Samuel Barber News

The Leonia Chamber Musicians Society, Inc., a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, launches the 2016-2017 season performing three special concerts from November 6, 2016 to April 23, 2017 in Leonia, New Jersey. The 2016-2017 series presents these concerts:

Soloists from Musica Viva, the Aeolus String Quartet and Musica Viva Artistic Director and pianist Dr. Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez are featured in Colla Voce, a program of vocal chamber music, on Sunday, September 25 at 5:00 p.m. at All Souls Church, opening Musica Viva's 39th season.

An appearance by multi-Grammy Award winning clarinetist and composer Paquito d'Rivera; a world premiere by Rome Prize-winner Derek Bermel; a concert haunted by Bach, Schubert, and musical ghosts of past centuries; song settings of the mystical, powerful poetry of celebrated Austro-German author Rainer Maria Rilke; and music inspired by the American West highlight the 8th season of Copland House concerts at Westchester County's majestic Merestead estate in Mount Kisco, NY.

For the first time in its series history LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER takes its show on the road presenting The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in a broadcast from Kentucky's Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.

Tickets are now on sale for American Composers Orchestra's (ACO) 40th Anniversary Season, under the leadership of Artistic Director Derek Bermel and Music Director George Manahan. This season includes eight world premieres by a diverse set of composers performed by ACO at Carnegie Hall and Symphony Space, and continues 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. Founded in 1977, ACO remains the only orchestra in the world dedicated exclusively to the creation, performance, preservation, and promulgation of music by American composers. To date, ACO has performed music by 800 American composers, including 350 world premieres and newly commissioned works. ACO takes its commitment to fostering new work beyond the stage in its annual Underwood New Music Readings for emerging composers, now in its 26th year in New York, and through its program EarShot, the National Orchestra Composition Discovery Network, which brings the Readings experience to orchestras across the country in partnership with American Composers Forum, the League of American Orchestras, and New Music USA.

For the first time in its series history LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER takes its show on the road presenting The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in a broadcast from Kentucky's Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.

Perhaps the most epic choral work ever composed, Beethoven's monumental Ninth Symphony, which includes the famous last movement, “Ode to Joy,” has filled concert venues around the world for close to two centuries, yet has never lost its ability to thrill. A musical wonder considered by many to be Beethoven's greatest work, his massive and majestic Ninth fills Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre with pure radiance during Pacific Symphony's second concert of Summer Festival 2016. Led by Music Director Carl St.Clair, this crown jewel of the season boasts a huge orchestra, full chorus and a spine-tingling vocal quartet. The heart-welling program also includes a number of other beloved and moving pieces including Aaron Copland's “Fanfare for the Common Man,” Samuel Barber's “Adagio for Strings,” John Williams' “Liberty Fanfare” and his “Hymn to the Fallen” from the film “Saving Private Ryan.”

On a picturesque waterfront stage overlooking the Great South Bay, this year's Fire Island Dance Festival welcomed ballet, modern and contemporary dance powerhouses on July 15-17, 2016. 

American Repertory Ballet, New Jersey's preeminent classical and contemporary ballet company, is pleased to announce its 2016-2017 performance season.

Perhaps the most epic choral work ever composed, Beethoven's monumental Ninth Symphony, which includes the famous last movement, “Ode to Joy,” has filled concert venues around the world for close to two centuries, yet has never lost its ability to thrill. A musical wonder considered by many to be Beethoven's greatest work, his massive and majestic Ninth fills Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre with pure radiance during Pacific Symphony's second concert of Summer Festival 2016. Led by Music Director Carl St.Clair, this crown jewel of the season boasts a huge orchestra, full chorus and a spine-tingling vocal quartet. The heart-welling program also includes a number of other beloved and moving pieces including Aaron Copland's “Fanfare for the Common Man,” Samuel Barber's “Adagio for Strings,” John Williams' “Liberty Fanfare” and his “Hymn to the Fallen” from the film “Saving Private Ryan.”

The American composer Kenneth Fuchs celebrates his 60th birthday tomorrow, July 1.

The Martha Graham Dance Company is pleased to announce its 2016–17 season. The Company's tour kicks off in August and includes performances in 12 cities across the U.S., a performance residency in Madrid, and a weeklong engagement in Cuba, where the Company will perform as part of the renowned Havana International Ballet Festival. The Company's New York season will take place at the Joyce Theater in February 2017. The season also includes six events as part of the Company's popular Graham Studio Series, which offers audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the Company at work in the intimate setting of the Martha Graham Studio Theater.

The 6th Annual The Puzzle, a theatre festival at the historic Marble Collegiate Church in New York City, has announced its 2016 line-up which begins Monday, June 20th and runs until Saturday, June 25th. 

Oakland, March 23, 2016 – The Oakland Symphony, Music Director and Conductor Michael Morgan, the Oakland Symphony Chorus and guest artists Tracy Silverman, electric violin, and soprano Nicole Joseph will conclude the Symphony's 2015-2016 season with a concert of music by John Adams, Stravinsky, Barber and RavelToday, May 20, at 8 pm at the Paramount Theatre. Mr. Silverman will perform John Adams' The Dharma at Big Sur for orchestra and electric violin and Ms. Joseph, who was the winner of the 2015 Toland Vocal Arts Competition, will sing Samuel Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915. Completing the evening will be Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms with the Oakland Symphony Chorus, Lynne Morrow, Director; and Ravel's La Valse. Pre-concert drinks, lobby entertainment and a talk begin at 7 pm and the concert is sponsored by Bell Investment Advisors.Tickets are priced $20-$75 and may be purchased at www.oaklandsymphony.org .

The Richmond Symphony will close the 2015-16 Season with Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé tonight, May 14, at 8pm and Sunday, May 15 at 3pm.

After a truly inspiring year of music education and performance, the curtain will soon rise on the final concert of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra's 2015-16 season, marking the organization's 76th Anniversary. The Philadelphia Youth Orchestra 76th Annual Festival Concert will feature performances by PYO's students, ages 14-21, and special guest performances by Philadelphia's foremost organist Peter Richard Conte and Bravo Brass Alum and Euphonium soloist Joel Collier. The concert will take place on Sunday, June 5, at 4:00 p.m., in Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

May 3, 2016 – Richmond Virginia The Richmond Symphony will close the 2015-16 Season with Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé on Saturday, May 14 at 8pm and Sunday, May 15 at 3pm. The music, composed for a three-part ballet, is based on the mythological Greek love story of Daphnis and Chloé and is considered some of the most beautiful and evocative of the twentieth century. Joining the Symphony will be the Richmond Symphony Chorus under the direction of Erin R. Freeman. The Altria Masterworks concerts will be led by Music Director Steven Smith and held at the Carpenter Theatre, Dominion Arts Center.

Since its first Opening Night on May 5, 1891, Carnegie Hall has been the aspirational destination for the world's finest artists. In celebration of the Hall's 125th anniversary, Sony Classical in partnership with Carnegie Hall has released Great Moments at Carnegie Hall, an extraordinary 43-CD box set of treasures from the RCA and Columbia archives featuring live recordings capturing an array of unforgettable classical music performances spanning 1933 through 2007.

Ever since its opening night in May 1891, Carnegie Hall has held sway as the undisputed shrine of classical music in America. It was and remains the essential venue for all great artists. To celebrate Carnegie Hall's 125(th) anniversary, Sony Classical in partnership with Carnegie Hall is proud to present an extraordinary new 43-CD box set of treasures from the RCA and Columbia archives featuring live recordings from many of the world's greatest musicians. Available April 29, this unique deluxe edition contains a complete previously unreleased piano recital by Sviatoslav Richter and is accompanied by a 104-page coffee table book, which includes notes by Director of Carnegie Hall's Archives Gino Francesconi as well as many facsimile documents and photographs.

JCC Manhattan proudly presents PREformances with Allison Charney featuring violinists Laura Jean Goldberg, Ani Bukujian and Alexandros Martino Petrin, violist Lisa Heffter, cellist Roberta Cooper, pianists Alexei Tartakovsky and Moshe Knoll as well as actor, Jordan Charney, on Monday, April 11th at 12:30pm. The program will feature world premieres by American composers Kim D. Sherman and Moshe S. Knoll, along with Debussy's beautiful 'Arpeggio Etude' and Liszt's thrilling 'Chasse Neige' for virtuoso piano.