George Manahan News

Under the leadership of Music Director George Manahan, American Composers Orchestra (ACO) returns to Carnegie Hall for the 11th season of its Orchestra Underground series, which explores the orchestra as an elastic ensemble that can respond to composers' unhindered creativity. ACO's first performance this season, titled Orchestra Underground: Monk's Sphere, on Friday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Zankel Hall is part of Meredith Monk's season-long residency as holder of Carnegie Hall's Richard and Barbara Debs Composer's Chair. The program will include a performance of Monk's Night as well as world premieres of Clear Image by experimental rock-guitarist Ian Williams, Motormouth by A.J. McCaffrey, and My Brightest Garment by Theo Bleckmann (commissioned by Carnegie Hall). The concert will also include the New York premiere of Stalks, Hounds by Loren Loiacono. Theo Bleckmann and Ian Williams will join members of Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble as special guests for this exhilarating concert.

Below are all the events at Carnegie Hall in February 2015.

VisionIntoArt (VIA), the non-profit company founded by Brooklyn-based composer Paola Prestini, is pleased to announce the launch of a record label, VIA Records, with three inaugural albums this fall. The formation of the label expands upon VIA's already vast body of work, which, over the last ten years, has included commissioning and producing new music by a wide range of artists. VIA Records will help to broaden the canon of new multimedia works through the commissioning and recording of artists on VIA's roster.

VisionIntoArt (VIA), the non-profit company founded by Brooklyn-based composer Paola Prestini, is pleased to announce the launch of a record label, VIA Records, with three inaugural albums this fall. The formation of the label expands upon VIA's already vast body of work, which, over the last ten years, has included commissioning and producing new music by a wide range of artists. VIA Records will help to broaden the canon of new multimedia works through the commissioning and recording of artists on VIA's roster.

Tickets go on sale today, August 13, for Opera Philadelphia's 40th Anniversary Season, featuring a stellar cast of international opera stars in five new productions at the Academy of Music and the Perelman Theater.

Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, August 13, for Opera Philadelphia's 40th Anniversary Season, featuring a stellar cast of international opera stars in five new productions at the Academy of Music and the Perelman Theater. Single tickets will be available at operaphila.org or 215-893-1018.

Carnegie Hall just announced their November 2014 listings. Scroll down for the list of events and click here for more details.

The Glimmerglass Festival presents the premiere of a new version of An American Tragedy, which was originally commissioned by and premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 2005, by composer Tobias Picker and librettist Gene Scheer on Sunday, July 20 at 1:30 p.m., with subsequent performances through Sunday, August 24. One hour prior to the opening performance and other matinee performances, Mr. Picker will preview his work in a free discussion at the Preview Pavilion next to the performance venue. The production is directed by Peter Kazaras and conducted by George Manahan, and the cast features Glimmerglass's 2014 Young Artists. Tickets range from $10-$144 and can be purchased by calling the box office at(607) 547-2255 or online at glimmerglass.org.

Summer is just around the corner, and we are looking ahead in anticipation to the start of Carnegie Hall's 2014-2015 season! Listed below are classical music highlights at Carnegie Hall, including details on UBUNTU: Music and Arts of South Africa, a three-week festival from October 10 to November 5, featuring an exciting array of events to be presented at Carnegie Hall and partner venues throughout New York City, inviting audiences to explore the incredibly dynamic and diverse culture of South Africa.

The New York Philharmonic and American Composers Orchestra (ACO), in collaboration with ACO's EarShot: the National Orchestra Composition Discovery Network, announce the selection of three works by emerging composers to receive premieres this week by the New York Philharmonic as part of the inaugural NY PHIL BIENNIAL. Julia Adolphe's Dark Sand, Sifting Light will receive its World Premiere June 5, conducted by Music Director Alan Gilbert; Andrew McManus's Strobe will receive its World Premiere June 6, conducted by Matthias Pintscher; and Max Grafe's Bismuth: Variations for Orchestra will receive its World Premiere June 7, conducted by Music Director Alan Gilbert.

27 American orchestras will be recognized with 2013-14 ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming at the League of American Orchestras' National Conference, taking place June 4-6 in Seattle. ASCAP and the League present the awards each year to orchestras of all sizes for programs that challenge the audience, build the repertoire, and increase interest in music of our time. Approximately $750,000 has been bestowed on orchestras since the awards were established in 1947.

This spring, Orchestra of St. Luke's collaborates with the New York Philharmonic for the inaugural NY PHIL BIENNIAL, an 11-day exploration of today's music showcasing an array of curatorial voices through concerts presented with cultural partners throughout New York City. Based on biennials in the world of visual art, the NY PHIL BIENNIAL offers a snapshot of the music of our time, showcasing diverse musical ideas and broad philosophical themes. OSL co-presents two concerts, this weekend, May 31 and June 1 at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater, as part of this innovative festival. OSL Principal Conductor Pablo Heras-Casado will conduct these concerts and, at the invitation of New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert, has served as a curatorial collaborator for the festival.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association announces the 2014/15 season programming for its acclaimed MusicNOW contemporary music series—dedicated to showcasing contemporary music through an innovative concert experience. Uniquely curated by CSO Mead Composers-In-Residence Mason Bates and Anna Clyne, the annual, four-concert series in 2014/15 presents a range of work from major musical figures such as Pierre Boulez and established contemporary talents such as John Luther Adams and Michael Gordon. Programs are performed by members of the CSO and guest artists led by MusicNOW principal conductor Cliff Colnot and guest conductors, which this year includes James Feddeck, winner of the 2013 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award.

This spring, Orchestra of St. Luke's collaborates with the New York Philharmonic for the inaugural NY PHIL BIENNIAL, an 11-day exploration of today's music showcasing an array of curatorial voices through concerts presented with cultural partners throughout New York City. Based on biennials in the world of visual art, the NY PHIL BIENNIAL offers a snapshot of the music of our time, showcasing diverse musical ideas and broad philosophical themes. OSL co-presents two concerts, May 31 and June 1 at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater, as part of this innovative festival. OSL Principal Conductor Pablo Heras-Casado will conduct these concerts and, at the invitation of New York Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert, has served as a curatorial collaborator for the festival.

The New York Philharmonic and American Composers Orchestra (ACO), in collaboration with ACO's EarShot: the National Orchestra Composition Discovery Network, announce the selection of 13 emerging composers from an international pool of more than 400 applicants from seven countries and 37 states ranging in age from 9 to 84, whose original scores for orchestra have been chosen for readings and performances by the Philharmonic and ACO as part of the inaugural NY PHIL BIENNIAL.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Derek Bermel and Music Director George Manahan, American Composers Orchestra's (ACO) 2014-2015 season strengthens the orchestra's commitment to serve as a catalyst for the creation of new orchestral music, providing unprecedented opportunities for American composers to create new work and for audiences to discover it. Now in its 11th year at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, Orchestra Underground continues as ACO's subversive and entrepreneurial redefinition of the orchestra as an elastic ensemble, and this year features the rarely performed orchestral music of pioneering composer and performer Meredith Monk, holder of the 2014-2015 Richard and Barbara Debs Composer's Chair at Carnegie Hall (Monk's Sphere, November 21). Orchestra Underground brings cabaret, pop, and jazz traditions into the concert hall in a program featuring Kurt Weill's cabaret cult classic The Seven Deadly Sins sung by Shara Worden (Sin & Songs, February 27). For the first time in several seasons, ACO returns to performing with full symphonic forces outside of Carnegie Hall - the orchestra's April concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center will showcase the New York premiere ofWynton Marsalis' Blues Symphony.

The Manhattan School of Music Symphony will be making its Carnegie Hall debut on the stage of Stern Auditorium on Sunday, April 13, at 2:00 p.m. That afternoon, Leonard Slatkin will conduct a program that opens with Roberto Sierra's Fandangos, and also includes Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by Maurice Ravel, and arranged by Maestro Slatkin. A concert highlight will be a performance of Leonard Bernstein's Serenade after Plato's Symposium, featuring violinist Glenn Dicterow. This concert also serves as a tribute to Mr. Dicterow who is in his final season as the New York Philharmonic's Concertmaster.

Thomas Hampson will be at Manhattan School of Music today, March 19th to give a vocal master class. This master class, a free event and open to the public, takes place at 4:00 p.m. in the School's Greenfield Recital Hall, and will be streamed live by going to http://dl.msmnyc.edu/live. The master class will be given in collaboration with MSM's world renowned Distance Learning and Recording Arts Department, headed by Christianne Orto, Dean of Distance Learning and Recording Arts at Manhattan School of Music.

Thomas Hampson will be at Manhattan School of Music on Wednesday, March 19th to give a vocal master class. This master class, a free event and open to the public, takes place at 4:00 p.m. in the School's Greenfield Recital Hall, and will be streamed live by going to http://dl.msmnyc.edu/live. The master class will be given in collaboration with MSM's world renowned Distance Learning and Recording Arts Department, headed by Christianne Orto, Dean of Distance Learning and Recording Arts at Manhattan School of Music.

Opera star Placido Domingo will join veterans of the now defunct New York City Opera for a 70th anniversary benefit concert, '70 Years of the People's Opera', tonight, February 21 at the City Center. Domingo made his debut with the City Opera as 'Pinkerton' in Puccini's MADAMA BUTTERFLY in 1965.