Composer

Expect youthful optimism from Tchaikovsky’s favourite folk tunes and Bates’ Mothership, commissioned by the YouTube Symphony.

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Tchaikovsky & Folksong

Winspear Centre

Meet the instruments! The concert begins with a classic introduction to the instruments in Benjamin Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra. Then, dynamic concerto meets animated film in Mason Bates’ Philharmonia Fantastique. Guided by a magical Sprite, you’ll explore the fundamental connections between music, sound, performance, creativity and technology.

Philharmonia Fantastique

Joan and Irwin Jacobs Music Center

The New Millennium Chamber Orchestra concludes its 11th Concert Season this April with “American Landscapes", a journey through music inspired by the urban and natural landscapes of the United States.

American Landscapes

First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto

Transfiguration Episcopal Church

Since the mysterious opening celesta melody of “Hedwig’s Theme” sounded in the first Harry Potter film, John Williams’ score has been inseparable in audiences’ minds from the magic and wonder of the beloved franchise. Each piece captures a character or idea, and Williams said that while he was composing, the enchanting themes all insisted on being “hatched” and “seemed to arrive all clamoring for their individual identities.” Gustavo Dudamel leads the LA Phil in a family friendly program featuring a Grand Suite from Harry Potter with a special guest narrator and selected film clips, as well as a musical journey through the orchestra guided by a magical Sprite. Described as a “concerto for orchestra and animated film,” Philharmonia Fantastique combines music by Mason Bates, direction by Gary Rydstrom, and animation by Jim Capobianco resulting in what John Williams praised as “the biggest step forward since Fantasia” in combining music and animation.

Dudamel Conducts Harry Potter

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Lahav Shani conducts Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique, a symphony that the composer premiered less than a week before his death and was later nicknamed for the passion and suffering it expresses. Daniil Trifonov takes the spotlight in former CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence Mason Bates’ Piano Concerto, a journey through three stylistic sound worlds, from Renaissance dance music to Romantic-era brooding to a contemporary finale imbued with strains of jazz and minimalism.

Tchaikovsky Pathétique & Trifonov

Symphony Center

Legendary violinist Gil Shaham joins Yannick and The Philadelphia Orchestra in the Bravo! Vail premiere of Mason Bate’s explosive Nomad Concerto in a program that includes Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.

Yannick Conducts Rachmaninoff 2024

Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater

Following the success of his performance in 2023, Gil Shaham returns to perform a new violin concerto by Mason Bates, one of today’s leading American composers. Led by Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska making her SPAC debut, the evening closes with her fellow countryman Jean Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5.

Gil Shaham Performs Bates

Saratoga Spa State Park

Animated film meets virtuosic concerto! Follow a magical sprite as it takes audiences inside musical instruments and shows how they work together as an orchestra. Created by former CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence Mason Bates and an Oscar-winning creative team, this film with live music builds to a spectacular finale.

School Concert: Philharmonia Fantastique

Join us for an enchanting musical journey with the "Philharmonia Fantastique" at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, set to captivate audiences on October 19, 2024. This unique performance, perfect for ages 5-12, combines the magic of an animated film with the virtuosity of a live concerto, offering an immersive experience into the world of music. 

Created by the talented former CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence Mason Bates, alongside an Oscar-winning creative team, "Philharmonia Fantastique" invites you to follow a magical sprite on an adventure inside musical instruments, revealing the intricate ways they come together to form an orchestra. The journey builds to a spectacular finale, with live music that promises to leave audiences in awe.

Under the baton of conductor Eric Jacobsen, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will perform this CSO Co-commissioned piece, "Philharmonia Fantastique: The Making of the Orchestra," at the iconic Symphony Center. 

Tickets are priced between $15 and $65, making this extraordinary experience accessible to all. Mark your calendars, as individual concert tickets will be available for purchase starting August 2024. Don't miss this opportunity to introduce the younger generation to the wonders of orchestral music in a fun and engaging way.

Mason Bates

Composer

Events

Apr 19, 2024

Tchaikovsky & Folksong · Winspear Centre

Apr 27, 2024

Philharmonia Fantastique · San Diego Symphony

27 - 28 Apr, 2024

American Landscapes · The New Millennium Chamber Orchestra

18 - 19 May, 2024

Dudamel Conducts Harry Potter · Los Angeles Philharmonic

20 - 23 Jun, 2024

Tchaikovsky Pathétique & Trifonov · Chicago Symphony Orchestra

About

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