RPO ANNOUNCES 2014/15 PHILS & POPS SEASON

For Immediate Release: February 17, 2013
Media Contacts:   Sally Cohen, 585-749-1795, sally@sallycohenpr.com
RPO Info:  rpo.org, facebook.com/SuperRPO, twitter.com/SuperRPO, rpo-land.blogspot.com

Rochester, NY – The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) announces most of its 92nd season today, presented by Dawn & Jacques Lipson, which will officially open on September 18 (with a Gala Opening Celebration) and 20, 2014, with mega-star violinist Midori and Rochester native Ward Stare as guest conductor, and will close on June 4 and 6, 2015, with Orff’s haunting Carmina Burana.

In between, the Philharmonics Series will showcase some of the world’s greatest virtuosos and familiar showstoppers: 2014 Musical America Instrumentalist of the Year Jeremy Denk and 2013 Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Vadym Kholodenko, along with returning favorites Jon Nakamatsu, Augustin Hadelich and Stephen Hough. In addition to Carmina Burana, audiences will hear masterworks including Beethoven’s 5th Symphony and Dvořák’s picturesque “New World” Symphony.

Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik has planned a spectacular Pops Series, sponsored by Canandaigua National Bank and Trust and Fibertech Networks, and anchored by Emmy and Grammy® Award nominee Michael Feinstein. The 2014/15 Pops series will open on September 12 and 13 – one week prior to the Philharmonics opener – on September 12 and 13 with Broadway’s Golden Age and Beyond, featuring vocalists Lisa Vroman and Doug LaBrecque. Other tempting Pops offerings include the jaw-dropping Peking Acrobats, New Orleans’ own Preservation Hall Jazz Band, a tribute to Nat King Cole, and the Halloween-themed Phantom of the Opera Silent Film.    

“We’ve been tremendously gratified at the overwhelmingly positive response from our audiences this season, and so next season builds upon this year’s programming philosophy that emphasizes compelling repertoire and first-rate visiting artists,” says RPO President and CEO Charles Owens. “The unsung hero in program planning at the RPO is Richard Decker, our Vice President of Artistic Administration, who has worked closely with the musicians of the RPO Artistic Advisory Committee to create a beautifully balanced season of popular favorites and less-familiar works – all designed to provide our audiences with stimulating and uplifting experiences week after week.”

As announced at its annual meeting last month, the RPO has restructured its program offerings for the 2014/15 season. There are now 12 Philharmonics weekends instead of 14, and nine Pops weekends instead of 10, opening up three weekends for a set of innovative and new concert offerings. These will be announced in late March, along with lineups for the 2014/15 OrKIDStra Series, Sunday Matinees and Ithaca Series.

Dance takes center stage this season, with Rochester City Ballet collaborating on three programs: annual holiday favorite The Nutcracker; world-premiere choreography of Jeff Tyzik’s Images on the Pops season; and Philharmonics program, A Night of Dance, which will also feature Rochester’s FuturPointe Dance.

“We are so excited to be expanding the RPO/RCB relationship to include three performances this season,” exclaims Rochester City Ballet Artistic Director Jamey Leverett. “Celebrating 16 years of our annual Nutcracker, bringing George Balanchine’s legendary Serenade to the Eastman stage, and collaborating once again with the great Jeff Tyzik – I’m thrilled! This is a season not to be missed.”

Involvement by the Eastman School of Music continues, with Piano Professor Douglas Humpherys featured in Brahms & Rachmaninoff, and former Eastman conductor Donald Hunsberger leading Phantom of the Opera Silent Film. And, once again, the RPO will be joined by local arts organizations including the Bach Children’s Chorus for The Nutcracker, the Festival High School Chorale for Gala Holiday Pops, and the Rochester Oratorio Society for both Handel’s Messiah and Carmina Burana.

The RPO shines the spotlight on its own luminaries as well: Principal Bassoonist Matthew McDonald (The Ron and Donna Fielding Chair) will make his first RPO solo performance with Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto in Mozart & Prokofiev, and Concertmaster Juliana Athayde (The Caroline W. Gannett & Clayla Ward Chair) will solo on Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony program as well as for Pops audiences on Piazzolla’s Four Seasons in Tango Caliente.

Debuting and returning guest conductors continue to bring an anticipatory energy to the 2014-15 season, as the RPO narrows down its search for a new music director. Returning from the current season are Ward Stare, Jun Märkl, Daniel Meyer and RPO Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman. Returnees from recent seasons include Daniel Hege, Yoav Talmi and Jeffrey Kahane. And, making their RPO debuts are conductors Christoph König, Case Scaglione, José Luis Gomez, Marcelo Lehninger and Gregory Vajda.

Subscription renewals (which include free concert parking in the East End Garage if renewed by March 7) are available now, with new subscriptions available to the public starting Friday, February 21 at 10 a.m. In addition to the best seats at the best prices, subscribers receive free and easy ticket exchanges, a complimentary seat upgrade for one performance, discounted prices for additional tickets, presale priority for special concerts, and pre-concert dinner discounts at local restaurants. Subscriptions packages start at just $19 per concert (lowest-price package is $208) and are available in person at the Eastman Theatre Box Office (433 East Main Street), by phone at (585) 454-2100, or online at rpo.org. Single tickets will go on sale in August, and will also be available at all Wegmans That’s the Ticket! outlets.

The 2014/15 concert lineup: a list including program information is available on request

9/12 & 13, 8pm: Broadway’s Golden Age and Beyond
Jeff Tyzik, conductor; Lisa Vroman and Doug LaBrecque, vocalists

9/18 & 20, 8 pm: Season Opener with Midori and Ward Stare
Ward Stare, guest conductor; Midori, violin

10/2, 7:30pm & 10/4, 8 pm: Denk Plays Beethoven Plus Symphonie Fantastique
Jun Märkl, guest conductor; Jeremy Denk, piano

10/9, 7:30pm & 10/11, 8pm: An American in Paris
Jeffrey Kahane, guest conductor and piano

10/23, 7:30pm & 10/25, 8 pm: Mozart & Prokofiev
Case Scaglione, guest conductor; Matthew McDonald, bassoon (The Ron and Donna Fielding Chair)

10/31 & 11/1, 8pm: Phantom of the Opera Silent Film
Donald Hunsberger, guest conductor

11/6, 7:30pm & 11/8, 8pm: Brahms & Rachmaninoff
Christoph König, guest conductor; Douglas Humpherys, piano

11/13, 7:30pm & 11/15, 8pm: Van Cliburn Gold & Mozart’s “Jupiter”
José Luis Gomez, guest conductor; Vadym Kholodenko, piano

11/28, 29 & 30, 2 & 7pm: The Nutcracker
Michael Butterman, conductor; Rochester City Ballet, Jamey Leverett, artistic director; Bach Children’s Chorus, Karla Krogstad, director

12/13, 7:30pm: Handel’s Messiah
Rochester Oratorio Society, Eric Townell, director

12/14, 2pm: The Snowman

12/19 & 20, 8 pm; 12/20 & 21, 2 pm: Gala Holiday Pops
Michael Butterman, conductor (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair); Festival High School Chorale, Amy Story and Harold McAulliffe, co-directors

1/23 & 24, 8pm: Tango Caliente
Jeff Tyzik, conductor; Eva Lucera & Patricio Touceda, tango dancers: Juliana Athayde, violin (The Caroline W. Gannett & Clayla Ward Chair); Malena Dayen, vocalist; Hector Del Curto, bandoneon

2/5, 7:30pm & 2/7, 8pm: Beethoven’s Fifth
Marcelo Lehninger, guest conductor; Stephen Hough, piano

2/13 & 14, 8pm: Preservation Hall Jazz Band

3/5, 7:30pm & 3/7, 8pm: Copland & Dvořák
Daniel Hege, guest conductor; Augustin Hadelich, violin

3/12, 7:30pm & 3/14, 8pm: A Night of Dance
Daniel Meyer, guest conductor; Rochester City Ballet, Jamey Leverett, artistic director; FuturPointe Dance, N’Jelle Gage and Guy Thorne, co-founders

3/20 & 21, 8 pm: Denzal Sinclaire Sings the Nat King Cole Songbook
Jeff Tyzik, conductor; Denzal Sinclaire, vocalist

4/17 & 18, 8pm: The Peking Acrobats
Jeff Tyzik, conductor

4/30, 7:30pm & 5/2, 8pm: Seaman & Nakamatsu Return
Christopher Seaman, Conductor Laureate (The Christopher Seaman Chair, Supported by Barbara and Patrick Fulford and the Conductor Laureate Society); Jon Nakamatsu, piano

5/8 & 9, 8pm: Tyzik’s Images
Jeff Tyzik, conductor; Rochester City Ballet, Jamey Leverett, artistic director

5/21, 7:30pm & 5/23, 8pm: Dvořák’s “New World” Symphony
Yoav Talmi, guest conductor; Juliana Athayde, violin (The Caroline W. Gannett & Clayla Ward Chair)

5/29 & 30, 8pm: Michael Feinstein
TBD, guest conductor; Michael Feinstein, vocals and piano

6/4, 7:30pm & 6/6, 8pm: Carmina Burana
Gregory Vajda, guest conductor; Rochester Oratorio Society, Eric Townell, director
Vocal soloists TBA

Season sponsors in addition to those already mentioned include Wendy’s (OrKIDStra series); County of Monroe; City of Rochester; NYSCA; The Alfred Davis and Brunhilde Knapp Artists Performance Fund; The Mozart Performance Fund: Sarah D. Atkinson, M.D. and Steven Hess; and Katherine T. and Jon L. Schumacher Orchestra Musician Soloist Fund.

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has been committed to enriching and inspiring our community through the art of music since its founding in 1922. The RPO presents approximately 150 concerts and broadcasts a year, serving up to 200,000 people through ticketed events, education and community engagement activities, and concerts in schools and community centers throughout the region. Notable former music directors include Eugene Goossens, José Iturbi, Erich Leinsdorf, David Zinman, and Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman; Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik has earned a national reputation for excellence in pops programming during his 20-year tenure with the RPO. With Michael Butterman as Principal Conductor for Education and Outreach (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) – the first position of its kind in the country – the RPO reaches more than 13,000 children through its specific programs for school-aged children. The RPO’s 2013-14 season highlights include Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik’s 20th anniversary celebration, and a performance at Carnegie Hall on May 7, 2014, as part of the Spring For Music festival.

Media please note:  View the season brochure at rpo.org. High-resolution images for Phils concerts are available at:  https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B8FkJzlaIpThcVY4TS1ScWhlcDQ&usp=sharing; Pops at: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B8FkJzlaIpThNUxERDVDUkdmM0k&usp=sharing. Interviews and photo and footage opportunities can also be arranged.