Sight & Sound' Series with SCHOENBERG, MUNCH & EXPRESSIONISM

The Orchestra Now (TON) will open the third season of its popular Sight & Sound series at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Sunday, December 3 at 2 PM.

In a program titled Schoenberg, Munch & Expressionism, music director Leon Botstein will lead TON and Metropolitan Opera soprano Kirsten Chambers in an afternoon exploring the links between the composer's music and artwork and the artworks of Edvard Munch.

The program is presented in conjunction with Edvard Munch: Between the Clock and the Bed, on view at The Met Breuer from November 15, 2017 to February 4, 2018.

"By combining the extraordinary resources of the Met and its collections with the gifted musicians of The Orchestra Now, we are able to offer the series' growing audience as well as these young artists an unparalleled opportunity to experience the music in a broader context," said Limor Tomer, the Museum's General Manager of Live Arts. "The excitement surrounding Sight & Sound is the validation of our concertgoers' and visitors' interest in this unique approach."

The Sight & Sound series, with conductor and music historian Leon Botstein, explores the parallels between orchestral music and the visual arts. On-screen artworks are discussed alongside musical excerpts performed by the Orchestra, followed by a full performance and audience Q&A. Series programs follow below.

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Sight & Sound: Schoenberg, Munch, & Expressionism

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium

Sun. Dec 3, 2017 at 2 PM

Leon Botstein, conductor

Kirsten Chambers, soprano

Schoenberg's Erwartung ("Expectation") and the Artwork of Munch & Schoenberg

At the climax of Schoenberg's compact operatic monodrama, a woman screams upon finding the dead body of her lover. The close connections between Schoenberg's score and Munch's symbolism - particularly his well-known work The Scream - extend beyond the composer's expressionist music. The composer was also a painter, heavily influenced by Munch.

Tickets from $30, series from $75, Bring the Kids for $1. Tickets may be purchased online at metmuseum.org/sightandsound, by calling The Met at 212.570.3949, or in person at The Great Hall box office at The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 5th Ave and 82nd St.

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The next Sight & Sound concerts are:

Shostakovich, Michelangelo, & the Artistic Conscience

Sun. Feb 11, 2018 at 2 PM

Leon Botstein, conductor

Tyler Duncan, baritone

Shostakovich's Suite on Verses of Michelangelo and the artwork of Michelangelo & others

Debussy & French Painting: Beyond Realism

Sun. May 20, 2018 at 2 PM

Leon Botstein, conductor

Members of the Bard Festival Chorale

Debussy's Nocturnes and the artwork of the French Impressionists

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The Orchestra Now (TON) is a group of some 80 vibrant young musicians from more than 12 different countries around the globe, whose goal is to make orchestral music relevant to 21st-century audiences. They are lifting the curtain on the musicians' experience by sharing their unique personal insights in a welcoming environment. Hand-picked from hundreds of applicants from the world's leading conservatories-including The Juilliard School, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Royal Conservatory of Brussels, and the Curtis Institute of Music-the members of T?N are not only rousing audiences with their critically acclaimed performances, but also enlightening curious minds by presenting on-stage introductions and demonstrations at concerts, offering program notes written from the musicians' perspective, and connecting with patrons through one-on-one discussions during intermissions.

Conductor, educator, and music historian Leon Botstein founded T?N in 2015 as a master's degree program at Bard College, where he also serves as president. The Orchestra is in residence at Bard's Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, offering multiple concerts there each season as well as participating in the annual Bard Music Festival. The Orchestra also performs numerous concert series at major venues in New York, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as a schedule of free performances across New York City boroughs. T?N has collaborated with many distinguished conductors, including Fabio Luisi, Neeme Järvi, Gerard Schwarz, and JoAnn Falletta.

For upcoming activities and more detailed information about the musicians, visit theorchestranow.org.

Leon Botstein brings a renowned career as both a conductor and educator to his role as music director of The Orchestra Now. He has been music director of the American Symphony Orchestra since 1992, artistic co-director of Bard SummerScape and the Bard Music Festival since their creation, and president of Bard College since 1975. He was the music director of the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra from 2003-2011, and is now conductor laureate. In 2018, he will assume artistic directorship of the institute of Grafenegg, Austria. Mr. Botstein is also a frequent guest conductor with orchestras around the globe, has made numerous recordings, and is a prolific author and music historian. He is the editor of the prestigious The Musical Quarterly, and has received many honors for his contributions to music. More info online at LeonBotstein.com.

Image: Edvard Munch (Norwegian, 1863-1944). The Scream, 1895. Lithograph, 14 1/16 x 9 5/16 in. (35.7 x 23.6 cm) Sheet: 20 1/4 x 15 5/8 in. (51.4 x 39.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Scofield Thayer, 1982 (1984.1203.1)