Conductor

Hindemith: Der Schwanendreher (Concerto for Viola), Beethoven: Die Weihe des Hauses, Dvořák: Symphony No. 7. Soloist: Nicholas Swensen (viola). Conductor: Erik Nielsen.

EPSG:4326

Dvořák 7

Musikhuset Aarhus

Music that will do something for you: Dvorák's wonderful Seventh Symphony is romantic to the core – and a young Danish soloist plays Hindemith on the dark-sounding viola.

Dvorak 7

Aarhus Music Hall

The viola comes into its own in Hindemith, where the dark sound both sings and plays with the orchestra. Dvorák's Seventh Symphony and exuberant tones of Beethoven complete a concert full of contrasts, energy and orchestral glow.

Thursday Night Concert: The Sound of Devotion

Christmas Eve, 1871. In Cairo’s newly built opera house, the curtain rises on the premiere of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida. This is a turning point in cultural history, when an occidental passion for exoticism and an oriental interest in European high culture come together to create great art. Very few works of opera have achieved such widespread popularity. And rightly so: with its thrilling musical effects, exotic sounds and tableaux, the colourful instrumentation and monumental scenes alternating with moments of great intimacy, Aida is a true musical and dramatic treasure trove. And that’s not all. Through the tragic love affair between the Ethiopian princess Aida and the Egyptian army commander Radamès, torn between the interests of state, church and family, Giuseppe Verdi reflects on the crisis-ridden plight of the modern individual, ending with a highly moving plea for the utopian power of love.

Aida

Semperoper Dresden

A wealthy man wants to immortalise his life and success in an illustrated book, which confronts him with an uncomfortable reality.

Written on Skin

Oper Frankfurt

With "Zampa," French composer Ferdinand Hérold landed his greatest operatic success; after its premiere in Paris in 1831, the work also became popular in Germany and Italy. Hérold sets off a musical firework display in the overture, which continues with contrasting solo numbers and large ensembles. The plot's borrowing from Mozart's "Don Giovanni" guarantees mischievous delight: a stone statue drags the pirate and ruthless seducer Zampa into the abyss as punishment.

The Marble Bride

Prinzregententheater

How terrible must life be if you can’t laugh? Sergei Prokofiev’s opera The Love for Three Oranges is about a king who wishes to help his sick son. But only one thing can cure the malady of the heir to the throne: laughter. While the doctors are trying their luck, Truffaldino and Fata Morgana get into a fight, during which the latter is knocked over.

The Love for Three Oranges

Wagner’s Tannhäuser receives a highly anticipated new staging from internationally acclaimed director Francesca Zambello—and Houston audiences will be the first to experience her strikingly beautiful production. Lust and love, diametrically opposed forces in the opera’s universe, do battle within the title character’s psyche as the story unfolds. At curtain’s open, Tannhäuser has abandoned his life as a poet who sings of courtly love in favor of the carnal delights of the goddess Venus, spending a rapture-filled year on her magic mountain in the sky. Seeking something more, he renounces her, hoping to find redemption—and a union back home in Germany with his spiritual love Elisabeth. But his epic journey to salvation has been cursed.  

Tannhäuser

Wortham Theater Center

How terrible must life be if you can’t laugh? Sergei Prokofiev’s opera The Love for Three Oranges is about a king who wishes to help his sick son. But only one thing can cure the malady of the heir to the throne: laughter. While the doctors are trying their luck, Truffaldino and Fata Morgana get into a fight, during which the latter is knocked over. When her mishap causes the Prince to laugh, she quickly places a curse on him: he is destined to fall in love with three oranges. The Prince and Truffaldino immediately set off on a hair-raising journey that finally takes them to a desert – a trip that can be seen as a balancing act between fantasy and reality. Here parody is tinged with tragedy and a touch of the grotesque.

Join us for a melodious journey through the season of renewal at the Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra Spring Concert 2024, held at the historic Barre Opera House. Under the baton of esteemed conductor Lou Kosma, this concert promises an afternoon of exquisite music featuring works by Felix Mendelssohn, Erik Nielsen, and Richard Stöhr.

**Event Details:**
- **Date:** Sunday, April 28, 2024
- **Time:** 2:00 PM
- **Location:** Barre Opera House, City Hall, 6 N. Main St. Barre, VT 05641
- **Tickets:** General Admission $25, Seniors $20, Students $5

**Program Highlights:**
- Felix Mendelssohn's enchanting "Die schöne Melusine Overture, Op. 32"
- Erik Nielsen's reflective "Reflections on the Way" featuring the talented soprano Mary Bonhag from Scrag Mountain Music
- Richard Stöhr's dynamic "Trumpet Concerto" with soloist Billy Hunter, Principal Trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera

This concert, titled "Trumpeting Spring: the Season of Renewal," celebrates the vibrant energy of spring through music that spans the emotional spectrum. Whether you're a long-time classical music enthusiast or looking for a unique cultural experience, this performance is not to be missed.

Proudly sponsored by Maple Capital, Montpelier, the Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra invites you to be part of this musical celebration. For tickets and more information, please contact the Barre Opera House at 802 476-8188.

Experience the power of live music and support the arts in your community by attending the Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra Spring Concert 2024.

Conductor

Erik Nielsen

Events

Past events

Sep 24, 2026

Dvořák 7 · Aarhus Symfoniorkester

Sep 24, 2026

Dvorak 7 · Musikhuset Aarhus

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in Symphony No. 7 by Dvořák

Musikhuset Aarhus

Conductor in The Love for Three Oranges by Prokofiev

Semperoper Dresden

Conductor in Der Schwanendreher by Hindemith

Musikhuset Aarhus

Conductor in Tannhäuser by Wagner

Houston Grand Opera

Conductor in Zampa by Hérold

Münchner Rundfunkorchester

Conductor in Aida by Verdi

Semperoper Dresden

Conductor in Die Weihe des Hauses by Beethoven

Musikhuset Aarhus

Conductor in Written on Skin by Benjamin

Oper Frankfurt

About

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