YOUR RPO THIS OCTOBER: THRILLS, CHILLS & ROMANCE

Harry Potter, Romantic Chopin, Orchestral Showpieces!

PLUS: Halloween Tricks & Treats + Free Around-the-Town concerts

Rochester, NY –Your Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) kicks off a spectacular October with Romantic Chopin in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre on Thursday, October 6 at 7:30 PM and Saturday, October 8 at 8 PM. Taiwanese-American Music Director of the Chicago Sinfonietta since 2011, Mei-Ann Chen makes her RPO debut with a program as full of passion as her conducting style.

Starting off with today’s most-performed contemporary orchestra work – blue cathedral by the Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-winning Jennifer Higdon – the concert continues with renowned Israeli pianist and Rochester favorite Inon Barnatan playing Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor. A young, desperate love inspired the composer, who wrote: “I say to my piano what I would like to be saying to you…”

The program closes with French composer Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 3 in G Minor. Because her much-admired work was all but forgotten after her death, the RPO is proud to join orchestras around the world in bringing well-deserved attention to her symphonic output.

Next up: the return of You-Know-Who™ along with Harry Potter™, Ron Weasley™, and Hermione Granger™ in an unforgettable event, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™  in Concert on Friday and Saturday, October 14 & 15 at 7 PM in Kodak Hall. Audiences will relive the magic on a giant screen in high definition as the RPO and guest conductor Nicholas Hersh perform Nicholas Hooper’s iconic score live. Attendees are encouraged to come in costume, and photo opportunities will be available in lobby before and after the concert as well as during intermission.  WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s22). Brought to you by CineConcerts.

Music Director Andreas Delfs leads Orchestral Showpieces! on Thursday, October 20 at 7:30 PM and Saturday, October 22 at 8 PM in Kodak Hall. This collection of music stories begins with Richard Strauss’s

Till Eulenspiegel, a tone poem that chronicles the merry pranks of a medieval German trickster of the same name. Next on the program is the Rochester premiere of American composer and former Eastman School of Music professor Christopher Rouse’s 1997 Der gerettete Alberich, a concerto for percussion and orchestra inspired by the villainous dwarf Alberich from Richard Wagner’s Ring cycle. Featuring famed Scottish percussionist Colin Currie, the piece also contains a rock and roll drum solo that has been compared to the style of Led Zeppelin.

The concert closes with Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka, which tells the tragic story of a puppet, a character popular in Russian folktales. The compelling ballet score brings the title character into uniquely human experiences, including soaring love and tragic death.

Two free RPO Around-the-Town concerts take place on Wednesday, October 26 at 7:30 PM at Churchville-Chili High School and Thursday, October 27 at 7:30 PM at Hilton High School. Guest conductor Paul Shewan will lead a varied, accessible program for all ages.

October ends with the season’s first OrKIDStra: Halloween Tricks & Treats on Sunday, October 30 at 2 PM in Hochstein Performance Hall. Costumes are strongly encouraged for the young and the young-at-heart, including the musicians of the RPO and guest conductor Matthew Straw. Hands-on, pre-concert activities are back in person starting one hour 

prior to curtain. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children, and are available at all the following locations (except Kodak Hall) as well as at Hochstein Performance Hall one hour prior to curtain.

All other tickets start at $24 ($30 with fees)/$12 for children ages 3-17 ($18 with fees) and are available online anytime at rpo.org, by phone at 585-454-2100 (Monday-Friday,10 AM-5 PM), and in person at RPO Patron Services at 225 East Avenue (Monday-Friday, 10 AM-5 PM) and one hour prior to curtain at the Eastman Theatre Box Office (433 East Main St.). Incentivized subscription packages for the 2022-23 Season are also available via the locations above.

COVID protocols have been updated and will be in effect starting September 8, 2022: Vaccinations are no longer required to attend concerts at Kodak Hall. Following the University of Rochester masking protocols and guidelines, masking is currently optional at Eastman Theatre. In an effort to accommodate those patrons who prefer to mask, the RPO is pleased to offer a masks-only section designated in a portion of the balcony.

The RPO thanks Season Sponsor M&T Bank, Pops Series Sponsors Canandaigua National Bank & Wegmans, and Special Series Sponsor Pittsford Federal Credit Union.

ABOUT THE RPO: The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) has been committed to enriching and inspiring our community through the art of music since its origins in 1922. The RPO presents approximately 150 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. Music Director Andreas Delfs joins the ranks of former notable RPO music directors, including Erich Leinsdorf, David Zinman, Mark Elder, Ward Stare, and Conductor Laureate Christopher Seaman. Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik, now in his 28th season, has earned a national reputation for excellence in pops programming during his tenure with the RPO. The RPO reaches more than 15,000 youth through its specific education programs.

Media please note: High-resolution images and other media assets for the 2022-23 Season can be found at https://bit.ly/3PhnoGk. Interviews and photo/footage opportunities are also available.