Robert Spano News

The New York Philharmonic's 2017 holiday season presents classical and seasonal hallmarks, four Broadway stars singing Laureate Conductor Leonard Bernstein's musical theater highlights, and the beloved annual traditions of Holiday Brass and Handel's Messiah.

The inspiring 30-year old Singaporean conductor Kahchun Wong, winner of the 2016 Mahler Competition, has an intense 2017/18 season illustrating the rapid ascent of his career. Wong opened the season with a return to the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra on October 5 and 6 and then made his debut at the Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi di Trieste on October 13 and 14.

The New York Choral Society (NYCHORAL), under the baton of music director David Hayes, will begin its season with Roads Less Traveled a performance of works by Schubert and Randall Thompson on Saturday evening, November 18, 2017 8 p.m. at St. Francis Xavier Church, 46 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011.

92Y's 17-18 season opens on October 5 with internationally renowned cellist Mischa Maisky joining the “amazing precision” (Huffington Post) of the notably conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, which returns to 92Y for the first time in 15 years, to celebrate the cellist's 70th birthday season. Together, they open 92Y's illustrious concert season with Schubert's beloved “Arpeggione” Sonata, arranged for cello and string orchestra by Dobrinka Tabakova, as well as Arensky's Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky, and Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings.  Acclaimed for the sheer intensity and vigor of his performances, Maisky has the distinct honor of being the only cellist in the world to have studied under both Gregor Piatigorsky and Mlatislav Rostrapovich.  The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is renowned as one of the foremost chamber orchestras in the world, with more than 70 albums in its sprawling discography since its founding in 1972.

As the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) opens its 96th season on September 19 at Roy Thomson Hall, eight new musicians join the ensemble: Kelly Zimba, Principal Flute; Charles Settle, Principal Percussion; Michael Chiarello, Associate Principal Double Bass; Miles Jaques, Bass Clarinet; Alastair Eng, Cello; Douglas Kwon, Violin; Clare Semes, Violin; and Nicholas Hartman, Horn.

Orchestra of St. Luke's continues its annual residency at Carnegie Hall this season with a wide variety of concerts in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage celebrating historic milestones, collaborating with notable guest soloists, presenting major masterworks of the classical orchestral repertoire, and premiering new works commissioned by Carnegie Hall. The Orchestra kicks off its residency on Thursday, October 12 at 8:00 p.m. with OSL's first Conductor Laureate Pablo Heras-Casado, who concludes his six-year tenure as Principal Conductor. For this special event, the orchestra performs Mozart's "Great" Mass, featuring sopranos Camilla Tilling and Susanna Phillips, tenor Thomas Cooley, bass-baritone Michael Sumuel, and the Westminster Symphonic Choir, led by Joe Miller. The program also includes Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21.

The New York Philharmonic will present Bernstein's Philharmonic: A Centennial Festival, October 25-November 14, 2017,celebrating the former Philharmonic Music Director and Laureate Conductor on the centennial of his birth. The festival - which is part of the worldwide salute to the legacy of the renowned composer, conductor, pianist, and educator - will center on Bernstein's symphonic cycle, conducted by Alan Gilbert and Leonard Slatkin, complemented by other Bernstein works as well as by music by composers he admired and championed. In addition, the Philharmonic will present a Young People's Concert - the series that Bernstein famously brought to national attention through the television broadcasts - titled Inspirations and Tributes: "Celebrating Leonard Bernstein," conducted by Leonard Slatkin and featuring pianist Makoto Ozone on November 11. A number of other events - ranging from a marathon of Bernstein's Mahler recordings to a partnership with Harvard and University of Michigan to explore Bernstein as an educator and conductor - complement the concerts throughout the centennial season. Bernstein served as the Philharmonic's Music Director from 1958 to 1969, when he was named Laureate Conductor, a title he held until his death in 1990.

Orchestra of St. Luke's returns to Carnegie Hall for three concerts in the fall including its annual subscription series presented by Carnegie Hall, opening on October 12 with Conductor Laureate Pablo Heras-Casado on the podium. He leads Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21, and Mozart's Mass in C Minor, K. 427 ('Great'), featuring the Westminster Symphonic Choir, and guest vocalists sopranos Camilla Tilling and Susanna Phillips, tenor Thomas Cooley, and bass-baritone Michael Sumuel.

Carnegie Hall's 2017-2018 season is fast approaching, and they are looking forward to exciting new projects and outstanding concerts!

The New York Philharmonic will return to Bravo! Vail in Colorado, celebrating its 30th season, for the Orchestra's 15th annual summer residency, July 21-28, 2017. The residency will include six orchestral concerts that honor the Philharmonic's legacy on the occasion of its 175th anniversary season and the conclusion of Alan Gilbert's tenure as Music Director.

The New York Philharmonic will return to Bravo! Vail in Colorado, celebrating its 30th season, for the Orchestra's 15th annual summer residency, July 21-28, 2017. The residency will include six orchestral concerts that honor the Philharmonic's legacy on the occasion of its 175th anniversary season and the conclusion of Alan Gilbert's tenure as Music Director.

92Y's 17-18 season opens on October 5 with internationally renowned cellist Mischa Maisky joining the “amazing precision” (Huffington Post) of the notably conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, which returns to 92Y for the first time in 15 years, to celebrate the cellist's 70th birthday season. Together, they open 92Y's illustrious concert season with Schubert's beloved “Arpeggione” Sonata, arranged for cello and string orchestra by Dobrinka Tabakova, as well as Arensky's Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky, and Tchaikovsky's Serenade for Strings.  Acclaimed for the sheer intensity and vigor of his performances, Maisky has the distinct honor of being the only cellist in the world to have studied under both Gregor Piatigorsky and Mlatislav Rostrapovich.  The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is renowned as one of the foremost chamber orchestras in the world, with more than 70 albums in its sprawling discography since its founding in 1972.

With the launch of its 2017-18 season this fall, the New World Symphony, America's Orchestral Academy (NWS), led by Co-Founder and Artistic Director Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT), celebrates 30 years as the nation's most innovative training ground for the next generation of classical musicians, preparing its resident Fellows for professional careers through an experiential curriculum of hands-on training, live performance, and audience interaction.

Joshua Gersen, New York Philharmonic Assistant Conductor will guest conduct the Adelphi Orchestra in a sumptuous concert of French masterworks on June 11th at Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Music Center in New York City.  Adelphi Orchestra's benefit concert for the orchestra's Young Artist Program "Une Fete en France" will showcase a former Adelphi Orchestra Young Artist Competition winner as guest soloist and will recognize the former winners and current finalists of the Adelphi Orchestra's Young Artist Program.  The concert's goal is to generate funds to support future outstanding young musicians through the Young Artist Program's endeavors.

Jorge Federico Osorio pairs Schubert's final solo piano works with those by Brahms on his seventh and newest Cedille Records album. In doing so, the Mexican-born, European-trained pianist focuses on two composers who have figured prominently in his concert career.

Conductor, composer, and pianist Robert Spano releases a new recording on the ASO Media label of two of his own compositions on April 28, 2017 on CD and digital platforms.

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.

Celebrating the Grammy Award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus' 25th anniversary, Silent Voices is a fully-staged multimedia, multi-composer work conceived, commissioned, produced, and performed by the chorus.

On May 12 & 13, the Grammy Award-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus will premiere their new work Silent Voices at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Silent Voices is a fully-staged multimedia, multi-composer work conceived, commissioned, produced, and performed by the chorus, and comes at the culmination of their year-long 25th anniversary season.

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: