Baltimore Symphony Orchestra 2016-2017 Season Calendar

Gala Celebration Concert With Itzhak Perlman Saturday, September 17, 2016 – 8:00pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor Itzhak Perlman, violin Members of OrchKids Members of BSYO

Program to include: MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto BEETHOVEN: “Ode to Joy” from Symphony No. 9 (featuring OrchKids and BSYO) CAROLINE SHAW: Baltimore Bomb (World Premiere: BSO Centennial Celebration Commission)**

The BSO kicks off its second century in grand style with its 34th Annual Gala. The venerated Itzhak Perlman joins the orchestra to play one of the most beloved gems in the repertoire: the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Plus, BSYO and OrchKids appear in a special rendition of “Ode to Joy.”

Beethoven Symphony No. 5 Friday, Sep 23, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff)*** Saturday, Sep 24, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Sunday, Sep 25, 2016 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano Julia Bullock, soprano

VILLA-LOBOS: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 GERSHWIN: Piano Concerto in F Major BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5

With fate knocking in those legendary opening four notes, the BSO initiates its season-long exploration of Beethoven with the heroic Symphony No. 5. Rising star Julia Bullock opens the program with Villa-Lobos’ haunting and lyrical Brazilian twist on Bach, and the orchestra’s dear friend Jean-Yves Thibaudet dazzles with Gershwin’s jazzy, bluesy piano concerto. ***Join Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Julia Bullock in the Meyerhoff lobby after the concert for a Late Night soiree.

Carmina Burana Thursday, September 29, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Friday, September 30, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, October 1, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor Anna Christy, soprano Matthew Plenk, tenor Elliot Madore, baritone Baltimore Choral Arts Society

STRAVINSKY: Symphony in Three Movements ORFF: Carmina Burana LORI LAITMAN: Unsung (World Premiere: BSO Centennial Celebration Commission)**

Tom Hall, director Peabody Children’s Chorus Doreen Falby, director Soaring and gorgeous, earthy and bawdy, the epic Carmina Burana celebrates the ephemeral nature of life, the joys of spring, drinking, gambling, gluttony and lust – and also their cost. Filled with driving rhythmic changes and harmonies, its inventive, percussive score beckons to our primitive nature. It’s paired with Stravinsky’s first major work written in the US, inspired by his response to World War II. Stormy and edgy, listen for the chilling reference to goose-stepping soldiers in the third movement, as the BSO highlights Stravinsky as part of its Centennial Season.

BSO SuperPops Broadway’s Leading Men Thursday, October 6, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Friday, October 7, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, October 8, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, October 9, 2016 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Jack Everly, conductor Four of Broadway’s brightest stars take the stage with Jack Everly and the BSO SuperPops for an evening of sizzling showstoppers highlighting leading men from everyone’s favorite musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Stephen Sondheim, and Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 Friday, October 14, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, October 15, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Sunday, October 16, 2016 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Vasily Petrenko, conductor Inon Barnatan, piano

BEETHOVEN: Overture to Coriolan BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3 SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 10

Two revolutionary composers, both as musicians and as humanists, are explored by Vasily Petrenko, who made a strong impression on his last BSO visit. Written after the death of Stalin, Shostakovich’s pulsing and militaristic 10th Symphony is often called an “optimistic tragedy.” Beethoven complements the work with his tumultuous, war-like Coriolan Overture and the Third Piano Concerto, performed by emerging Israeli-born New Yorker Inon Barnatan, hailed as “superb” by The New York Times, and here making his BSO subscription debut.

Dvořák Symphony No. 8 Friday, October 21, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, October 22, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Sunday, October 23, 2016 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Hannu Lintu, conductor Angela Hewitt, piano

EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA: Cantus Arcticus (BSO Premiere) BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 1 DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 8

Hannu Lintu is joined by a close collaborator, 2006 Gramophone “Artist of the Year” Angela Hewitt, to perform Beethoven’s joyful Piano Concerto No. 1. In a natural mode, the program opens with Finnish composer Rautavaara’s evocative blending of taped birdsong recorded at the Arctic Circle with symphony orchestra. Listen for the songs of birds and feel the sunlight warming the fields in Dvořák’s pastoral Eighth

Symphony, which conjures country walks in his native land.

Family Concert Witches, Wizards, Ghosts and Goblins Saturday, October 29, 2016 – 11:00 am (Meyerhoff) Nicholas Hersh, conductor

Celebrate a very spooky Halloween with ghosts, goblins, magic and the BSO! Sparks will fly in Mussorgsky’s spellbinding Night on Bald Mountain and John Williams’ whimsical music from Harry Potter.

Movie and Music The Nightmare Before Christmas Saturday, October 29, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, October 30, 2016 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) What’s this, what’s this?!—the wildly inventive world of Tim Burton’s macabre classic. Danny Elfman’s rambunctious, colorful score will roar into life in the hands of the BSO as the audience follows Jack the Pumpkin King’s quest to seize Christmas.

The Nutcracker Thursday, November 3, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, November 6, 2016 – 3:00 pm (Strathmore) Nicholas Hersh, conductor Nicole Cabell, soprano

JOHN ADAMS: The Chairman Dances: Foxtrot for Orchestra RAVEL: Shéhérazade TCHAIKOVSKY: The Nutcracker, Overture Miniature TCHAIKOVSKY: The Nutcracker, Act II

Newly appointed BSO Associate Conductor Nicholas Hersh embraces love, longing and dance in this program. He opens with John Adams’ witty depiction of Chairman Mao and his future wife joining in a humorous, slightly amorous foxtrot. The sights and sounds of dream-like Arabian Nights are conjured in Ravel’s ravishingly beautiful song cycle. And what better way to be transported to the Land of Sweets, than through the glorious, joyous music of Tchaikovsky’s second act from The Nutcracker?

Off The Cuff The Nutcracker Friday, November 4, 2016 – 8:15 pm (Strathmore) Saturday, November 5, 2016 – 7:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Nicholas Hersh, conductor

TCHAIKOVSKY: Selections from The Nutcracker

Maestro Hersh demonstrates how the lively music of The Nutcracker delivers such powerful imagery that it can stand alone as concert music without the ballet in a fun-loving Off The Cuff.

Mahler Symphony No. 6 Thursday, November 10, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Friday, November 11, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, November 12, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor

MAHLER: Symphony No. 6

An acknowledged Mahler authority, Maestra Alsop is passionate about this composer—a man who grappled mightily with his own nature and that of all mankind, illuminating the human condition with every note he wrote. The Sixth Symphony is a massive undertaking— for the composer, for the conductor, for the orchestra and for the audience. Big, dramatic and life-affirming, it packs into one masterpiece Mahler’s lifelong efforts to succeed against the inevitable blows of fate. Not heard at the BSO since 1992, this is a rare opportunity to experience this extraordinary work.

BSO SuperPops Doc Severinsen and Friends: The Art of the Big Band Thursday, November 17, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Friday, November 25, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, November 26, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, November 27, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Heeeeeere’s Doc and his big, bad band! Known worldwide for his thirty years at the helm of The Tonight Show Band, the gutsy trumpeter and his equally stupendous lineup brings an evening of hard-swingin’ favorites from Basie and Ellington as well as pop and jazz standards. Audiences will hit a high note—as will Doc!—in this highly entertaining show. Please note: BSO musicians will not be part of this performance.

Beethoven Festival Weekend The Centennial year culminates in November with a four-day celebration of the music of Beethoven. Dedicated to the Enlightenment, to themes of freedom and justice and a time when “all men will be brothers,” this is the music of Beethoven, the humanist and revolutionary. The 2016 Centennial year reaches its finale with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. No other work creates such breathless excitement, whether you’re hearing it for the first time or returning to it as a familiar favorite. Remarkably, Beethoven was completely deaf when he conducted its 1824 premiere performance. He had to be turned around to face the audience after the final notes had died away to recognize the waving handkerchiefs and hats in hands, a tribute to a man who could not hear the applause. The Ninth is paired by the work of a ‘living’ Beethoven, John Adams, whose homage to the grand master can be heard in Absolute Jest, written for and performed here by the St. Lawrence String Quartet. In residence for the week, the Quartet can also be heard playing Beethoven in a BSO Late Night event, and at the Shriver Auditorium. The Festival offers unique opportunities to participate as a Rusty Musician sitting alongside the orchestra and by singing along with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society for the “Ode to Joy” finale. Beethoven Weekend Friday, November 18, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) *** Saturday, November 19, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Marin Alsop, conductor Hailey Clark, soprano Elizabeth DeShong, mezzo-soprano Joshua Guerrero, tenor Reginald Smith, bass Baltimore Choral Arts Society Tom Hall, director St. Lawrence String Quartet

JOHN ADAMS: Absolute Jest (BSO Premiere) BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9, “Choral” TJ COLE: Nightscape (World Premiere: BSO Centennial Celebration Commission)**

***Join the St. Lawrence String Quartet in the Meyerhoff lobby after the concert for a Late Night soiree.

Beethoven Weekend Sunday, November 20, 2016 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor Hailey Clark, soprano Elizabeth DeShong, mezzo-soprano Joshua Guerrero, tenor Reginald Smith, bass Baltimore Choral Arts Society

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9, “Choral”

Pre-Concert Lecture with Dr. Richard Kogan at 1:30 pm: “Beethoven’s Deafness: Psychological Crisis and Artistic Triumph” Post-Concert Centennial Finale: Ode to Joy What better way to cap off the BSO’s 100th year with the opportunity to sing in the finale performance of Beethoven’s Ninth! Maestra Alsop will rehearse the audience in sections of the “Ode to Joy” before the BSO gives a complete performance of the work, with chorus and audience joining in the final celebratory song of friendship and peace.

Beethoven Weekend St. Lawrence String Quartet Sunday, November 20, 2016 – 5:30 pm (Shriver Auditorium) St. Lawrence String Quartet

HAYDN: String Quartet No. 30 in E-flat major, Op. 33, No.2, “Joke” BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135 BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131

Co-presented with Shriver Hall Concert Series. Tickets on sale Mar 6, 2016 at ShriverConcerts.org /Beethoven or by phone at 410.516.7164

Beethoven Weekend Rusty Musician’s Concert Wednesday, November 16, 2016 – 6:30 pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor

BEETHOVEN: Selections from Symphony No. 9, “Choral”

Details to be announced summer 2016.

Handel’s Messiah Friday, December 2, 2016 – 7:30 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, December 3, 2016 – 7:30 pm (Strathmore) Sunday, December 4, 2016 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Edward Polochick, conductor and harpsichord Concert Artists of Baltimore Symphonic Chorale Soloists TBA

HANDEL: Messiah

From the sheer joy and magnitude of the “Hallelujah” chorus to the delicate beauty of the arias, it’s no that the BSO’s annual complete performance of the Messiah, led from the harpsichord by the dynamic Edward Polochick, is a Baltimore tradition.

Family Concert The Snowman Saturday, December 3, 2016 – 11:00 am (Meyerhoff) Saturday, December 3, 2016 – 4:00 pm (Strathmore) Nicholas Hersh, conductor

A winter wonderland comes to life in this timeless story of a young boy’s magical friendship with a snowman. Get into the spirit of the holiday season and create lasting memories in this enchanting program featuring the BSO and the animated film based on Raymond Briggs’ book.

Holiday A Swingin’ Nutcracker à la Ellington Thursday, December 8, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Friday, December 9, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, December 10, 2016 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, December 10, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, December 11, 2016 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Nicholas Hersh, conductor Step Afrika!, dancers

TCHAIKOVSKY: The Nutcracker Composed and arranged by Ellington/Strayhorn/Murtha

STEP into the holiday season with this fully realized jazz version of the timeless Nutcracker. Riffing off of Ellington’s dazzling reimagining of a portion of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece, jazz composer Paul Murtha has created an entire “Swingin Nutcracker.” This semi-staged world premiere production features the vibrant and percussive dancing of Washington-based company, Step Afrika!

Movie and Music It’s a Wonderful Life Thursday, December 15, 2016 – 7:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Friday, December 16, 2016 – 7:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Justin Freer, conductor

George Bailey’s extraordinary Christmas Eve journey with an Angel Second Class is a story we turn to year after year. As the BSO performs the score live to accompany the film, audiences will experience the warmth of this cinematic classic as never before.

Holiday Happy Holidays with Storm Large Saturday, December 17, 2016 – 2:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, December 17, 2016 – 7:30 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, December 18, 2016 – 2:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Storm Large, vocalist Baltimore City College Choir Baltimore School for the Arts Dancers

Vocal sensation Storm Large of Pink Martini joins the BSO for a sparkling holiday celebration! Bring the

whole family to get in the spirit of the season with this special program of carols, classics and lots of surprises. Plus—back by popular demand, the Tap Dancing Santas are comin’ to town!

Movie and Music Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness Thursday, December 29, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) [Star Trek] Friday, December 30, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) [Star Trek Into Darkness] Nicholas Hersh, conductor

Director J.J. Abram’s thrilling reboot is touching down at the Meyerhoff. The BSO performs live accompaniment for two nights of warp-speed blockbusters. On Thursday, join Kirk and Spock in an alternate-reality battle to stop Romulan Nero from destroying the Federation. Come back Friday for the action-packed second installment in which a devastated Starfleet contends with a threat to Earth from within its own ranks.

Tchaikovsky Pathétique Friday, January 6, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, January 7, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Sunday, January 8, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Dima Slobodeniouk, conductor Paul., piano

STRAVINSKY: Symphonies of Wind Instruments (BSO Premiere) BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 4 TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6, “Pathéthque”

The finest British pianist of his generation, Paul Lewis makes his BSO debut with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4. From the beginning of this lyrical work the piano firmly takes the lead, and so does this thrilling artist, a recognized Beethoven specialist. Dima Slobodeniouk, a conductor with deep Russian roots, frames the concerto with two masterpieces of his native land: the first-ever BSO performance of Stravinsky’s 1920 miniature gem — a perfect showcase for the BSO’s winds — and Tchaikovsky’s profoundly stirring “Pathétique” Symphony.

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 Thursday, January 12, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, January 15, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Strathmore) Marin Alsop, conductor Valentina Peleggi, conductor* Jonathan Carney, violin

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Capriccio espagnol* WALTON: Violin Concerto BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7

From the vivid first notes of the Capriccio espagnol to the joyous close of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, this program is sheer delight. The Capriccio, a feast of Spanish melodies and a showpiece for soloists within the orchestra, introduces newcomer Valentina Peleggi, the current winner of Marin Alsop’s Taki Concordia fellowship. Concertmaster Jonathan Carney takes center stage in Walton’s tempestuous Violin Concerto, shining a light on his virtuosic talents. Beethoven called his Seventh Symphony “one of the happiest products of my poor talents.”

Off The Cuff Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 Friday, January 13, 2017 – 8:15 pm (Strathmore) Saturday, January 14, 2017 – 7:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7

Marin Alsop illustrates the back story of the work Beethoven called “one of the happiest products of my poor talents.”

Brahms Symphony No. 1 Friday, January 20, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, January 21, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Sunday, January 22, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Johannes Debus, conductor Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano

ROSSINI: Overture to The Barber of Seville BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 2 BRAHMS: Symphony No. 1

While the prolific Gioachino Rossini could toss off an entire opera in a matter of weeks, not so for our other two composers. Beethoven labored so long over his first piano concerto that it inevitably became his second. Acclaimed debut artist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet gives an elegant interpretation of this witty and expansive work. And Brahms, keenly aware of Beethoven’s long shadow, did not finish his transporting First Symphony, often dubbed “Beethoven’s Tenth,” until he was 42. BSO debut conductor Johannes Debus proves that this program of treasured and timeless classics was well worth the wait.

BSO SuperPops A Tribute to Ol’ Blue Eyes Thursday, January 26, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Friday, January 27, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, January 28, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, January 29, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Jack Everly, conductor Ann Hampton Callaway, vocalist Tony DeSare, vocalist Frankie Moreno, vocalist

Come fly away with Jack Everly and the BSO SuperPops as the orchestra welcomes Broadway’s own Tony DeSare, Ann Hampton Callaway and Frankie Moreno for a tour of Frank Sinatra favorites.

Bruckner Symphony No. 4 Thursday, February 2, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Friday, February 3, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff)*** Saturday, February 4, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Markus Stenz, conductor Gabriela Montero, piano

MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 24 BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 4, “Romantic”

The vibrant Venezuelan Gabriela Montero, known as much for her dazzling improvisations as for her brilliant command of the repertoire, makes her BSO debut. Perhaps, like Mozart himself, she will indulge in some improv. Principal Guest Conductor Markus Stenz conducts Bruckner’s most popular symphony, the Fourth known as the “Romantic,” with its brilliant use of horns and allusions to the hunt. A showcase for the BSO’s great brass section! ***Join Gabriella Montero in the Meyerhoff lobby after the concert for a Late Night soiree.

Dvořák’s Cello Concerto Thursday, February 16, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff)

Sunday, February 19, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Strathmore) Marin Alsop, conductor Johannes Moser, cello Kwame Kwei-Armah, narrator

BARBER: Symphony No. 1 COPLAND: Lincoln Portrait DVOŘÁK: Cello Concerto JONATHAN LESHNOFF: Dancin’ Blue Crabs (World Premiere: BSO Centennial Celebration Commission)**

American Classics. Marin Alsop, a champion of American music, pairs Samuel Barber’s unabashedly Romantic First Symphony with Copland’s dramatic evocation of the nation’s 16th President, narrated by Baltimore’s own Kwame Kwei-Armah. And the greatest concerto in the cello literature, an exquisite tribute to a dying first love, was also written in America, after the Czech composer Antonin Dvořák moved here from his native Moravia. Johannes Moser brings this concert to a rousing conclusion.

Off The Cuff Dvořák Cello Concerto Friday, February 17, 2017 – 8:15 pm (Strathmore) Saturday, February 18, 2017 – 7:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor Johannes Moser, cello

DVOŘÁK: Cello Concerto

Back by popular demand, cellist Johannes Moser joins Maestra Marin Alsop in a truly special Off The Cuff exploring Dvořák’s haunting cello concerto.

Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 Friday, February 24, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, February 25, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Sunday, February 26, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Nicholas McGegan, conductor Henning Kraggerud, violin

RAMEAU: Suite from Dardanus MOZART: Violin Concerto No. 3 SCHUBERT: Overture in the Italian Style MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 4, “Italian”

Baroque and early Classical expert Nicholas McGegan brings his infectious enthusiasm to a light and buoyant program. Eighteenth century delights by Mozart, who composed his youthful Violin Concerto No. 3 when he was only 19, and Rameau prepare the way for early 19th century classics by Schubert and Mendelssohn. Both young composers in their early 20s found inspiration from the beauty, art, vitality and happiness of Italy. Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud makes a welcome return as concerto soloist.

Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 Thursday, March 2, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Friday, March 3, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, March 4, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor Hélène Grimaud, piano

ANNA CLYNE: Within Her Arms (BSO Premiere) SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish” BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 2

Reflective and mournful, yet optimistic, this program reveals artists at important turning points. Anna Clyne’s Within Her Arms is a moving elegy written shortly after the passing of her mother. Schumann’s richly Romantic symphony was written on the edge of his eventual madness and collapse. Following the lukewarm reception for his first concerto, Brahms waited 22 years before penning the second. Here, as performed by virtuoso Hélène Grimaud, it was clearly worth the wait: an expansive meditation on Brahms’

life and the promise of the future.

Family Concert The Animated Orchestra Saturday, March 4, 2017 – 11:00 am (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor Greg Smith, narrator

GREGORY SMITH: The Animated Orchestra

Experience the story of a mischievous ferret as his wild escapades wreak havoc in an old instrument shop in Greg Smith’s The Animated Orchestra, accompanied by sound effects from the BSO.

Beethoven’s Emperor Friday, March 10, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, March 11, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Sunday, March 12, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Paul Goodwin, conductor Jan Lisiecki, piano

STRAVINSKY: Concerto in E-flat, “Dumbarton Oaks” BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor” BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 4

With his informed historical approach, Paul Goodwin is the ideal conductor to reveal the musical relationship between classical Beethoven in his dazzling Fourth Symphony and the sprightly 20th century neoclassicism of Igor Stravinsky. Goodwin is joined by another artist making his debut, the remarkable 21-year-old Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki, harnessing his prodigious skill to conquer Beethoven’s grandest concerto of all, the “Emperor.”

BSO SuperPops Celtic Celebration Thursday, March 16, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Friday, March 17, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, March 18, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, March 19, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Jack Everly, conductor

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in true Celtic style with stepdancing, bagpipes and lively, haunting melodies from the Emerald Isle. Jack Everly and the BSO SuperPops join with a host of guests to commemorate the wearin’ of the green! Featuring music from the films Braveheart and Titanic, Broadway standards from Brigadoon and Finian’s Rainbow, “Danny Boy” and so much more.

Stravinsky’s Petrushka Friday, March 24, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, March 25, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Sunday, March 26, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Yan Pascal Tortelier, conductor Augustin Hadelich, violin

DUKAS: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice CHAUSSON: Poéme for Violin and Orchestra RAVEL: Tzigane for Violin and Orchestra STRAVINSKY: Petrushka (1947)

A superb music colorist and BSO favorite, Tortelier has conjured up an enchanting French-inspired program that has a hint of mystery and just a touch of the sinister. Dukas’ magicians pull the strings as

apprentices reach too far, and Stravinsky’s puppets dare to dream of love. Violinist Augustin Hadelich’s fingers fly through two evocative works: gypsies tease in the flashy Tzigane, while a spurned lover has the last word in Poème. This is truly a program designed to show off the wizardry of the BSO!

Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade Thursday, March 30, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, April 2, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Strathmore) Marin Alsop, conductor Jennifer Koh, violin

BARBER: Adagio for Strings STEVEN MACKEY: Beautiful Passing (BSO Premiere) RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Scheherazade

Barber’s famous elegy, the quietly powerful and reflective Adagio for Strings is the perfect prelude for Jennifer Koh’s performance of Mackey’s Beautiful Passing, a tribute to his mother’s life and strength. The violin is once again the protagonist, this time weaving its sensuous melody as Scheherazade in Rimsky-Korsakov’s colorful portrait of a sultan’s wife, who spins tales of Arabian nights.

Off The Cuff Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade Friday, March 31, 2017 – 8:15 pm (Strathmore) Saturday, April 1, 2017 – 7:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Scheherazade

The Arabian Nights come to life as Maestra Alsop and the orchestra tell the tale of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade in stories and music.

Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique Thursday, April 6, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Friday, April 7, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff)*** Saturday, April 8, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Ludovic Morlot, conductor Ray Chen, violin

PAGANINI: Violin Concerto No. 1 BERLIOZ: Symphonie fantastique

Violinist Ray Chen brings his extraordinary talents to the concerto by Paganini, a consummate showman whose works of astounding virtuosity and flashy style lead to rumors he had sold his soul! And if that isn’t enough, Berlioz’s richly orchestrated Symphonie fantastique conjures a tale of obsessive love leading to madness, an opium dream and a dance with the Devil. French conductor Ludovic Morlot makes a welcome return for this pyrotechnic program. ***Join Ray Chen in the Meyerhoff lobby after the concert for a Late Night soiree.

Family Concert Beethoven’s Nifty Numbers Saturday, April 22, 2017 – 11:00 am (Meyerhoff) Nicholas Hersh, conductor Go on a musical treasure hunt of counting fun! Uncover playful patterns, rascally rhythms and nifty notes and numbers in the music of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and more.

BSO SuperPops

The Doo Wop Project Thursday, April 20, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Friday, April 21, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, April 22, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, April 23, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Jack Everly, conductor

This is the classic sound of five guys singing tight harmonies on a street corner. The Doo Wop Project is history you can dance to! Stars of Broadway’s smash hits Jersey Boys and Motown: The Musical join the SuperPops and harmonize the classics of The Crests, The Flamingos, Smokey Robinson and The Temptations, as well as newer hits from Michael Jackson, Jason Mraz and Amy Winehouse.

Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 Friday, April 28, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff)*** Saturday, April 29, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Sunday, April 30, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor University of Maryland Concert Choir Edward Maclary, director

ARVO PÄRT: Credo (BSO Premiere) STRAVINSKY: Symphony of Psalms RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 2

Maestra Alsop presents a program of spiritual reflection and sacred inspiration from the Eastern Orthodox Church. Influenced by Bach’s cantata Es ist genug and by Latin mass text, Credo is Arvo Pärt’s merging of the worlds of love and hate to offer healing. Stravinsky’s austerely beautiful and moving Symphony of Psalms employs a large chorus and orchestra (without violins and violas) to recreate the dark, mysterious ritual atmosphere of the church. Finally, Rachmaninoff’s lush Symphony No. 2 was prompted by his exile from Russia as he grappled with history and faith. ***Join the University of Maryland Concert Choir in the Meyerhoff lobby after the concert for a Late Night soiree.

Stravinsky’s Firebird Thursday, May 4, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, May 7, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Strathmore) Markus Stenz, conductor David Fray, piano

MENDELSSOHN: Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G Major STRAVINSKY: The Firebird (Complete)

Principal Guest Conductor Markus Stenz presents a rare opportunity to hear the color and brilliance of Stravinsky’s complete score for The Firebird, the commission from Diaghilev’s Ballet Russes that catapulted him to fame in pre-WWI Paris. Years later, Paris was again the setting for Ravel’s popular jazz-inflected concerto, a perfect vehicle for the musical refinement and elegance of French pianist David Fray, who makes his BSO debut.

Off the Cuff Stravinsky’s Firebird Friday, May 5, 2017 – 8:15 pm (Strathmore) Saturday, May 6, 2017 – 7:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Markus Stenz, conductor

STRAVINSKY: The Firebird

Principal Guest Conductor Markus Stenz reveals the genesis of Stravinsky’s groundbreaking ballet score Firebird.

Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks

Thursday, May 12, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, May 13, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Markus Stenz, conductor Andrew Balio, trumpet

MOZART: Symphony No. 29 HAYDN: Trumpet Concerto DETLEV GLANERT: Frenesia (BSO Premiere) STRAUSS: Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks

Maestro Stenz is a master of both the classic and modern Austro-Germanic repertoire. Mozart’s graceful Symphony No. 29 is modeled after Haydn, who Mozart often called his teacher. Haydn’s own humorous and virtuosic trumpet concerto showcases Principal Trumpet Andrew Balio. Transforming the orchestral palette, Stenz introduces fun and frantic Frenesia, an ironic homage to Richard Strauss, whose own whimsical tribute to the medieval trouble-maker, Till Eulenspiegel, makes for a rousing finale.

BSO SuperPops E.T. The Extraterrestrial In Concert Thursday, May 18, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Friday, May 19, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, May 20, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, May 20, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Sunday, May 21, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Jack Everly, conductor

Soar through the stars with Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece as it’s never seen or heard it before! Jack Everly conducts John Williams’ Academy Award-winning score live as the classic film is projected on a giant HD screen. Bring the whole family to experience the magic of Elliott and his friend from far, far away.

Gershwin and Prokofiev Friday, June 2, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, June 3, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Sunday, June 4, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Christoph König, conductor Vadim Gluzman, violin

RAVEL: Le Tombeau de Couperin PROKOFIEV: Violin Concerto No. 2 MESSIAEN: Les offrandes oubliées GERSHWIN: An American in Paris

Four peer composers looked to France for inspiration with wildly different results. Christoph König opens with Ravel’s gentle memorial dedicated to friends lost in the war. The shift to fiery Prokofiev demands tremendous athleticism from the soloist, the superstar Ukrainian-Israeli violinist Vadim Gluzman. Olivier Messiaen’s deeply spiritual meditation takes us to an ethereal realm before Gershwin’s jazzy, raucous riff on Paris will have us humming into the night.

Bartók Bluebeard’s Castle Thursday, June 8, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Saturday, June 10, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff)

Sunday, June 11, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor Claudia Mahnke, mezzo-soprano (Judith) Alan Held, bass-baritone (Bluebeard)

BARTÓK: Bluebeard’s Castle

A young woman. Her new husband. Her new house: a dark, mysterious castle. What lurks behind seven locked doors is the stuff of nightmares. Béla Bartók’s haunting and thoroughly gripping masterwork brings this one-act psycho-thriller to life. Semi-staged and video-enhanced, this is a must-see Marin Alsop/BSO production.

Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony Thursday, June 15, 2016 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Friday, June 16, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Saturday, June 17, 2017 – 8:00 pm (Strathmore) Sunday, June 18, 2017 – 3:00 pm (Meyerhoff) Marin Alsop, conductor Gil Shaham, violin

BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto SAINT-SAËNS: Symphony No. 3, “Organ” CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS: The Game (World Premiere: BSO Centennial Celebration Commission)**

Marin Alsop pulls out all the stops for the closing concert of the subscription season with one of her signature works, Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3, “Organ.” Add to that the Beethoven Violin Concerto with audience favorite Gil Shaham, who will dazzle and charm us with his virtuosity. This is a program that is grand in every way—a fitting way to close out the first season of the BSO’s second century.

While current at the time of publication, artists and programs are subject to change. For the most recent calendar, please contact the BSO Public Relations Office.

CALENDAR KEY

Denotes an artist’s BSO debut

** Commissioned for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Marin Alsop by Classical Movements, Inc. as part of the Eric Daniel Helms New Music Program. Also made possible by a grant from New Music USA through a generous contribution from Thomas Brener and Inbal Segev, and additionally supported by the Francis Goelet Charitable Lead Trusts, the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, and the Randolph S. and Amalie R. Rothschild Endowed Fund for New Music. *** BSO Late Night event in the Meyerhoff lobby after the concert.

VENUES: Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (M) 1212 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, Md. The Music Center at Strathmore (S)

5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda, Md. TICKETS Subscriptions for the 2016-2017 season for the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and the BSO at Strathmore are on sale now through the BSO Ticket Office, 410.783.8000, 877.BSO.1444 or BSOmusic.org. Single tickets for the general public will go on sale August 3, 2015 (REVISE DATE). PRESS CONTACTS Media inquiries may be directed to the BSO Public Relations department:

Julia Kirchhausen 917-453-8386

juliakirchhausen@gmail.com Theresa Kopasek, Marketing and PR Associate 410.783.8021 TKopasek@BSOmusic.org Thank you to our Leading Sponsors and Funding Partners: Maryland State Arts Council Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County The Citizens of Baltimore County Mayor and City Council of Baltimore National Endowment for the Arts Maryland State Department of Education Howard County Arts Council The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation BGE PNC Whiting-Turner Sylvan Laureate Foundation M&T Bank Transamerica The Baltimore Orioles Legg Mason Lord Baltimore Capital Corporation Bank of America Total Wine & More Bozzuto Construction Company T. Rowe Price Macy’s DLA Piper