Yuja Wang kicks off an exciting April

March 10, 2016

For Immediate Release: March10, 2016
Media Contact:  Sally Cohen, 585-749-1795, sally@sallycohenpr.com
RPO Info:  rpo.org, facebook.com/RochesterPhilharmonic, twitter.com/RochesterPhil, rochesterphilharmonic.blogspot.com, instagram.com/rochesterphilharmonic

 

YUJA WANG KICKS OFF AN EXCITING APRIL
One-night-only Special Concert with Jim Brickman April 30
Free Around-the-Town Concerts feature ROCmusic
PLUS: Stare Conducts Mozart 40 Sunday Matinee

Rochester, NY – The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) kicks off an exciting April with the Rochester debut of international phenomenon, Yuja Wang,on Thursday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 16 at 8 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. The 29-year-old pianist is widely recognized as one of the most important artists of her generation, and has performed with many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, conductors and musicians. Regularly lauded for her controlled, prodigious technique, Wang has been praised for her authority over the most complex technical demands of the repertoire, the depth of her musical insight, as well as her fresh interpretations and charismatic stage presence. Wang will play a different Bartók piece here each night: Piano Concerto No. 1 on Thursday the 14th, and Piano Concerto No. 3 on Saturday the 16th.  Music Director Ward Stare will conduct Yuja Wang, which will also include Saint-Saëns’ “Danse Bacchanale” from Samson and Delilah, and Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances.

Stare will also conduct his second Sunday Matinee of the season at Hochstein Performance Hall on Sunday, April 24 at 2 p.m. Stare Conducts Mozart 40 includes Schubert’s Symphony No. 5 and Prokofiev’s famous Symphony No. 1, “Classical” in addition to Mozart’s beloved 40th Symphony. Tickets are $25. This concert is made possible in part by The Mozart Performance Fund: Sarah D. Atkinson, M.D. and Steven Hess.

Dances Around the World is the title of his year’s annual spring RPO Around-the-Town Concert Series. All three concerts are sponsored by the City of Rochester and are free and open to the public:

  • Tuesday, April 26 at Gantt Recreation Center (700 North Street)
  • Wednesday, April 27 at Franklin High School (950 Norton Street)
  • Thursday, April 28 at Edgerton Recreation Center (41 Backus Street)

All concerts take place at 7:30 p.m. and will feature ROCcmusic, a program (with which the RPO partners) that offers free, after-school classical music instruction and instrument lessons to students in grades 1- 12 who reside in the City of Rochester. Guest conducted by Boon Hua Lien, the program will feature different styles of dance music.

Closing out April for the RPO will be Jim Brickman, a one-night-only Special Concert on Saturday, April 30 at 8 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Led by guest conductor Matthew Kraemer, crowd-pleasing pianist Jim Brickman’s RPO debut will take the audience on a musical journey that includes electric violinist Tracy Silverman, vocalist Anne Cochran, and his own engaging wit. Since the release of his debut album, No Words, in 1994, Brickman’s romantic piano sound has made him the best-selling solo piano artist of our time. Known for chart-toppers including “Valentine,” “The Gift,” “Love of My Life,” “Simple Things” and “Peace,” he’s also filmed four specials for PBS and won numerous awards including two Grammy nominations. Throughout his long career, Brickman has shared his artistry with luminaries such as Kenny Loggins, Carly Simon, Herb Alpert, Michael Bolton, Donny Osmond, saxophonist Dave Koz, Olivia Newton-John, and Canadian country singer Michelle Wright. A special Jim Brickman post-concert meet-and-greet ticket for $100 is available by calling the box office at (585) 454-2100. This concert is sponsored by Rochester Regional Health.

TICKETS for the above concerts, except where noted, start at $22, and may be purchased in person at the Eastman Theatre Box Office (433 East Main St.) and at all Wegmans That’s T.H.E. Ticket! locations, by phone at (585) 454-2100, or online at rpo.org. Available student ticket prices can be found at RPO Student Tickets.

The RPO’s 93rd season is presented by Dawn and Jacques Lipson. The 2015/16 Philharmonics Series is sponsored by M&T Bank; the 2015/16Pops Series is sponsored by Canandaigua National Bank & Trust and Lightower Networks. RPO performances are also made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional sponsors include Monroe County; the City of Rochester; the Alfred Davis and Brunhilde Knapp Artists Performance Fund; City Newspaper; Kids Out and About.com; WARM 101.3; and the Katherine T. and Jon L. Schumacher Orchestra Musician Soloist Fund.

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has been committed to enriching and inspiring our community through the art of music since its founding in 1922. The RPO presents approximately 160 concerts and broadcasts a year, serving up to 170,000 people through ticketed events, education and community engagement activities, and concerts in schools and community centers throughout the region. Recently appointed 12th Music Director Ward Stare joins the ranks of former notable RPO music directors, including 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 22-year tenure with the RPO. With Michael Butterman as Principal Conductor for Education and Community Engagement (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) – the first endowed position of its kind in the country – the RPO reaches more than 12,000 children through its specific programs for school-aged children.

Media please note: High-resolution images are available, and interviews and photo/footage opportunities can be arranged.

 

###