Legendary Season Features Six Separate Series and Six Special Events Including Two World Premieres plus Spotlight Roles for Concertmaster Jessica Hung
Dayton, Ohio (August 3, 2009) – All tickets for the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2009-2010 Legends Season concerts are officially on sale now. Tickets are available in the Dayton area by calling 937-228-3630 (toll-free at 888-228-3630), in-person at the Ticket Center Stage box office at the Schuster Center or Victoria Theatre, or online here. Subscriptions for all series are available as well. Tickets for subscribers are mailing this week.
Featuring the widest variety of music programming of its 77-year history, Music Director Neal Gittleman announces the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s (DPO) 2009-2010 Legends Season with performances set to kick off on Thursday, September 10, 2009 with an all Tchaikovsky Festival weekend and concludes on May 27, 2010 with a chamber recital featuring DPO Concertmaster Jessica Hung. A chronological schedule of concerts may be found here.
All together, the DPO will perform on 55 individual concert dates at three venues: the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, the Dayton Masonic Center, and Westminster Presbyterian Church – with the bulk of performances on the Mead Stage at the DPO’s official home, the Schuster Center. These ticketed performances do not include a wide variety of free community ensemble, Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Junior Strings Orchestra and educational concerts and events performed all over the Miami Valley region.
The new season includes the performances of two world premieres: Jeff Olmsted’s Songs of Rumi on the October 28 & 29, 2009 chamber concerts and Lowell Liebermann’s Clarinet Concerto on the November 5, 6 & 7, 2009 classical concerts. Mr. Olmsted resides in Dayton, Ohio and Mr. Liebermann in Weehawken, New Jersey. Both are native New Yorkers.
Spring of 2010 will be a busy time for new DPO Concertmaster Jessica Hung. For her second DPO season, she’ll be performing Max Bruch’s deeply romantic Violin Concerto No. 1 on the April 23 & 24 classical concerts and will command center stage for a chamber series recital on May 26 & 27. DPO Principals Josh Nemith (piano) and John Kurokawa (clarinet) join her for the chamber dates.
A CLASSICAL SEASON RICH WITH ARTISTIC TALENT
In addition to featured Dayton Philharmonic musicians, national and international star power will be in abundance for the new season. For the classical concerts, Music Director Neal Gittleman and the DPO welcome the youthful, preternaturally talented French pianist, Lise de la Salle, back to the Mead Stage after her phenomenally successful Dayton debut in the winter of 2008. “We were blown away by her sensitivity, technical prowess and complete grasp of the composer’s intent. Naturally, we booked her as soon as we could,” says Music Director Gittleman, “It’s gratifying to witness a legend-in-the-making.” Another piano paragon will join the DPO for an unusual two-week residency. The incomparable Leon Bates will perform Samuel Barber’s uniquely American Piano Concerto for the March classical concerts and then, the following weekend, headlines a pops concert tribute to the Broadway music of George Gershwin.
Jon Manasse, clarinetist, takes the lead on the new Liebermann concerto in November. “…deeply moving…”, “…almost metaphysical command…”, and “…beguiling…” are just a few of the accolades offered by publications like The Wall Street Journal, Tucson Citizen and San Francisco Chronicle to describe his accomplished virtuosity. Then, two renowned guest artists join the DPO in December on the same program. Frank Almond, acclaimed Concertmaster with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra brings his Stradivarius along with a masterful interpretation of the Brahms Violin Concerto. On the podium will be Tanglewood conducting fellow Maestro Kazem Abdullah. Originally hailing from Dayton, Ohio, he now returns after the notable success of launching his career in New York with the Metropolitan Opera.
In April, guest conductor John DeMain brings an opera conductor’s sense of drama to Hector Berlioz’s revolutionary musical narrative Symphonie fantastique. Grammy-winning Maestro DeMain, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, has performed with orchestras across North America, Europe and Australia.
FLAGSHIP SERIES OF NINE MAJOR PROGRAMS SPOTLIGHTS EXEMPLARS OF THE ROMANTIC ERA
Classical Connections Series Develops the Romantic Theme With Four Innovative Programs
The 2009-2010 Miami Valley & Good Samaritan Hospitals Classical Series, entitled The Romantics, kicks off on September 10, 2009. If one were to identify the starting point of the classical music Romantic Era, a good choice would be 1824, the year of the premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven’s breakthrough Symphony No. 9, one of the most celebrated works of music ever created. Appropriately, it is at the very heart of the Legends Season. The famous symphony, set for the October 2 & 3, 2009 dates, finds Neal Gittleman on the podium assisted by DPO Chorus Director Hank Dahlman preparing the DPO Chorus. Soloists are Mary Wilson (soprano), Susan Platts (mezzo-soprano), Chad Johnson (tenor), and John Shuffle (bass-baritone).
Other seminal romantic composers on the season lineup are Pyotr Tchaikovsky, César Franck, Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, Anton Bruckner, Richard Strauss, Samuel Barber, Robert Schumann, Max Bruch and Hector Berlioz.
These will be joined by classical composers Joseph Haydn and William Boyce, French Impressionist Claude Debussy, turn-of-the-century composers Reznicek and Bartok, great British composers Elgar and Walton, plus modern masters Stravinsky, Reich, Theofanidas and Liebermann.
The nine classical programs are scheduled as concert pairs. On weeks with no Classical Connections concerts, they take place on Friday/Saturday. On weeks with Classical Connections
concerts (specifically, in the months of September, November, January, and March) the classical programs take place on Thursday/Saturday, bracketing the Classical Connections Friday concerts. The classical schedule can be found here and Classical Connections here.
In addition to Beethoven’s Ninth, more notable highlights:
• The Tchaikovsky Festival Weekend (September 10-11-12, 2009) celebrates the unique vitality of the Russian master’s youthful works including his Romeo and Juliet fantasy-overture and the Second Symphony, Ukranian. DPO welcomes Cincinnati cellist Coleman Itzkoff for his orchestra debut on the 10th and 12th. Tchaikovsky is profiled in depth on the season’s first Classical Connections concert (September 11)
• Liebermann Clarinet Concerto world premiere (November 5-6-7, 2009) November 6 is the season’s second Classical Connections concert, which will also feature the new work
• Rarely-performed kaleidoscopic gem from the hand of famous Hungarian nationalist Béla Bartok: the Miraculous Mandarin Suite (December 4-5, 2009)
• Romantic tour-de-force opens with Wagner’s Faust Overture, continues with Liszt’s landmark Piano Concerto No. 1, and reaches a crest with Bruckner’s Symphony No. 3 (January 7-9, 2010) The third Classical Connections concert of the season on January 8 will take an in-depth look at the music of Wagner
• Music Director Neal Gittleman honors DPO’s colorful history and founder Paul Katz with an all-orchestral program culminating with Katz’s favorite symphonic work, Brahms Symphony No. 2 (February 5-6, 2010)
• Three romantic composers and their works are contrasted in March. Richard Strauss’s spectral tone poem Death and Transfiguration, Barber’s Piano Concerto and Schumann’s third symphonic work, called Rhenish, make up the classical program (March 11 and 13, 2010) The Classical Connections program (March 12) delves deeply into the lives and works of Strauss and Schumann
• Great variety characterizes the April program that matches guest conductor John DeMain with DPO Concertmaster Jessica Hung. This marks the first performance of Symphonie fantastique in the Schuster Center (April 23-24, 2010)
• In May, Music Director Gittleman and Orchestra unveil the wonders of British music. The program includes works of three composers of different eras and styles: Boyce, Elgar and Walton. Baritone Charles Robert Austin lends his potent presence to William Walton’s immense Belshazzar’s Feast, also featuring the DPO Chorus directed by Hank Dahlman (May 21-22, 2010)
As noted above, the 2009-2010 Classical Connections Series, The Composers, is comprised of four Friday night concerts that each run once. As companion programs to the regular classical concerts, the programs dive into the lives and influences of the composers more deeply in a series of portraits. Profiled composers are Tchaikovsky, Liebermann, Wagner and, for the final season program, a comparison of romantics Strauss and Schumann. Music Director Neal Gittleman and the DPO present the music and additional information in a lively talk-plus-performance setting. Lowell Liebermann joins the DPO on stage to help tell the story of his new Clarinet Concerto. There’s even a Q&A afterwards, with our maestro and guests.
THE POPS SEASON FEATURES LEGENDS FROM ROCK, BIG BAND, DANCE, JAZZ, BROADWAY AND BEYOND
The 2009-2010 National City SuperPops Series, The Entertainers, poses the eternal question “What makes a legend?” The rock group America gives us our first hint, with consummately crafted songs, trademark lush harmonies, and evocative lyrical landscapes. Clarinetist Ken Peplowski and the Sax Section from the U.S. Air Force Band of Flight hit our stage celebrating the 100th birthday of Big Band great Benny Goodman. Jazz songstress Jane Monheit provides another clue with her sultry, honey-voiced style, while the Jeans ‘n Classics rock ensemble returns to present the action-packed music of the legendary James Bond movies. Pianist Leon Bates celebrates the musical legacy of the Gershwin brothers. Finally, a homegrown legend, Rhythm in Shoes, hangs up their dancing shoes for good in our season finale, set to be a farewell performance to be remembered!
SuperPops programs are performed twice, Friday and Saturday. More information can be found here.
. Concert dates are as follows:
• Rock Legend: America, September 25-26, 2009
• Benny Goodman’s Big Band Birthday, October 9-10, 2009
• The Jazz Artistry of Jane Monheit, November 20-21, 2009
• Bond, James Bond with Jeans ‘n Classics, January 15-16, 2010
• Gershwin on Broadway with Leon Bates, March 19-20, 2010
• Le Grand Concert Finale with Rhythm in Shoes, May 7-8, 2010
FAMILY SERIES EXPANDS TO FOUR DATES DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND
The 2009-2010 Dayton Power & Light Family Series has become the music choice for families across the Miami Valley region. Last season’s three programs saw increased interest and attendance with several sellout performances. As a result, the series has been expanded to four concerts this season. The concerts are designed for families with children ages 3-10 and their parents, grandparents and caregivers.
The first in the series will be the traditional Halloween event, called PhilharMonster. It takes place on Saturday afternoon, October 24, 2009. The remaining three concerts are performed on Sunday afternoons at 3:00. All four family concerts are preceded by lively pre-concert events, starting at 2:00 pm, organized by the DPO Education staff and the Dayton Philharmonic Volunteer Association. This year will see a return of the popular Cirque de la Symphonie program, pairing the cirque artists with the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra under the direction of DPO Assistant Conductor Patrick Reynolds. The series continues with Children’s Games and Stories, featuring a musical version of Dr. Seuss’s beloved Green Eggs and Ham, and Fairy Tale Fantasia with Madcap Puppet Theatre, presenting a program that features Little Red Riding Hood, dancing frogs, a swaggering toreador, and even a wild hoe down! More information on this series may be found here.
Concert calendar:
• PhilharMonster Halloween concert, October 24, 2009
• Cirque de la Symphonie with the DPYO, February 7, 2010
• Children’s Games and Stories, April 25, 2010
• Fairy Tale Fantasia with Madcap Theatre, May 23, 2010
EXPLORATIONS SERIES EXPLORES A WIDE ARRAY OF CHAMBER ORCHESTRA, SMALL ENSEMBLE AND RECITAL STYLES
The 2009-2010 Demirjian Chamber Exploration Series, The Visionaries, will feature both traditional and unusual combinations for small orchestra, chamber ensembles and solo recital in works by composers including Bach, Bernstein, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Mozart, and Bartók. Also joining the lineup this season will be 21st century composer and Dayton resident Jeff Olmsted with a world premiere of his newly orchestrated Songs of Rumi, a work arranged for small orchestra and chorus. Now in her second season, the DPO’s exciting new concertmaster, Jessica Hung, makes her DPO Demirjian Chamber Explorations solo debut, performing works of Mozart, Bartók, and Strauss in May. Each program is performed on two days, 6:30 pm Wednesday evening (with free pizza appetizers) and 10:00 am Thursday morning (with free coffee, tea and doughnuts). More information on this series may be found here.
Concert calendar:
• Brass & Percussion Soundscape, September 16-17, 2009
• World Premiere: Songs of Rumi, October 28-29, 2009
• Principal Quartet Spring Concert, March 31-April 1, 2010
• Recital Spotlight: Jessica Hung, May 26-27, 2010
NEW CLASSICAL SERIES TO BE PERFORMED AT THE DAYTON MASONIC CENTER IS DESIGNED FOR FAMILIES AND VALUE-SEEKERS
A new series, the 2009-2010 Symphony Sundaes, The Classical Masters, will debut in February of 2010. Through audience feedback, DPO management has identified a desire by area families to experience core classical repertory (Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Bach) in a very cost-effective, more intimate and shorter format. This new series has been created for families, and generally for anyone, who are searching for a great music experience at low, friendly prices. Tickets can be purchased for as low as $10 per concert on a subscription basis and there are no ticket surcharges or parking costs. Each concert is headlined by a symphony from the pen of a classical master. A lively overture and a concerto are also part of each program. The first date in February will feature DPO Principal Trumpet Charlie Pagnard for Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto. The third concert in May will feature DPO’s new Principal Horn Robert Johnson for Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4. This will be Mr. Johnson’s DPO solo debut. The concerts take place in the very intimate setting of the Masonic Center’s Scottish Rite Auditorium. Concerts are performed at 3:00 pm on Sundays and are topped off by a scoop of complimentary ice cream – giving the whole series a distinct “ice cream social” feel. More here.
Concert calendar:
• Beethoven Symphony Sunday, February 21, 2010
• Mozart Symphony Sunday, March 28, 2010
• Schubert Symphony Sunday, May 2, 2010
SIX DRAMATIC SPECIAL EVENTS DRAW UPON MUSIC STYLES SPANNING 400 YEARS
The 2009-2010 Special Events are one-night-only performances covering the widest range of music conceivable. First, the Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration features music written during our 16th President’s lifetime. Performed on Veteran’s Day 2009, the DPO is opening the doors free to this concert to active and retired military personnel, two tickets per household, beginning in September. More here. This Special Event is presented in association with the Lincoln Society of Dayton and is endorsed by the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.
On the heels of the successful Broadway show and film Mamma Mia comes The Music of ABBA featuring top tribute group ARRIVAL. These four talented musicians, their backup group and the Orchestra combine forces for an evening of disco-pop delight. The holidays bring Handel‘s Messiah and the fabulous New Year’s Eve Concert: Viennese Homecoming, sponsored by Kettering Health Network. A Night at Woodstock, featuring Jeans ‘n Classics, and the 1610 Vespers, from Renaissance composer Claudio Monteverdi, are performed in February. More here.
Concert calendar:
• Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration, November 11, 2009
• The Music of ABBA with ARRIVAL, November 14, 2009
• Handel’s Messiah, December 13, 2009 at Westminster Presbyterian
• New Year’s Eve Concert: Viennese Homecoming, December 31, 2009
• A Night at Woodstock with Jeans ‘n Classics, February 13, 2010
• Monteverdi 1610 Vespers, February 27, 2010 at Westminster Presbyterian
For Classical, Classical Connections, and Chamber series concerts, students 25 years of age and younger with student ID receive $10 tickets for available P, A, B, C seating and $5 tickets for D seating. Students receive half off on SuperPops concerts for the B, C & D price tiers.
On New Year’s Eve, Messiah, and Monteverdi Vespers Special Events tickets, there is a $2 discount per ticket on B, C, and D seating for those 60 years old and up. To purchase tickets, call 937-228-3630 or toll-free at 888-228-3630, visit Ticket Center Stage at the Schuster Center or Victoria Theatre, or order online here.
Downloadable photos available here.