Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra to Take Part in 2014 Spring for Music Festival at Carnegie Hall

ROCHESTER – The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra announced today that it has been selected to participate in the 2014 Spring for Music festival at Carnegie Hall, the legendary concert hall in New York City. This marks the Orchestra’s fourth visit to Carnegie Hall and its first under Music Director Arild Remmereit. The concert, scheduled for May 7, 2014, will feature music written by women composers, one of the major themes through Remmereit’s inaugural season with the RPO.   

At Spring for Music, Remmereit and the RPO will feature Amy Beach’s “Gaelic” Symphony No. 2 on the first half of its program, a piece that they also performed as part of Remmereit’s inaugural concert in September 2011. 

RPO Music Director Arild Remmereit said, “I have had a wish list of artistic initiatives that I have wanted to achieve with the RPO as its Music Director. At the top of the list was to lead the RPO in its return to Carnegie Hall which is at the forefront of a long-term plan to bring the RPO to national recognition. This is all part of a larger plan to renew our place as a leading national orchestra and increasing its artistic viability.”

Charlie Owens, President & CEO remarked, “To be selected to participate in Spring for Music 2014 is both an honor and a thrill for the RPO. This announcement adds to the tremendous excitement generated this season by Arild Remmereit and his innovative programming. We look forward to our long-awaited return to Carnegie Hall and re-establishing the Orchestra’s role as a prominent ambassador for the City of Rochester in the music capital of the world.”

Over the course of its 89-year history, the RPO has performed at Carnegie Hall 16 times. The last performance was in 1985 under the direction of then-Music Director, David Zinman. Spring For Music is a concentrated festival of concerts by North American symphony orchestras and chamber orchestras presented annually at Carnegie Hall to broad music-loving audiences at affordable prices, sold through a unique marketing structure and with an artistic profile built around innovative and creative programs. The festival is designed to allow participating orchestras to showcase their artistic philosophies through distinctive and adventurous programming in one of the world’s most competitive musical environments. In concert presentation talks, each participating orchestra describes how that night’s program relates to its artistic philosophy. Spring for Music chooses six orchestras to participate each May; 2011 was the inaugural season.

The RPO’s Spring for Music concert program continues Rochester’s longstanding tradition of generating new compositions for future generations.  The road to acceptance for women composers has been long and challenging, and in its 2011-2012 Season, the RPO is recognizing their important contributions to the symphonic field. The program features Amy Beach’s “Gaelic” Symphony No. 2, which the RPO performed as part of Remmereit’s inaugural concert in September 2011. 

 

 

For release: Monday, January 23, 2012

 

SPRING FOR MUSIC today announced that the orchestras chosen to participate in the

2014 festival (the fourth Spring For Music festival), which will run from May 5 to May 10, 2014 at Carnegie Hall are:

 

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC, Alan Gilbert, music director
Monday, May 5, 2014

SEATTLE SYMPHONY, Ludovic Morlot, music director
Tuesday, May 6, 2014

ROCHESTER PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, Arild Remmereit, music director
Wednesday, May 7, 2014

WINNIPEG SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Alexander Mickelthwate, music director
Thursday, May 8, 2014

CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and MAY FESTIVAL CHORUS,
James Conlon, music director Cincinnati May Festival
Friday, May 9, 2014

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Manfred Honeck, music director
Saturday, May 10, 2014

 

SPRING FOR MUSIC is an annual festival each May at Carnegie Hall celebrating and exhibiting the quality and creativity of North American orchestras. During its inaugural season, Spring For Music was categorized by the press as “bold,” “gripping,” “vibrant,” inspired,” “virtuosic,” “brilliant.” The New Yorker hailed it as “fresh at every turn,” while The New York Times stated that Spring For Music gives “power to the listener.” The festival, which is presented in partnership with Carnegie Hall, began in 2011 and has made the commitment to continue yearly through 2014. Tickets originally priced at $25 for any seat in the house still remain at this very popular price.

 

FOR 2013 (the third Spring For Music festival), there have been some changes in the orchestras being presented.

 

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra will be part of the 2013 festival, replacing the Cincinnati Symphony and May Festival Chorus which asked to be deferred to the 2014 season due to a scheduling change regarding the renovation of Music Hall in Cincinnati. Spring For Music was able to accommodate their request, and happily Detroit was now available to accept this invitation. The complete lineup for 2013 with complete programs is as follows:

 

Monday, May 6, 2013
BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Marin Alsop, music director
    John Adams: Shaker Loops
    Jennifer Higdon: Concerto 4-3
        Time for Three, string trio
        New York Premiere

*****
Sergei Prokofiev: Symphony No. 4 (1947 version)

 

Tuesday, May 7, 2013
ALBANY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
David Alan Miller, music director
    John Harbison: Suite from The Great Gatsby
         New York premiere
    George Gershwin: Second Rhapsody for piano and orchestra
        Kevin Cole, piano

*****
Morton Gould: Symphony No. 3
    New York premiere of original version

 

Wednesday, May 8, 2013
BUFFALO PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
 JoAnn Falletta, music director
    Giya Kancheli: “Morning Prayers” from Life Without Christmas

*****
Reinhold Glière: Symphony No. 3, “Ilya Muromets”

              

Thursday, May 9, 2013
OREGON SYMPHONY
Carlos Kalmar, music director
    Narong Prangcharoen: Phenomenon
    Kurt Weill: Seven Deadly Sins
        Storm Large, vocalist

*****
Arnold Schoenberg: Accompaniment to a Film Score
Franz Schubert: Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished”
Maurice Ravel: La Valse

 

Friday, May 10, 2013
DETROIT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Leonard Slatkin, music director

“IVES IMMERSION”

Charles Ives: Symphony No. 1

            *****

Charles Ives: Symphony No. 2

            *****

Charles Ives: Symphony No. 3

            *****

Charles Ives: Symphony No. 4

 

Saturday, May 11, 2013
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Christoph Eschenbach, music director

  “A TRIBUTE TO SLAVA”

  Alfred Schnittke: Symphony No. 6

  *****

  Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

 

 

Major funding for SPRING FOR MUSIC 2012 is provided by MetLife Foundation.

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: www.SPRINGFORMUSIC.com

 

PUBLIC RELATIONS contacts:

Mary Lou Falcone

M.L. Falcone, Public Relations       212-580-4302 MLFPR@mlfpr.com

and

Amanda Ameer

First Chair Promotion                           212-368-5949 amanda@firstchairpromo.com