Marin Alsop News

'Tis the Season with Brian Stokes Mitchell is THE highlight of this holiday season.

The Auditorium Theatre presents its annual King Holiday celebration performances of Too Hot to Handel: The Jazz-Gospel Messiah on Saturday, January 16 and 17, 2016.

In celebration of Carnegie Hall's 125th anniversary, the Weill Music Institute (WMI) has launched The Somewhere Project, a citywide exploration of West Side Story. This extensive creative learning project is engaging people through events in all five boroughs of New York City, plus those outside the city through online content, all anchored by a large-scale production of West Side Story, the classic American musical based on a conception by Jerome Robbins, with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and book by Arthur Laurents.

From January 19 to 23, Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute (WMI) presents The Song Continues, an annual series led by renowned mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne, exploring song repertoire through master classes and concerts with the goal of encouraging, supporting, and preserving the art of the vocal recital. The series concludes with the Marilyn Horne Song Celebration, a recital featuring special guest artist soprano Nina Stemme on Saturday, January 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Zankel Hall. The evening's concert also features performances by soprano Julia Bullock, mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack, tenor Andrew Haji, bass-baritone Evan Hughes, and pianists John Arida, Keun-A Lee, Ken Noda, and Jennifer Szeto. Complete program information is listed below.

Grammy winners Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, along with pianists Katia and Marielle Labéque, will release the world-premiere recording of Philip Glass' newest concert work, his Double Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra on Orange Mountain Music on December 11 exclusively on iTunes. The digital-only recording is also available for pre-order now.

Peter Oundjian, music director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Scotland's Royal National Orchestra, and celebrated violinist Stefan Jackiw make their debuts with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) for two performances on Saturday, December 12, 8 pm, at the Alex Theatre, Glendale, and Sunday, December 13, 2015, 7 pm, at UCLA's Royce Hall. Oundjian, described as 'consistently illuminating' (Gramophone), conducts Bartok's brilliant Divertimento, Sz 113; Beethoven's sunny Symphony No. 4 in B-flat major, Op. 60; and Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64. The latter work, among the most beloved violin concertos ever written, features Jackiw, also making his Los Angeles debut, who has been hailed for 'talent that's off the scale' (Washington Post) and as a 'legend in the making' (Chicago Tribune).

Carnegie Hall celebrates the holiday season with a variety of special programs this December. On Friday, December 18 at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 19 at 8:00 p.m., Tony Award nominees Stephanie J. Block (Wicked) and Brian d'Arcy James (Shrek The Musical and Something Rotten!) help to make the season bright with a program of holiday favorites performed by The New York Pops and Music Director Steven Reineke with Essential Voices USA.

Tonight, November 14, Music Director LARRY RACHLEFF and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Leonard Bernstein's beloved West Side Story Symphonic Dances. Electric violinist TRACY SILVERMAN will make his Philharmonic debut with Seeing is Believing by Nico Muhly, a Providence native. The program also features Ravel'sAlborada del Gracioso and Debussy's La Mer, all beginning at 8:00 pm at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence. The concert is endowed by the Collis family, and Guest Artist Sponsors are Marjorie and Robert Catanzaro. Tickets (starting at $15) are available at tickets.riphil.org, and the RIPO box office at 401.248.7000. 

Tickets are now on sale for Carnegie Hall's presentation of WEST SIDE STORY for three performances only March 4, 5, and 6, 2016 at the Knockdown Center, a restored 50,000 square foot former glass and door factory in Queens now serving as an art and event space.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) celebrates the 2015 holiday season with a wide variety of concert programming, from the traditional annual performances of Handel's Messiah with the Concert Artists of Baltimore to a one-of-a-kind experience that pairs world-class acrobats and gymnasts with music by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, in an exciting program titled Cirque de la Symphonie.

Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute (WMI) celebrates A Charlie Brown Christmas with a Family Holiday Concert this December featuring The New York Pops, marking the 50th anniversary of the iconic television special created by Charles M. Schulz. Recommended for ages 5-10, the performance will include a sing-along and other festive surprises.

To offer fans a more immersive experience, violinist Tim Fain today released a new virtual reality (VR) video for YouTube based on his original composition Resonance. In a close collaboration with Google, the VR video was filmed using Jump (g.co/Jump), which not only gives fans a vivid 360° experience, but also a realistic sense of depth so they can feel like they're actually there. Turn in every direction to enjoy Fain's mesmerizing performance. The VR video is best viewed with a Google Cardboard viewer using the YouTube app available for Android smartphones (iOS coming soon). You can also view the video in non-VR mode on desktop and iOS.

Young Artists Symphony Orchestra (YASO), led by Artistic Director Alexander Treger, continues its inaugural season with a free concert spotlighting two remarkable artists from its own ranks on Sunday, December 6, 2015, 7 pm, at UCLA's Royce Hall.

Celebrity Series of Boston will present What Makes It Great? with Rob Kapilow and soprano Emily Albrink in All the Things You Are, American song from Kern to Copland and beyond today, November 6, 2015 at 8pm at NEC's Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston, MA. Sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger, and the D.L. Saunders Real Estate & Hotel Investors Group, AMO.

The New Amsterdam Singers, led by Music Director Clara Longstreth, will present a program titled The Mass, The Dance, The Feast: Celebrations from Bach to Britten, Friday, December 11, 2015 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, December 13, 2015, at 4:00 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 122 East 88th Street.

10/29/15 – East Providence, RI ? On Saturday, November 14, Music Director LARRY RACHLEFF and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra will perform Leonard Bernstein's beloved West Side Story Symphonic Dances. Electric violinist TRACY SILVERMAN will make his Philharmonic debut with Seeing is Believing by Nico Muhly, a Providence native. The program also features Ravel'sAlborada del Gracioso and Debussy's La Mer, all beginning at 8:00 pm at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence. The concert is endowed by the Collis family, and Guest Artist Sponsors are Marjorie and Robert Catanzaro. Tickets (starting at $15) are available at tickets.riphil.org, and the RIPO box office at 401.248.7000. 

Following the success of its first series at City Winery in the 2014-15 season, cp2 (Chicago Philharmonic Chamber Players) returns to the venue for a fall series pairing unique mixed instrumental groups with vocalists. Three one-hour programs at noon on October 25, November 22, and December 20 each feature a different singer showcasing styles including classical, soul, and jazz. Brunch will be available for purchase before and during the performances, and patrons are encouraged to dress casually.

Last Night of the Proms 2015 comes to the big screen in the U.S. for the first time ever for one night today, October 14, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. (local time).

In a concert to celebrate the City of Havana on the eve of its 500th anniversary, Marin Alsop will conduct the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Cuba, with pianists Lang Lang and Chucho Valdes as soloists. 

Carnegie Hall today announced that it has cast three lead actors for its upcoming production of West Side Story, to be presented in three performances only on March 4, 5, and 6, 2016 at the Knockdown Center, a restored factory in Queens.