Composer

Courtney Lewis leads the Jacksonville Symphony in a program of vivid imagination and timeless beauty. Dukas’s playful The Sorcerer’s Apprentice opens with enchantment and creative energy, followed by Debussy’s dreamlike Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Ravel’s Shéhérazade enchants with exotic melodies and lush vocal artistry, while Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker brings the festive season to life with its iconic, whimsical charm. The evening closes with Debussy’s La mer, an atmospheric masterpiece that evokes the majesty and mystery of the sea.

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The Nutcracker & Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Jacoby Symphony Hall

In this colourful programme, we encounter the pairing of the conductor Simon Rattle and mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená. In Debussy’s Nocturnes we find traces of his inspiration from nocturnal paintings of rivers. Messiaen’s Poèmes pour Mi plays with surrealistic, spiritual, and romantic colours. Gustav Mahler does not hold anything back, either—his Fourth Symphony includes a vocal part.

Czech Philharmonic • Magdalena Kožená

Rudolfinum

The celebrated Yorkshire pianist, Sarah Beth Briggs, makes her fourth visit to the series with another festive programme of simple and sparkling pieces. She begins with Scarlatti’s ‘Pastorale’ sonata, whose melody comes from an old Neapolitan Christmas song, and four of Mendelssohn’s charming song-like Christmas pieces. Debussy’s famous Suite looks back to the courtly dances of the French Baroque and includes the stunning Clair de Lune. Tchaikovsky portrays a jovial Troika ride in November and the pure joy of Christmas, before Sarah’s programme ends with one of Mendelssohn’s finest piano works: 17 variations, full of energy and passion.

Sunday Piano Series: Sarah Beth Briggs

Royal Concert Hall Nottingham

Enjoy a wonderful brunch plate in the Foyer of the Music House while you are entertained by classical musicians on the Café Stage.

Classical Mornings

Musikhuset Aarhus

A work of dark, searching grandeur, Prokofiev’s Fourth Symphony gathers sumptuous themes from his ballet music, revised in the postwar shadow of Stalin’s Russia. Britten’s Violin Concerto, a searing response to the Spanish Civil War, features James Ehnes, “a flawless technician and a serious, ever-perceptive musician” (The Guardian). Providing contrast is Debussy’s dreamy and sensuous prelude.

Noseda Conducts Debussy & Prokofiev 4

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

He’s been called a “musical omnivore” but anyone who’s experienced the BBC SSO’s former Chief Conductor (and current Creative Partner) Ilan Volkov knows that he’s an artist who sees music differently – and turns every concert into a voyage of discovery.

Debussy, Ravel & Rare Gem

City Halls

As part of his project to write ‘six sonatas for diverse instruments’, Debussy wrote the Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp in 1915, immediately creating a new classic instrumental combination. The programme also includes Ibert’s homage to the Debussy trio and Ravel’s Sonatine, skilfully arranged for the same forces.

Chamber Series: Debussy Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp

Hallé St Peter's

The Hallé – Chamber Series: Debussy Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp

The Bridgewater Hall

American writer Edgar Allan Poe wrote The Masque of the Red Death in 1842, partly inspired by a masque held in Paris in 1832 during a severe cholera epidemic. Suite No. 1 of David Conte’s Masque of the Red Death is based on music drawn from the first act of a projected two-act ballet. The work was commissioned in 1992 for the 75th anniversary of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. A revised version of the suite was commissioned by the Oakland Symphony, under conductor Michael Morgan, and premiered in 1994. The scenario for the ballet was written by Lawrence Pech, Founder and Artistic Director of Diablo Ballet and former Principal Dancer of the San Francisco Ballet.

Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy, first composed in 1869 and later revised twice, was his breakthrough orchestral work. Suggested by composer Mily Balakirev, who also guided its form and key structure, the piece marks an early fusion of Tchaikovsky’s lyrical Romanticism with the Russian nationalist style. Although its premiere was poorly received, the later revisions refined its symphonic drama and introduced the soaring love theme now known worldwide. Beneath its Shakespearean program lies Tchaikovsky’s own struggle for artistic confidence and emotional expression, turning a mentor’s assignment into one of the most passionate and enduring works in the orchestral repertoire.

Celebrating David Conte’s 70th birthday

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Claude Debussy - Pelleas et Mèlisande - Festival of Friends of the Opera of A Coruña

Colón Theatre

The Little Suite, or Petite Suite as it is called in French, is a true evergreen in the classical repertoire. Debussy's short orchestral suite in four movements is instantly recognizable. Even if you don't know the title, you'll be happy to hum along to the lulling, light and inimitable melodies.

Debussy and Poulenc

Sara cultural center

Norrlandsoperan

Exiled in the United States, Bartók and Korngold poured their longing for home into their concertos—one steeped in Hungarian traditions, the other blending Viennese charm with Hollywood melodies. Showcasing the brilliant Simone Lamsma, this concert promises an enchanting journey full of emotion, cinematic splendour, and symphonic brilliance. A magical evening where mesmerizing melodies will allow you to discover a rich cultural heritage.

Echoes of Europe in Hollywood

Place des Arts

Join the Duke Symphony Orchestra for an evening of profound emotional depth and stirring musical beauty in "The Exaltation of Tragedy"-a program that explores the majesty, sorrow, and transcendence born from the human condition through powerful orchestral works.

Duke Symphony Orchestra: "The Exaltation of Tragedy"

Winner of the 2024 Musical Fund Society Career Advancement Award, Anika Kildegaard is quickly distinguishing herself as one of the most promising American vocalists specializing in new music and concert repertoire. Fresh off her Carnegie Hall and Boston Symphony Orchestra debuts, this frequent member of the award winning vocal ensemble The Crossing debuts with PCMS in a recital that highlights selections from three song cycles that grapple with the intensity of love and loss in the human experience.

Anika Kildegaard, soprano Daniel Schreiner, piano

 Benjamin Franklin Hall

Discover the Happy Symphonic Hour version of our December 3 program and be swept away by nostalgic European sounds and iconic Hollywood melodies. This 60-minute concert also offers a chance to meet comedian Philippe-Audrey Larrue-St-Jacques, who will be hosting the evening. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to discover—or rediscover—the incredible violinist Simone Lamsma, acclaimed for her outstanding performance in 2024.

From Europe to the Movies

A quiet pulse, and a long, chant-like melody that seems to breathe the air of old Russia – it’s an unlikely way to begin one of the most difficult and brilliant piano concertos ever created. Rachmaninov’s Third has been called the “Everest of piano concertos” but if anyone’s equipped to scale it, it’s the superb young British virtuoso Isata Kanneh-Mason and the BBC SSO’s newly-appointed Principal Guest Conductor Delyana Lazarova.

Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto

Music Hall, Aberdeen

Debussy’s 1894 impressionistic musical canvas was a turning-point in music. Beginning with a seductive solo flute, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune languidly blends and blurs harmonies in its depiction of a faun on a hazy afternoon.

London Symphony Orchestra/Alexandre Bloch

Barbican Centre

Join “the country’s favourite violinist”, Nicola Benedetti, for a unique and personal concert, and her first solo headline appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in over a decade.

Nicola Benedetti

Royal Albert Hall

Richard Strauss had a deep admiration for Don Quixote—a man who hurls himself into every challenge, obstacle, and peril, without ever achieving a final victory. It’s this ‘knightly character’ that Strauss celebrates in his Fantastic Variations from 1897.While Don Quixote longs for a life as a hero, Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune takes us on a sensual journey - this time it is the dreaming faun who is the focus of the symphonic poem. Meanwhile, Ottorino Respighi’s Pini di Roma (1924) offers a sonic tour through the Eternal City, from the Villa Borghese to the Via Appia, always in view of the city’s towering marvels: its pine trees, which weave an evergreen thread through the ancient metropolis. James Gaffigan brings together three fantastic concert works contrasting highly diverse styles, with Strauss crossing the boundaries into modernity and Respighi already channelling in 1924 the future mode of film music. An exhilarating evening awaits!

Dreams of the hero

Konzerthaus Berlin

Across the Sea

Warren Woods Middle School

Music that brings stillness. It may sound paradoxical, but that’s exactly the goal of Casco Phil’s INKEER concerts. Together with a professional meditation specialist, Casco Phil’s string quartet offers a counterbalance to our hectic, digital, hyper-fast daily lives. The quest for inner peace is timeless. From the intricate vocal weavings of Palestrina, Allegri and Mechelen-born Philippus de Monte to the impressionistic colour palettes of Ravel and Debussy: old and new meet in a search for inner calm that makes you forget time—even if just for a moment.

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Mechelen Public Library Het Predikheren

Gustav Holst’s The Planets captures the essence of our solar system in a groundbreaking, cinematic style. The opening of Mars, the Bringer of War alone reveals his profound influence on generations of (film) composers. Claude Debussy’s Nocturnes offers a contrasting journey, painting vivid atmospheric sketches of sunlight’s glow, clouded skies, and the sirens’ haunting song. Like Holst, Debussy masterfully integrates the choir in the final movement, creating an otherworldly allure that is both enchanting and irresistible.

The Planets by Gustav Holst

Queen Elisabeth Hall

This thrilling concert features Holst’s iconic suite alongside the US premiere of Dani Howard’s The Butterfly Effect and Debussy’s evocative Deux Nocturnes. Female choruses from WTAMU and Canyon High School join the journey, making this an unforgettable voyage!

The Planets

Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts

Gustav Holst’s The Planets captures the essence of our solar system in a groundbreaking, cinematic style. The opening of Mars, the Bringer of War alone reveals his profound influence on generations of (film) composers. During this concert at The Planets, you will also enjoy a video projection with images from NASA.

The Planets by Gustav Holst: music and film

BOZAR

This concert is curated by PhD candidate Jon Urdapilleta as part of his research on Manuel de Falla's music.

Visions on Cante Jondo

Royal Academy of Music

Experience an enthralling programme of 20th-century chamber masterpieces, performed live.

Harp Chamber Music

Beloved by audiences worldwide, the GRAMMY® Award winning Takács Quartet returns to BroadStage with a captivating program of classical masterpieces and a bold new work proudly co-commissioned by BroadStage.

Takács Quartet

Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center

Prize-winner at the 2021 Leeds Piano Competition, Ariel’s first visit to Nottingham in 2023 saw him praised as an ‘adventurous intellect’ with a ‘calm maturity’. The two pieces he brings with him on this visit explore the development and experimentation of their composers. The first of Beethoven’s Op. 31 sonatas this season showcases the composer’s growing confidence and originality, blending humour and lyricism with delightful results. The second book of Debussy’s Preludes were not as well received as the first during his lifetime, but the more advanced harmonies and style are paired with a sensuous beauty as Debussy takes us from autumn leaves and mists, through Spain, Egypt, to Peter Pan and Dickens, and finally to the fireworks in Paris.

Sunday Piano Series: Ariel Lanyi

Step into a world where science, art, and music converge in What Music Is, a transformative concert-theatre experience that explores the profound role music plays in our lives and the universe. Created by composer Bill Barclay, this immersive, family-friendly performance features a full orchestra, captivating spoken narrative, and stunning animations that bring to life the universal language of music.

What Music Is

Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center

First, Prokofiev's dazzling Piano Concerto No. 3 : it displays his unbridled virtuosity and his rhythmic energy is adorned with captivating melodies. Between passages of mechanical precision and lyrical flights, this score embodies all the genius of the Russian composer. Then Thomas Adès's Exterminating Angel Symphony transports you into a dreamlike and disturbing universe, inspired by the cinematic work of Buñuel. This recent creation deploys an eminently rich language where each instrument participates in a strange and captivating ceremony. In a grand finale, Debussy revolutionized orchestral writing with La Mer , a painting of the ocean in all its majesty and diversity. Under the baton of Roderick Cox, with the sparkling piano of Sergey Belyavsky, immerse yourself in three fascinating musical universes where the modernity of languages ​​rubs shoulders with the eternal evocative power of symphonic music.

Between sky and sea

Opéra Berlioz

Catalonia is said to be somewhat like Spain's "Gallic village"—proud, somewhat stubborn, and full of strong personalities. With the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra under the direction of its chief conductor Ludovic Morlot and world-class soprano Nuria Rial, important Catalan cultural ambassadors are coming to Hamburg—bringing music from their homeland with them, accompanied by perhaps the most famous pieces by Ravel and Debussy.

Barcelona Symphony Orchestra / Nuria Rial / Ludovic Morlot

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

Sacred music was never meant to be this much fun! ‘Part monk, part hooligan’ was how one contemporary described the French composer Francis Poulenc, and they might have been talking about his Gloria, too: a huge, irreverent shout of joy for a great chorus. The City of London Choir joins the RPO and conductor Daniel Hyde to raise the roof today; first, though, there’s another choral blockbuster from France (this time by Lili Boulanger), music reminiscent of a holiday in Provence from the composer of Carmen and Debussy’s beautiful moonlit serenade. We also hear not one but two musical letters from America. Everyone loves the deep emotion of Barber’s Adagio – but when you hear soprano Sally Matthews sing Knoxville, his tender memoir of a vanished youth, we think you’ll fall in love all over again.

Poulenc's Gloria

Cadogan Hall 

Sacred music was never meant to be this much fun! “Part monk, part hooligan” was how one contemporary described the French composer Francis Poulenc, and they might have been talking about his Gloria too: a huge, irreverent shout of joy for a great chorus.

The City of London Choir joins the RPO and conductor Daniel Hyde to raise the roof today; first, though, there’s another choral blockbuster from France (this time by Lili Boulanger), music reminiscent of a holiday in Provence from the composer of Carmen, and Debussy’s beautiful moonlit serenade.

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Revered for the intelligence and depth of her interpretations, Beatrice Rana is sought-after worldwide for playing that has a delicate, almost weightless quality. Her gift for weaving gossamer textures comes to the fore in a program matched by a fearless technical address that blurs dreams and reality. In a recital that covers a kaleidoscopic range of colors and styles, Rana makes her PCMS recital debut with some of the most demanding and dazzling music written for piano.

Beatrice Rana, piano

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Start your Sunday morning off right with music that transports you to other worlds. The quiet, heartfelt sounds of Elgar's Cello Concerto, performed by the masterful cellist Leonard Elschenbroich, will invite you to take a moment to pause and reconnect with yourself. Under the inspired direction of chief conductor Jun Märkl, we'll weave a rich tapestry of warm, expressive melodies - music that moves you and encourages you to find your own meaning within its notes.

Elgar's Cello Concerto

Amare

This unique ensemble of flute, viola, and harp presents a program centered around Debussy’s exquisite Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp, a masterpiece of color and texture. The program will explore a range of works that showcase the trio’s signature blend of impressionistic and contemporary influences.

The Debussy Trio

University of Louisville

The Hong Kong–born New Yorker entered the Juilliard School’s pre-college programme aged only eight. Today, she juggles her career with vlogging, giving her several hundred thousand YouTube subscribers glimpses behind the scenes of her life as a pianist, complete with the agony and ecstasy of performing.

Tiffany Poon: Alkan, Debussy & Ravel

Southbank Centre

The virtuosity of the Houston Symphony will be on full display with dazzling delights guaranteed to get your blood pumping and your toes tapping! Ginastera’s Variaciones Concertantes crackles with Argentinian rhythms, while Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 unfurls an exhilarating whirlwind of folk-dance flavor. In Gabriela Ortiz’s showstopping Antrópolis, joyful percussion grooves transport you to the colorful dance halls of Mexico City. Debussy’s shimmering Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun sets the stage, and Hindemith’s splashy Symphonic Metamorphosis ends the program with a brass-filled bang.

Shall We Dance?

Jones Hall

The sonorous and sparkling virtuosity of MSO Principal Clarinetist Jorge Diez holds the spotlight in two definitive works by Debussy and Weber. Plus, Berlioz’s daring blockbuster Symphonie Fantastique engages the senses and enlivens the imagination to deliver a bold genius-stroke of a finish, in a program that will take you places you never knew you wanted to go.

Bravo 2: Epic Dreamscape

Thalia Mara Hall

From the crashing waves and rushing winds of Debussy’s ode to the might and the magic of the sea, to one of Mahler’s most perfect symphonies, this pair of works both explore hope and the healing power of nature. Between them, Belfast-born, Manchester raised Peter Moore performs the RPS Award-winning trombone concerto by Dani Howard.

BBC Philharmonic - Mahler’s ‘Titan’

You’d be hard-pressed to find a programme that is a greater expression of the titanic power of the symphony orchestra. Tonight, more is most certainly more.

Mahler’s ‘Titan’

Called “a marvelously expressive interpreter with a keen sense of how to get to the emotional heart of a work” by Minnesota’s Star-Tribune, Beatrice Rana returns to Celebrity Series with a program that shows off her refinement and virtuosity. She brings her storytelling prowess and emotional expressiveness to two well-loved ballet suites: highlights from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, and selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker suite.

New England Conservatory of Music

Ten years after Luc Brewaeys’ passing, conductor Baldur Brönnimann revisits his Seventh Symphony, written for the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra nearly 25 years ago. A unique sound adventure unfolds, highlighting Brewaeys’ mastery of timbre and spectralism. This innovative movement, which he shared with Kaija Saariaho, echoes in her violin concerto Graal théâtre, performed by Benjamin Beilman. The programme links back to Claude Debussy, a spectralist inspiration, whose La mer embodies shimmering brilliance. Brewaeys’ recomposition of Debussy’s Préludes completes the circle.

Beilman & Brewaeys

Hailed by The Strad for playing with “tremendous heart and beauty,” the Ivalas Quartet has been changing the face of classical music since its inception in 2017 with a mission to enrich the classical music world by spotlighting past and present BIPOC composers alongside the standard repertory. Among the many composers whose works they have championed are Eleanor Alberga, Gabriela Lena Frank, Osvaldo Golijov, Jessie Montgomery, Angélica Negrón, Iván Enrique Rodríguez, Carlos Simon, Alvin Singleton, and George Walker. They premiered Derrick Skye’s Deliverance through a commission from Caramoor in 2024.

Ivalas Quartet

High School of Fashion Industries

How often do you hear a trombone concerto in an orchestral programme? It’s a rarity at best, but the most versatile instrument in the brass section can tingle spines and melt hearts in the hands of a great soloist, and with Peter Moore, former BBC Young Musician winner at the age of just 12, we’re in the presence of trombone superstardom. For his Nottingham concerto debut he’ll be playing the piece specially written for him by the brilliant young British composer Dani Howard, whose sparkling sound world has been winning legions of fans. Written during the pandemic her concerto is a celebration of hope and humanity during the most difficult times and draws on every element of the trombone’s enormous expressive range, from warm, soaring lyricism to spring-heeled, sonic gymnastics.

BBC Philharmonic Orchestra

Music transcends time and place - and tonight, it'll take you on an unforgettable journey. The Residentie Orkest, with a full orchestra, will guide you through France, Spain and England, three countries connected by water and history. We will treat you to music brimming with emotion, from sweeping, picturesque scenes to deeply moving moments.

Elgar, Debussy & Ravel

The Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt) traditionally performs at the Gießen City Theatre every season – this time under the direction of the award-winning young American conductor Roderick Cox and with a special, captivating program. Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony is known as his "Fate Symphony." In it, emotions are given a cinematic treatment. The symphony is filled with sorrow and melancholy, overwhelming the audience with its powerful imagery. In contrast, a compelling concerto for the lowest of all string instruments will be presented. This work is the work of the Italian composer Bottesini, the "Paganini of the double bass." The Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra's principal double bassist, Bogusław Furtok, will perform it and is sure to enthrall the audience.

Concerts at the Gießen City Theatre

Theater Gießen

The legendary Takács Quartet brings their unparalleled artistry to the stage, illuminated by the soft glow of candlelight. Prepare to be mesmerized by their refined performance and profound musical interpretations. Their program is a delightful mix of classic and contemporary, featuring Haydn’s elegant String Quartet Op. 74 No. 3, the inventive world premiere of Clarice Assad’s new String Quartet (a Schlichting commission), and Debussy’s spontaneous String Quartet. The intimate atmosphere created by the candlelight will allow you to connect with the music on a profound level, highlighting the beauty and emotion of each piece.

Takacs String Quartet

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Beatrice Rana brings her exquisite artistry to a program brimming with color and intensity. In Debussy’s Etudes, Book II, she demonstrates “a clear understanding of what can make that composer’s music so magical” (Minneapolis Star-Tribune). Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet enchant with vivid storytelling and virtuosity. The program concludes with Prokofiev’s bold and powerful Sonata No. 6, a 20th-century masterpiece.

Beatrice Rana

Music has a special way of taking us to new places through time, across different worlds, and into the hearts of those who came before us. This season, the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus warmly invites you to join us on a unique adventure through "Symphony, Song and Story," a seven-concert series celebrating how music can capture imagination, history, and emotion. Through the works of both revered classical masters and innovative contemporary voices, we'll explore profound stories of heroism, transformation, and devotion, each concert offering a new chapter in this season's journey of storytelling through music. From the refined elegance of Rameau and Debussy to the dramatic intensity of Mahler and Bach's St. John Passion, every performance will invite you to delve into the complex emotional landscapes and intricate narratives that only music can reveal. As a subscriber, you're not just a member of the audience; you're part of this incredible journey. Your seat is more than just a spot to listen; it's an invitation to experience the magic of live music. By joining us this season, you help keep this cherished tradition alive and ensure that these exceptional performances remain accessible to everyone in our community. We are so excited to share this season with you and look forward to making it truly unforgettable. Secure your subscription today, and let's continue this journey together.

The French Connection

University of California San Diego

The headline for Beatrice Rana’s 2019 Spivey Hall debut read, “Piano prodigy Beatrice Rana takes ‘Clara’ for a sumptuous ride at Spivey Hall.” She now returns firmly established as one of the supremely imaginative pianists of her generation. Winner of the Silver Medal and the Audience Award at the 14th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2013, her much-lauded 2017 CD of Bach’s Goldberg Variations garnered major awards and brought international renown. A performer as nuanced as she is powerful, Rana already has eight albums to her name and engagements with the top orchestras and great halls of the world.

Clayton State University

In the first of three candlelight concerts of the season, join The Syracuse Orchestra for classical favorites by candlelight at the gorgeous Inspiration Hall.

Classical By Candlelight

Inspiration Hall

The young, likeable and down-to-earth German-Italian pianist Sophie Pacini has already performed on stage with Andrea Bocelli and Martha Argerich, has received numerous awards, and, according to her own statement, can smell, taste, and see sounds in color. With her wide-ranging program, with which she opens this season's "Pianomania" series, not only she herself but also the audience will experience a true explosion of the senses.

Sophie Pacini / Piano Recital

A stunning cadenza opens Saint-Saëns's Second Concerto , like a wild, improvised gesture that spans the entire keyboard—and that's just the beginning. Liszt congratulated Saint-Saëns on this brilliant piece, "beginning with Bach and ending with Offenbach," one listener enthused. "The concerto solo is a role that must be conceived and rendered like a dramatic character," Saint-Saëns confided. Marie-Ange Nguci makes it her own, before the tragedy and panache of Beethoven's Eroica .

Beethoven, “Heroic Symphony” / Nguci / Măcelaru

Maison de la Radio et de la Musique

The esteemed Paavo Järvi returns with the serene beauty of Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and the grandeur of Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5, inspired by the natural beauty of the composer’s Finnish homeland. Accordion sensation Ksenija Sidorova adds a fresh twist to the program with Kõrvits’s dynamic Concerto for Accordion and Orchestra.

Debussy & Sibelius

David Pecaut Square

John Adams makes his much-anticipated return to the Hallé to conduct a selection of his best-loved works. In a full-circle event, Slonimsky’s Earbox – dedicated to the Russian-American musicologist and his legendary Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns – returns to The Bridgewater Hall, where the Hallé gave the world premiere in 1996. Mary Bevan, renowned for her ‘dramatic wit and vocal control’ (Opera), takes a starring role in Le Livre de Baudelaire, Adams’ reimagining of Debussy’s Cinq Poèmes de Charles Baudelaire. We will also enjoy her version of Pat’s contemplative, hopeful aria from Adams’ 1987 opera, Nixon in China. The voices of the Hallé Choir will feature in Harmonium, a surging poetic soundscape regarded as one of the composer’s key minimalist compositions.

The Hallé Presents… Adams conducts Harmonium

In a full-circle event, Slonimsky’s Earbox – dedicated to the Russian-American musicologist and his legendary Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns – returns to The Bridgewater Hall, where the Hallé gave the world premiere in 1996. Mary Bevan, renowned for her ‘dramatic wit and vocal control’ (Opera), takes a starring role in Le Livre de Baudelaire, Adams’ reimagining of Debussy’s Cinq Poèmes de Charles Baudelaire.

The Hallé Presents: Adams Conducts Harmonium

The Miró String Quartet, a powerhouse ensemble well known to CMS audiences, returns to the Alice Tully Hall stage in its 30th-anniversary year with a program showcasing the quartet’s technical and stylistic prowess. From a mature masterpiece by Joseph Haydn to a ground-breaking classic by Argentine master Alberto Ginastera, the program touches all the bases in the quartet literature, including a nod to the French tradition with the immortal quartet by Debussy and a sampling of the quartet thought to have inspired it, by César Franck.

The Miró Quartet

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

His family includes his daughter Geneviève and his grandsons, the half-brothers Golaud and Pelléas. One day, Golaud finds a mysterious young woman by the water. The beautiful Mélisande. He takes her home and marries her. But Pelléas also feels strangely attracted to her and seeks her out more and more. Finally, Mélisande also confesses her love for him. However, their escape together is prevented by the jealous Golaud: He kills Pelléas and seriously injures his pregnant wife. After the birth of their child - a daughter - Mélisande dies. She leaves the desperate Golaud in the dark about the nature of her relationship with Pelléas until the end.

Pelléas et Mélisande

Vienna State Opera

A colorful French accent permeates this program by Italian conductor Riccardo Minasi: Maurice Ravel's famous "Tombeau de Couperin" is a reminiscence of the composer's 150th birthday, and Claude Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" – originally a piece for Vaslav Nijinsky's scandalous ballet of the same name – is considered a milestone of musical impressionism. Before that, however, Riccardo Minarsi and the MDR Symphony Orchestra delve into the sound world of Joseph Haydn, whose imaginative musical thinking ventured into new compositional realms in the genre of opera, but especially in symphonic music.

Distraction

Gewandhaus

Pianist Hayato Sumino forged his own path with a YouTube channel under the name “Cateen,” which has gained more than 1.3 million followers and 180 million views. Now a Sony Classical recording artist and an Artist Ambassador for Apple Music Classical, he has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and toured worldwide. This recital spans signature Chopin works and compositions by Ravel, Debussy, Gershwin, Hans Zimmer, and Sumino himself. As a finale, he does the impossible: playing Ravel's Boléro, an orchestral tourde force, on two pianos at the same time.

Hayato Sumino

Stanford University

Berio Debussy

Gasteig HP8

Featuring pieces from concerts canceled by COVID and Hurricane Helene–this is your second chance to see them performed live!

Second Chances

Miller Theater

Take a step out of the every day and visit worlds of the imagination. In Ravel’s Ma mère l'oye, we look into the world of much-loved fairy tales such as Beauty and the Beast and Tom Thumb. Michael Gallen’s Bád on Alltár, which translates as ‘Boat From Beyond’, is a fusion of Irish Traditional and classical musics drawing on the Celtic idea of the ‘thin veil’ between reality and the otherworld, bringing something new and previously unimagined to change our lives. Kenneth Hesketh’s arrangement of Lili Boulanger’s Three Pieces for Piano takes us to two imagined gardens and a cheerful parade, while Debussy’s Nocturnes evocatively depict the procession of clouds across the sky, the bustle of a festival and the sea-songs of the mythical sirens, all inspired by paintings by James McNeill Whistler.

Ulster Orchestra: Distant Shores

Ulster Hall

Colombian cellist Santiago Cañón-Valencia is a BBC Next Generation Artist and Tchaikovsky Competition silver medalist, hailed by The Strad as “technically flawless… totally under the skin of the composers’ idioms.” He makes his Bay Area debut with a recital of dreamy French sonatas and unusual transcriptions, capped by Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne, adapted from his Baroque-inspired harlequin ballet, Pulcinella.

Santiago Cañón-Valencia

Superstar cellist Santiago Cañón-Valencia returns to open our season with a dreamy duo program of French sonatas, unique transcriptions, and Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne (adapted from his ballet Pulcinella). Cañón-Valencia is a BBC Next Generation Artist and Tchaikovsky Competition silver medalist; his skill is hailed by The Strad as “technically flawless … totally under the skin of the composers’ idioms.”

Cañón-Valencia & Asuncion

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library

Renowned for her insightful interpretations characterized by a blend of passion, introspection, and profound expressiveness, Marina Grozdanovic is a pianist celebrated for her ability to engage in a transcendent dialogue with the audience, while drawing them into the depths of music. Her performances stand as a testament to her interpretive prowess, delivering the essence of the composer’s vision with authenticity, vitality and transformative power. She is an internationally acclaimed pianist, and some of her performance highlights include the Beverly Hills International Music Festival at Greystone Mansion in Los Angeles; the Ravinia Music Festival in Chicago; the Kolarac Music Hall in Belgrade, Serbia; the National Gallery in Oslo, Norway; Les Dimanches Musicaux and Atelier Concert Series in Paris; St. Olave’s Church and St. Mary Abbot’s Church in London; and performances with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra in India. She was recently showcased as a distinguished guest performer on Serbian national television, RTS.

Marina Grozdanovic

Logan House

We welcome back the stellar brass ensemble of principal players from London’s top orchestras to open our Schenectady season with a program highlighting the profound connection between French Impressionism and George Gershwin.

Septura Union College

Union College

Guest performance in Weißenfels »Back from vacation«

Weißenfels Cultural Center

Concerto, Concerto

Jackson Theater, Sonoma Country Day School

This chamber concert is entirely dedicated to French music, ranging stylistically from the romantic sound language of Camille Saint-Saëns to the colorful creations of the Impressionists Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel to the haunting yet contemplative prayer settings of St. Francis of Assisi by Francis Poulenc. Members of the MDR ensembles showcase their versatility and artistic range in this program – a listening pleasure à la française!

À la française

Augustusplatz

A musical journey connecting Sister Cities St. Louis and Lyon.

“French Impressions: A Tale of Two Cities”

Washington University in St. Louis

Harp, flute and strings combine to perform peaceful music by the French Impressionists and the dramatic music of Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet ballet. Also featured is one of the most powerful anti-war pieces of classical music, the String Quartet no. 8 by Dmitri Shostakovich.

War And Peace

St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Richmond, VA

The program begins with Mozart's Quartet No. 15, from the collection of 6 quartets opus 10, dedicated to his friend and mentor, Joseph Haydn. While Haydn is often referred to as the father of the string quartet, Mozart can be seen as the one who, under the influence of Haydn's quartets, developed the genre towards Beethoven's groundbreaking string quartets in particular.

Composer

Claude Debussy

Events

Upcoming events

Nov 7, 2024 - Apr 14, 2026

Chamber Music for Percussion · The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University

Jan 5, 2025 - Jan 4, 2026

Guest performance in Weißenfels New Year's Concert · Jenaer Philharmonie

Feb 9, 2025 - Jan 11, 2026

3rd Chamber Concert · Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg

Mar 19, 2025 - Feb 25, 2026

360° No. 3 · Jenaer Philharmonie

Sep 21, 2025 - May 10, 2026

Chamber Concert / Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra · Elbphilharmonie

Past events

19 - 20 Dec, 2025

The Nutcracker & Sorcerer’s Apprentice · Jacksonville Symphony

17 - 19 Dec, 2025

Czech Philharmonic • Magdalena Kožená · Czech Philharmonic

About

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