Composer

Join us for an enchanting evening of vocal music as Emily Amesquita, a talented mezzo-soprano from the Northwestern Bienen School of Music, presents her recital. This special performance is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 8:30pm CDT, in the intimate setting of the McClintock Choral and Recital Room. Emily, a Bachelor of Music student under the guidance of Karen Brunssen, will be accompanied by Jason Carlson on piano.

The evening's program promises a diverse selection of pieces that showcase Emily's versatile voice. Audiences can look forward to Johannes Brahms' "Von ewiger Liebe" from Four Songs, Op. 83, Lili Boulanger's "Quatre Chansons," and "Parto, parto, ma tu ben mio" from W.A. Mozart's "La clemenza di Tito." The recital will also feature selected songs by Samuel Barber, a touching piece by Alexander Dargomyzhsky titled "Я всe ещe его люблю" (I Still Love Him), "Люди спят" (People are Asleep) by Sergei Taneyev, and "Ночь" (Night) by Anton Rubinstein.

This event is free and open to the public, making it a perfect opportunity for music lovers and supporters of emerging talent to experience the depth and beauty of vocal performance. No tickets are required, and for those unable to attend in person, a live stream will be available to ensure you don't miss this remarkable display of musical artistry.

The recital will take place at the David and Carol McClintock Choral and Recital Room, located within the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center for the Musical Arts at 70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. Don't miss this opportunity to support a rising star in the world of opera and vocal music.

Emily Amesquita, mezzo-soprano

Ryan Center for the Musical Arts

The KSO celebrates the Hyde Park United Methodist Church’s Organ Series’ 20th Anniversary, and follows with an NKY encore performance at St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption. Organist Brenda Portman is featured in works by Reed, Barber and Saint-Säens, paying homage to the king (of instruments). All Hail!

Long Live the King

Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption

The third concert of the Curtis Presents series builds upon the school’s longstanding tradition of innovation, inspiration, and artistic excellence as it celebrates eight of its distinguished composition alumni. As Curtis looks to its centenary in 2024, this retrospective program highlights iconic Curtis composers Jennifer Higdon (’88), Leonard Bernstein (Conducting ’41), David Serkin Ludwig (’01), Samuel Barber (’34), Ned Rorem (’44), Julius Eastman (’63), and recently appointed composition faculty member, Jonathan Bailey Holland (’96), in an evening of boundary-pushing chamber works and early-career classics that shaped the landscape of contemporary classical music.

EPSG:4326

Curtis Composers

Curtis Institute of Music Lenfest Hall

Furniture or architecture might come to mind when one hears the phrase "mid-century modern," but the creative style also impacted the music of the time. You’ll likely discover a mid-century work you’ve never heard before on this program for a cappella chorus.

Mid-Century Modern

St. Gregory's Episcopal Church

Church of the Little Flower

All Saints Episcopal Church

Vanderbilt Presbyterian Church

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

Barber’s whimsical Violin Concerto spotlights ESO Concertmaster Robert Uchida with poetic music that will sweep you off your feet. It’s a mystery why Schubert left his eighth symphony unfinished, although one historian claimed, “He could never have finished it because nothing could approach the originality, power, and skill of the first two movements.” On the other hand, Beethoven wrote four different overtures for his one opera, of which the third is the most impressive, and most popular.

Schubert's Unfinished Symphony

Winspear Centre

Elim Chan leads Rimsky-Korsakov’s sumptuous symphonic suite Sheherazade, inspired by the legendary heroine and tales of One Thousand and One Nights. Paul Jacobs, “a virtuoso of dazzling technical acumen” (The New York Times), performs Barber’s Toccata festiva, an exuberant showcase for organ containing echoes of J.S. Bach.

Sheherazade

Symphony Center

Felix Mendelssohn was a child prodigy on the level of Mozart. When he was 16 he composed his Octet, blending youthful exuberance with a maturity and sophistication of style that helped launch his international career due to the sheer charm of the music, including the Faust-inspired scherzo, with its flitting melodies and lighter-than-air sensations, a particular specialty of Mendelssohn’s. Completing the program are American composer Samuel Barber’s hazy wind quintet Summer Music, and music for two pianists by Ligeti, Debussy and Amy Beach featuring FWSO Music Director Robert Spano and Pedja Mužijevic.

 Mendelssohn, Barber, and music for two pianists

Sundance Square

Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony, “From the New World,”blends the traditional folk sounds of the composer’s Czech homeland with melodic influences discovered in African American and Native American music – tunes Dvořák first heard in his “new world,” the United States. Conductor Joseph Young makes his MSO debut in this dynamic program. Barber’s Violin Concerto, now an audience favorite, was once considered too difficult to be played; violinist Alexi Kenney wields “his architect’s eye for structure and space and a tone that ranges from the achingly fragile to full-bodied robustness” (The New York Times).

Dvořák’s New World Symphony

Warner Grand Theater

Chamber III:  Paige Roberts Molloy plays Shostakovich

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Port Angeles

Trinity United Methodist Church, Sequim

SSO Presents Titan

Weill Center for the Performing Arts

Join us for an unforgettable evening with the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra as we present "Sounds of Cinema" on Saturday, May 18, 2024, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Union Colony Civic Center, located at 701 10th Avenue, Greeley, CO, 80631. This family-friendly concert will feature beloved cinematic sounds from over eight different movies, including iconic selections from Star Wars, Fantasia 2000, Pirates of the Caribbean, and more.

This special event marks the final concert of our 2023-2024 season and will be presented with a unique element of narration, a format that is unique to Northern Colorado. In addition to enjoying the mesmerizing orchestral music, attendees will have the opportunity to celebrate the winning composition of the semi-annual Magic Baton Melody Contest from a Greeley-Evans School District 6 high school student. This concert is not just a performance but an experience that showcases how orchestral music impacts stage and film, connecting us all on a deeper level.

The repertoire for the evening includes:
- ROSSINI's La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie): Overture
- MOZART's Violin Concerto No.3, III. Rondo
- J.S. BACH's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor
- STRAUSS's Radetzky-March, Op. 228
- ZIMMER's Dead Man’s Chest Theme
- BRAHMS's Hungarian Danse No.5
- STRAUSS's Beim Schlafengehen No.3 from The Four Last Songs
- BARBER's Adagio for Strings, Op. 11
- WILLIAMS's Star Wars, The Force Awakens Theme

Don't miss this magical evening that promises to be a highlight of the season, bringing the magic of cinema to life through the power of orchestral music.

Sounds of Cinema

Union Colony Civic Center

Rising operatic superstar Nicole Heaston takes on the titular role in this powerful existential drama, set to one of the most beautiful scores of the 20th century. Tucked away in a countryside mansion, Vanessa has waited 20 years for the return of her lover, Anatol. When his deadringer son arrives instead, a love triangle ensues between the conniving young suitor, Vanessa, and her impressionable niece.

American composer Samuel Barber won the Pulitzer Prize for Vanessa’s sweepingly lyrical score, which explores the full depths of the characters’ psyches in what librettist and Spoleto’s founder Gian Carlo Menotti characterized as a universal human dilemma.

Vanessa

Gaillard Center

“Why be a second-rate Ravel when you can be a first-rate Gershwin?”  Thus said the great French composer when the great American song writer asked him for lessons.  Gershwin’s jazzy tone poem about the City of Lights pairs wonderfully with Ravel’s Boléro, a provocation inspired by the rhythms of the  fandango and the factory.  Between these two popular pieces, we welcome back the incredible Joyce Yang to perform Samuel Barber’s titanic Piano Concerto. This cinematic and passionate work is a true American masterpiece.

Boléro Blowout

Paul Shaghoian Memorial Concert Hall

If the American Dream includes the hope of a better life in a promised land, then the story we tell must also acknowledge that the dream has not always been equally available to all Americans. This concert gives us both sentiments of this “American Story.”

Choruses of UC Davis: "Sorrow and Joy: An American Story"

Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

Experience the electrifying fusion of Barber & Rachmaninoff with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, under the enchanting baton of guest conductor Kevin John Edusei. This mesmerizing concert is set to take place on Thursday, 13 June 2024, at 7:30pm in the prestigious Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

Prepare for an evening where soaring melodies, jangling cymbals, and the unparalleled cello mastery of Alisa Weilerstein come alive. The program promises a starburst of energy and color, featuring Dvořák’s vibrant "Carnival Overture," Barber’s intensely emotional Cello Concerto, and Rachmaninoff’s majestic Third Symphony—a nostalgic ode with unforgettable tunes and a big-band swing.

Tickets are priced between £26 and £59, with a per-ticket commission of £3.50 for tickets over £15, ensuring your seat at this not-to-be-missed event. The concert also offers various ways to save, including multi-buy discounts and reduced prices for students, 18-30s, under-18s, and benefit recipients.

Spanning approximately 2 hours with a 20-minute interval, this concert is a celebration of classical music’s power to evoke deep emotions and vivid landscapes. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness the magic of Barber & Rachmaninoff, brought to life by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Barber & Rachmaninoff

The International Convention Centre

An astounding child prodigy, Felix Mendelssohn composed the Overture to A Midsummer Night's Dream when he was only 17 years old. This brilliant music captures the essence of Shakespeare's play and stands on its own as an orchestral masterwork.

Stern's Farewell with Sibelius and Barber

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Experience a fresh take on an American classic. Béla Fleck, “arguably the greatest living banjo player in the world” (NPR), marks the centennial of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with a dazzling new banjo transcription of this beloved showpiece. Conductor Brett Mitchell rounds out this all-American evening with orchestral gems by Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber, and William Grant Still.

Rhapsody in Blue

Blossom Music Center

Like Mozart, Maurice Ravel excelled in every genre he touched, and his single string quartet is considered among the greatest composed. And when speaking of favorite quartets, no one would leave out the famous Adagio from Samuel Barber’s 1936 quartet, performed in this program by rising stars of the classical scene, the Viano String Quartet. Charles Martin Loeffler’s recently-discovered octet also provides a unique, American reflection on Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro, also featuring the harp.

Concert Program Iii Quartets And Harps (Livestream)

Menlo School Campus

Concert Program III: Quartets and Harps

Taking place outdoors beneath the Domo, the quartet collective Owls will be joined by flutist Claire Chase for a performance like no other. Each an artistic force in their own right, Owls is comprised of violinist Alexi Kenney, violist Ayane Kozasa, cellist Gabriel Cabezas, and cellist-composer Paul Wiancko. All share an uncommonly fierce creative spirit which drives the quartet to challenge the way meaningful concert experiences are conceived. Claire Chase, described by The New York Times as “the most important flutist of our time,” is a musician, interdisciplinary artist, and educator. She is a MacArthur Fellow, a Professor of the Practice at Harvard University, and was the Debs Creative Chair at Carnegie Hall in the 2022-23 season.

Owls, Claire Chase, flute

Tippet Rise Art Center

As part of Tippet Rise’s Wander series, this concert will take place among works of art located on the art center’s Cottonwood Campus, including Iron Tree by Ai Weiwei and Daydreams and Cursive Takes a Holiday by Patrick Dougherty. Performing together as a group, returning flutist Jessica Sindell will be joined by debuting artists including oboist Tamer Edlebi, clarinetist Afendi Yusuf, bassoonist Jake Thonis, and horn player Nathaniel Silberschlag, offering a unique opportunity to hear these talented musicians outside their orchestral settings. The group will take the audience on a trip to Hungary, Argentina, and back to the United States with music by György Ligeti, Endre Szervánszky, Astor Piazzolla, and Samuel Barber.

Wander series: Jessica Sindell, flute, Tamer Edlebi, oboe, Afendi Yusuf, clarinet, Jake Thonis, bassoon, Nathaniel Silberschlag, horn

Music inspired by particular locales and times are featured in this concert:  Sibelius – Finlanda, Barber – Knoxville: Summer 1915 with soprano Molly Fillmore, Smetana – the Moldau, and Rimsky Korsakov – Capriccio Español are on the itinerary.

A Time and a Place

Coughlin-Saunders Performing Arts Center

Forbidden love is in the air as Andrés Orozco-Estrada takes listeners from the streets of Bernstein’s New York to Tchaikovsky’s fantasy on Shakespearean Verona. The Argentine Pampas region is the setting of Ginastera’s vibrant ballet about a city boy who wins the heart of a rancher’s daughter. Barber’s lush and virtuosic Violin Concerto features superstar Hilary Hahn.

Andrés Orozco-Estrada & Hilary Hahn

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Launching his tenure as the CSO’s Artist-in-Residence, Daniil Trifonov shows why he’s “arguably the mightiest of the under-40 generation of superstar pianists” (The New York Times). Trifonov’s virtuosity is given free rein in Tchaikovsky’s spellbinding works, the brooding, poetic waltzes of Chopin and the propulsive brilliance of Barber’s Sonata.

Daniil Trifonov

Join us for an unforgettable evening with the Greenwich Symphony on November 23 & 24, 2024, at the Performing Arts Center at Greenwich High School, located at 10 Hillside Road, Greenwich, CT. Experience the magic of live classical music under the baton of esteemed conductor Stuart Malina, featuring the extraordinary talent of Bulgarian-American violinist Bella Hristova.

The concerts will take place on Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm, offering a program that promises to captivate and inspire. The highlight of the evening will be performances of Avner Dorman's "Tanyaderas," Samuel Barber's emotive "Violin Concerto," and Antonín Dvořák's iconic "Symphony No. 9 From the New World." Bella Hristova, celebrated for her expressive nuance, rich tone, and impressive power, will lead as the soloist, bringing these compositions to life with her remarkable skill and passion.

Bella Hristova, an Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and winner of numerous prestigious competitions, has garnered international acclaim for her performances. Known for her collaborations with orchestras across the globe and her dedication to music by living composers, Hristova's appearance with the Greenwich Symphony is a highlight of the season not to be missed.

Don't miss this opportunity to witness the synergy of Stuart Malina's dynamic conducting, Bella Hristova's virtuosic violin artistry, and the Greenwich Symphony's musical excellence. Reserve your tickets now for a weekend of breathtaking performances that promise to be a highlight of the musical calendar.

GSO November Concert 2024

Greenwich High School

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.

Ellington & The Nutcracker

Orchestra Hall

The ISO flexes its musical muscles with three show-stopping concertos. Paul Huang joins us for Barber’s gorgeous Violin Concerto, and composer Gabriela Lena Frank takes us to her hometown in the Peruvian Mountains in a “little concerto” for orchestra. Music Director Jun Märkl leads the ISO in Bartók’s virtuosic Concerto for Orchestra, a piece that challenges every member of the ensemble!

The Concerto: Barber, Bartók, And Frank

Hilbert Circle Theatre

Hear why Ravel is a classical music master, whether capturing the sensuous allure of Spain in Rapsodie espagnole or summoning “the Greece of [his] dreams” in his ravishing suite from Daphnis and Chloe. Barber’s Second Essay reflects the turbulent emotions of wartime. CSO Principal Clarinet Stephen Williamson solos in the world premiere of Indigo Heaven, a work written for him by American composer Christopher Theofanidis.

Samuel Barber

Composer

Events

Apr 20, 2024

Emily Amesquita, mezzo-soprano · Northwestern Bienen School of Music

Apr 21, 2024

Long Live the King · Kentucky Symphony Orchestra

Apr 23, 2024

Curtis Composers · Curtis Institute of Music

25 - 28 Apr, 2024

Mid-Century Modern · Seraphic Fire

27 - 28 Apr, 2024

American Landscapes · The New Millennium Chamber Orchestra

About

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