Composer

Music Director

When the 18-year-old pianist Yunchan Lim became the youngest ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, he launched a global phenomenon, with more than nine million views and counting of his Rach 3 performance conducted by Marin Alsop.

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Simon, Ives, And Rachmaninoff

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

The Music Center at Strathmore

In 1943, the National Negro Opera Company is set to perform on a floating barge to evade racially-segregated venues. But when bad weather threatens—pushing the performance to a segregated performance hall—visionary impressaria Mary Cardwell Dawson must find a way forward.

The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson

Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

When the 18-year-old pianist Yunchan Lim became the youngest ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, he launched a global phenomenon, with more than nine million views and counting of his Rach 3 performance conducted by Marin Alsop. Now the BSO Music Director Laureate welcomes Lim to present Rachmaninoff’s stunningly gorgeous Piano Concerto No. 2. Alsop continues her role as a leading champion of American music, presenting the hymn-filled Second Symphony of Ives (a work premiered by her mentor, Leonard Bernstein) along with Carlos Simon’s bluesy AMEN!

Bso: Simon, Ives, and Rachmaninoff

Join the Chicago Sinfonietta for an unforgettable season finale, REVERB, featuring a lineup of works that showcase the power and energy of classical music. 
The evening begins with Chin's Subito con Forza, a  dynamic work that sets the tone for an evening. Then, if you appreciate bold and dynamic orchestral music, you won't want to miss the triumphant Symphony No. 3 by Louise Farrenc, whose brilliance as a composer is finally receiving the recognition it deserves.

Reverb

Roosevelt University

North Central College

Music Director candidate Chelsea Tipton, currently Music Director of the Symphony of Southeast Texas, opens this Masterworks Season FInale with Carlos Simon’s joyful, spontaneous, and soulful Amen! American violinist Andrew Sords then takes center stage for Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy. Edward Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 is a perfect match for the local graduation season, and to bring the concert to a resplendent close, Richard Strauss’s suite from his opera Der Rosenkavalier—a lush and emotive masterpiece that carries you through the heart of Vienna’s romantic operatic tradition.

Chelsea Tipton Music Director Candidate

Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts

Composer Carl Orff based Carmina Burana on two dozen poems – but far from odes of love, these verses deal in lust, gambling, drinking, and the fickle hand of fate (“O Fortuna!”). Music Director Ken-David Masur joins Artistic Partner Dashon Burton and the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus as they lend their voices to this bawdy cantata. Pairing well with Orff’s epic is Carlos Simon’s Fate Now Conquers, which refers to a notebook entry written by Beethoven and explores “the unpredictable ways of fate.” Between these, the MSO showcases its own Principal Trombone Megumi Kanda in Tan Dun’s Three Muses in Video Game, a daring and spiritual concerto which challenges the trombonist to evoke three ancient Chinese musical instruments.

Carmina Burana & Fate Now Conquers

Warner Grand Theater

We close our 80th Masterworks season with a return appearance from Melissa White, the HSO’s 2023-2024 Joyce C. Willis Artist in Residence performing the soaring melodies of Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1. According to Carlos Simon, his intent for Amen! was “to re-create the musical experience of an African American Pentecostal church service that I enjoyed being part of while growing up in this denomination.” Each movement flows into the next to reflect the way the worship service flows. Inspired by the astrological characters of each planet, Holst’s The Planets bears the richness and emotional warmth of humanity, encapsulating the theme of the entire program bringing people together through the spirit of music.

The Planets

The Bushnell

Raise a glass to a vibrant new season! Spotlight Artist and Canadian piano sensation Jan Lisiecki joins Concertmaster Jonathan Crow and Principal Cello Joseph Johnson for a work that shines a light on three soloists, Beethoven’s captivating Triple Concerto. Then, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition invites you on an imaginative stroll through an art gallery, each note echoing the brush strokes of a different painting.

Pictures at an Exhibition

David Pecaut Square

Experience the grandeur of the “new” Jacobs Music Center as Music Director Rafael Payare and the Orchestra present Mahler’s towering Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection.” Distinguished soloists Angela Meade and Anna Larsson join the Symphony’s continued exploration of Mahler. The program opens with a San Diego Symphony commission from renowned American composer Carlos Simon.

Resurrections and Renewal: Mahler’s Symphony No. 2

Joan and Irwin Jacobs Music Center

Join the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for an unforgettable evening of music and celebration, featuring the world-renowned violinist Ray Chen. This special performance, set against the backdrop of the iconic Orchestra Hall, promises to be a highlight of the musical season, taking place from Friday, December 6, to Sunday, December 8, 2024.

Under the baton of Music Director Jader Bignamini, the orchestra will bring to life a diverse and vibrant program. The evening will open with Carlos Simon's "Four Black American Dances," followed by Samuel Barber's poignant "Violin Concerto," performed by the exceptional Ray Chen. The concert will also feature selections from Tchaikovsky's beloved "The Nutcracker Suite," before taking a unique turn with Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's jazz-infused arrangement of the same, promising a blend of classical grace and swing-era cool that's not to be missed.

Jader Bignamini, celebrated for his infectious passion and artistic excellence, leads the orchestra with a deep connection to both the music and the musicians, ensuring a performance that resonates with energy and emotion. Ray Chen, known for redefining what it means to be a classical musician in the 21st century, brings his remarkable musicianship and dynamic presence to the stage, guaranteeing a rendition of Barber's Violin Concerto that will be both palpable and memorable.

This event is not just a concert but a celebration of music's power to unite and inspire. It's an invitation to experience the joy and depth of classical music, brought to life by some of the most talented artists of our time. Whether you're a lifelong classical music fan or looking for an introduction to the genre, this performance is sure to leave you moved and exhilarated.

Tickets are available now, with prices starting at a range accessible to all. Don't miss this opportunity to witness the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Ray Chen in what promises to be a spectacular set of performances at Orchestra Hall, a venue renowned for its acoustics and historic charm. Join us for a night of exquisite music, and let the melodies of Carlos Simon, Samuel Barber, Tchaikovsky, Duke Ellington, and Billy Strayhorn transport you.

Carlos Simon

Composer, Music Director

Events

26 - 28 Apr, 2024

Simon, Ives, And Rachmaninoff · Baltimore Symphony

Apr 27 - May 5, 2024

The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson · Pittsburgh Opera

Apr 28, 2024

Bso: Simon, Ives, and Rachmaninoff · Strathmore

10 - 11 May, 2024

Reverb · Chicago Sinfonietta

May 11, 2024

Chelsea Tipton Music Director Candidate · Greensboro Symphony Orchestra

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