Name: The Artelize Podcast Presenting Will Shutes: 'Bring it down out of the clouds to human being level'
Start: 2026-07-25T21:00:00

Paola Cacciatori

Artelize

Experience familiar classics through a fresh lens as the Artelize Orchestra pairs beloved masterpieces with striking contemporary works. Each piece on tonight's program takes an unexpected turn—whether through innovative orchestration, surprising musical pairings, or bold new compositions that twist classical traditions.

The Classics - With a Twist

Artelize Hall

Join us for a magical evening celebrating the season with the timeless music of Broadway's most beloved holiday traditions. Our symphony orchestra brings you a festive night filled with sparkling melodies, soaring vocals, and the warmth of live orchestral arrangements that capture the true spirit of the holidays.
Immerse yourself in cherished Broadway classics reimagined with lush orchestral arrangements. From the iconic strains of "Wonderful Christmastime" to the theatrical grandeur of beloved musical theater favorites, this concert showcases the most memorable holiday moments from the stage. Experience the romance of "White Christmas," the theatrical magic of "Holidays Rule," and timeless carols elevated by full orchestral accompaniment.
Our talented soloists will guide you through an evening of entertainment, performing stunning arrangements of holiday standards alongside Broadway showstoppers. The orchestra sparkles with holiday cheer, featuring seasonal decorations, twinkling lights, and a festive atmosphere that transforms our concert hall into a winter wonderland.
Whether you're seeking a cherished holiday tradition or a night of elegant entertainment with loved ones, this symphony concert captures the joy, nostalgia, and theatrical magic that makes the season special. Arrive early to enjoy festive refreshments, holiday decorations, and the warm glow of seasonal ambiance.
Perfect for families, couples, and everyone who loves the magic of Broadway combined with the beauty of orchestral music. Bundle up and bring someone special—this is the holiday event that captures both the grandeur of live theatre and the intimate warmth of holiday celebration.

The Grand Holiday Show - Artelize Style

March 21 is the vernal equinox — the precise day winter concedes to spring. This concert makes that moment audible. The first half belongs to Sibelius: the brooding, iron-cold grandeur of Finlandia, followed by a violin concerto that sounds like one human voice against an entire frozen landscape. This is endurance music. Nordic, uncompromising, beautiful in its bleakness.

Then comes the interval. And everything changes.

The second half is Stravinsky's Rite of Spring — complete, uncut, and performed at full force. One of the most famous premieres in concert history, it doesn't describe spring so much as ambush it: the sudden eruption of rhythm, the sacrifice, the sheer physical violence of the season arriving. After the stillness of Sibelius, it lands like a weather system.

This is one of the great programming pairings in the orchestral canon. The date makes it a ritual. Come to mark the turning of the year.

The Night Before Spring

Scheherazade didn't tell stories because she loved storytelling. She told stories to stay alive — weaving one tale into the next, night after night, keeping the sultan hooked until he forgot to execute her. She was the original cliffhanger artist. The first showrunner.

Rimsky-Korsakov heard that and wrote one of the most cinematic, sensual, and adventure-filled works in the entire orchestral canon. Four movements. A solo violin that plays Scheherazade herself — threading through waves, shipwrecks, festivals, and lovers' embraces. It sounds like the films we watch today, except it was written in 1888.

The concert opens with Saint-Saëns' Bacchanale from Samson et Dalila — six minutes of pure orchestral seduction, setting the atmosphere before Scheherazade takes over and holds you for the full 45 minutes. This is music for anyone who has ever been completely lost in a story. It ends, and you'll want to hear it again immediately.

Scheherazade: 1001 Nights in 90 Minutes

The Artelize Orchestra closes the season with Mahler's Second. One piece, 85 minutes, no interval, and a stage packed with more musicians than you will see all year. Full orchestra, full chorus, two solo singers, and brass players stationed offstage so the sound arrives from somewhere you cannot see.

It opens dark and heavy, wanders through a gentle old fashioned dance, and then, in the last twenty minutes, does something extraordinary. The chorus enters so quietly you will lean forward to hear it, and from there the whole thing builds and builds until the organ comes in and the hall genuinely shakes.

One Breath for Resurrection

Podcast link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ_ZQW5C2pw&amp;t=2s