ConTEmporanea Music Festival
10/11/12 October
Palazzo Te
Curated by Leonardo Zunica

We live in an era in which the impact of technology on daily life is becoming increasingly crucial. The constant interaction between humans and the new frontiers of technology (between human and nonhuman) has changed the way we relate to the world, in a context that opens up philosophical, economic, political, environmental, and artistic reflections perhaps only imaginable in the science fiction of a few decades ago.
In the field of music, technological development has played a leading role in the foundation of new poetics. We find examples of intertwining the field generally defined as post-human and those creative processes that, as American scholar Douglas Burrett emphasizes in “Experimenting the Human, Art, and Music in the Contemporary Post-Human,” pose horizons in which technology can radically change (or, in fact, has already changed) the way we experience and create music, “in its inherent interdisciplinary involvement in science and technology.” As early as 1965, with Music for Solo Performer, Alvin Lucier (1931-2021) requested that a performer be fitted with electrodes that detected electrical impulses in the brain, which would then activate percussion instruments (you can still see the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIPU2ynqy2Y).
As recently as 2004, Pauline Oliveros (1932-2016), an American composer and a central figure in the development of post-war experimental and electronic music, attentive to contemporary social changes, wondered how such an application of technology could influence “future human values”.ConTEmporanea is a musical festival that brings together a galaxy of deeply human voices from the late 20th century and the current one. These voices, rising from now-classic composers such as Americans Alvin Lucier and Steve Reich, Poland’s Krzystof Penderecky, Finland’s Kaja Saariaho, Britain’s Jonathan Harvey and David Lang, and from a generation of musicians (many of them Italian) born on the cusp of the 21st century, courageously entering a world dominated by mainstream music culture and profound social contradictions, tell us something about the metamorphoses of the human condition, in a sonic landscape of exploration and reflection, depth and wonder. or even of “love and rage,” that rhythm of the heart that, according to Donna Haraway, a key figure in post-humanist philosophy, characterizes the inspiration of the work of Isaac Julien, a London-based artist and filmmaker whose new installation, All that changes you, Methamorphosis, commissioned for the five hundredth anniversary of Palazzo TE, is the spectacular context within which this exhibition aims to move and dialogue around humanity and its changing forms.

THE PROGRAM

October 10, from 9:00 PM,
Sala dei Cavalli

• Carlo Sampaolesi \ accordion and electroacoustic devices
  Dmitri Kourliandski (1976)
  Shiver (2010)
  Alvin Lucier
  Music for Accordion with Slow Sweep Pure Wave Oscillators (1993)
  Marco Baldini (1986)
  Fuochi (first part) (2024)
  Rebecca Saunders (1967)
  Flesh for accordion solo with recitation (2018)
  Marco Baldini
  Fuochi (second part)
• Bruna Di Virgilio \ piano and electronics
  David Lang (1957)
  from Memory Pieces: wed, grind (1992)
  Missy Mazzoli (1980)
  Isabelle Eberhardt Dreams of Pianos for piano and electronics (2007)
  Steve Reich (1936)
  6 pianos (1973)

October 11, from 9:00 PM,
Sala dei Cavalli

• Nicola Baroni \ cello and electronics
  Giovanni Battista Degli Antoni (1636-1698)
  Ricercata nr 2
  Krzysztof Penderecki (1933 – 2020)
  Capriccio for Siegfried Palm / Sarabanda JSBach in memoriam
  Johathan Harvey (1939-2012)
  Curve with plateaux (2016)
  Kajia Saariaho (1952-2023)
  Petals for cello and live electronics (1988)
  Nicola Baroni
  The Wish to be a Red Indian for cello and interactive digital system
• Icarus vs Muzak
  Marco Lazzaretti \ Martino Mora \ Matteo Rovatti percussion
  Daniele Incerti keyboard
  Javier Alvarez (1956-2023)
  Temazcal for percussion and electroacoustic sounds (1984)
  Davide Spina (1997)
  Digital Solitude for percussion, keyboard and multimedia
  Bruce Hamilton (1966)
  Interzones for vibraphone and electronics

October 12, from 9:00 PM,
Sala dei Cavalli

• SNAPSHOT
  LAB-ECHOES
  Alma Napolitano \ violin
  Antonio Macaretti \ accordion
  Annette Schlünz (1964)
  Labyrinthe 2a (2016)
  Francesco Del Nero
  Amore arido (2022)
  Antonio Macaret (1982)
  Tra pensieri (2025)
  Jonatan Sersam (1986)
  Liebeslied (2022)
  Denis Zardi
  Unescape room (2025)
  A2 Abd El Monim
  Dark clouds (2022)
• COD DANZA
  LA MER Requiem for a vanished sea
  Choreography and concept: Chiara Olivieri
  Dance: Adele Piscitelli \ Alessandro Marconcini \ Federica Poma
  Marco Bissoli \ Zagana Capilupi
  Music: C. Debussy, T. Takemitsu, S. Davachi, G. Ligeti, M. Levi

Carlos Carrillo The Gathering Grounds (2012, rev. 2018)
Boston Premiere

Loren Loiacono Beanie’s Chapbook (2023)
2025 Call for Scores Winner

Missy Mazzoli Procession (2021)
Danielle Maddon, violin

Modest Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition (1874; arr. Ravel, 1922)

For two nights only, musicians of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and an Adler Fellow will perform chamber music and song inspired by art.

We invite you to join BOXBLUR at Catharine Clark Gallery and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra for an evening of live music inspired by the exhibitions of work by Nanci Amaka, Lenka Clayton, and Katherine Vetne. All three artist have exhibitions on view at Catharine Clark Gallery from October 11, 2025 to January 3, 2026. The event, titled “Still Life, After Life: Women Disrupting Tradition in Art and Music,” is co-produced by BOXBLUR, a performance intiative, and San Francisco Opera Orchestra. The evening performances are on Wednesday, October 15 and Friday, 17, 2025 with a special VIP champagne walk through and opportunity to meet the musicians on Friday, prior to the concert.

The event provides guests to hear a concert that showcases the artistry of select musicians from San Francisco Opera Orchestra and a current Adler Fellow baritone performing in the context of a contemporary art gallery and in response to the ideas in the visual artists’ work. On view are exhibitions that explore through works on paper, textiles, and video women’s labor, reimagined domestic spaces and objects, and memory as a creative force.

Performers include violinists Craig Reiss and Mariya Borozina, violist Emily Liu, cellist Peter Myers, and oboist Ben Brogadir. The musicians are joined by current Adler Fellow, baritone Olivier Zerouali, in works by Jesse Montgomery, Joan Tower, Dmitry Shostakovich, Missy Mazzoli, and Caroline Shaw.

Schedule – Wendesday, October 15

Doors: 6:00 p.m.

Performance: 6:30 p.m.

Performance concludes: 7:30 p.m.

Event ends: 8:00 p.m.

Schedule – Friday, October 17

*VIP Champagne + Gallery Exhibition Tour + Meet the Musicians Preview: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Doors: 7:00 p.m.

Performance: 7:30 p.m.

Performance concludes: 8:30 p.m.

Event ends: 9:00 p.m.

Please note that the VIP event tickets are only available for the Friday, October 17 performance. VIP ticket holders are invited to enjoy a one-hour preview of the exhibition with a walk-through of the exhibition accompanied by the musicians and a champagne toast.

About San Francisco Opera Orchestra

The San Francisco Opera Orchestra, led by Music Director Eun Sun Kim, has achieved an acclaim matched by very few such ensembles. The Orchestra performs an annual season of international opera repertoire, in addition to concerts and educational programs. The San Francisco Opera Orchestra has been featured in numerous telecasts, livestreams, radio broadcasts, and video and 5 audio recordings, garnering a GRAMMY nomination for its CD of Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice. Commercial DVD releases featuring the Orchestra include Jerome Kern’s “Show Boat,” Jake Heggie’s “Moby-Dick,” the Gershwins’ “Porgy and Bess,” Boito’s “Mefistofele,” Donizetti’s “Lucrezia Borgia” and Bellini’s” I Capuleti e i Montecchi.” The Orchestra is represented by Local 6 of the American Federation of Musicians.

About BOXBLUR

BOXBLUR began as occasional performances at Catharine Clark Gallery and was formalized in 2016 as a fiscally sponsored program of Dance Film SF with quarterly programs. BOXBLUR’s mission is to produce events that are socially engaged, ephemeral, experimental, and performative, often realized through collaboration with other arts organizations and responsice to visual artists’ work, expanding performance possibilities beyond traditional theater settings.

BOXBLUR collaborates with Bay Area cultural organizations and many community nonprofits. The program has featured renowned artists across disciplines: musicians and groups like Rufus Wainwright, Shinji Eshima, and EOS Ensemble, dancers from Margaret Jenkins Dance Company and Lines Ballet, performance artists such as Monique Jenkinson, and writers including Forrest Gander and Tongo Eisen-Martin.

Notable off-site productions include Monique Jenkinson with Deborah Oropallo at di Rosa Art Center, Chris Doyle with dancers from Houston Ballet, Nina Katchadourian’s “Monument to the Unelected” at Minnesota Street Project during the 2024 election, and Shimon Attie’s “Night Watch” on San Francisco Bay, which garnered PBS NewsHour coverage. BOXBLUR annually hosts experimental dance films selected by SF Dance Film Festival and receives support from organizations such as Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation and individual donors.

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, American Lyric Theater is proud to announce a gala performance on October 23, 2025, at 7:00 PM at Merkin Hall. The evening will feature scenes from a wide range of operas by alumni of ALT’s Composer Librettist Development Program (CLDP), including works developed and commissioned by ALT as well as operas that were commissioned and premiered at other leading companies across the country. A highlight of the evening will be a very special preview of Lincoln in the Bardo—the first opera by a CLDP alum to be commissioned by The Metropolitan Opera. Composed by Missy Mazzoli with a libretto by Royce Vavrek (CLDP 2007/08), the work is scheduled to receive its world premiere in the fall of 2026.

Hosted by ALT’s founder, Lawrence Edelson, the program will feature many of the artists who have contributed to the development of new operas at ALT, including sopranos Jacqueline Echols, Karen Vuong, Caroline Worra, and Jennifer Zetlan; mezzo-sopranos Heather Johnson and Gina Perregrino; tenor Andrew Bidlack; baritones and Jonathan Michie and Ethan Vincent; bass-baritone Justin Hopkins; and pianists Djordje Nesic, Jason Wirth and ALT’s Associate Artistic Director Kelly Kuo.

The evening will also honor Susan Feder, whose 15-year tenure as Program Officer in the Arts and Culture Program at the Mellon Foundation was transformative for the American opera field. Feder’s visionary leadership and support of ALT helped to catalyze the company’s growth and amplify its national impact.

Reserved tickets are available through the Merkin Hall box office.

For gala tickets, including the post-concert reception, please visit www.altnyc.org/gala20

MISSY MAZZOLI Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)

BARBER Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance

MOZART Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter”

Alisa Weilerstein, cello

Project Creator: Alisa Weilerstein
Director: Elkhanah Pulitzer
Set/Lighting Designer: Seth Reiser
Costume Designer: Molly Irelan
Artistic Producer/Advisor: Hanako Yamaguchi

In FRAGMENTS 4 – Labyrinth, the fourth installment of this groundbreaking performance series for solo cello performed by Alisa Weilerstein, new works are woven together with Johann Sebastian Bach’s fourth cello suite, responsive lighting and scenic architecture, inviting audiences into an immersive, multisensory experience.

Composers featured in this edition of the FRAGMENTS Series include Courtney Bryan, Gabriel Kahane, Matthias Pintscher, Missy Mazzoli, Paul Wiancko and of course Johann Sebastian Bach.

Please note: The San Diego Symphony Orchestra does not appear on this program.

About the Project

In Alisa Weilerstein’s FRAGMENTS, new commissions by 27 different composers are interwoven with the individual movements of the Bach Cello Suites. The result is a collection of six different FRAGMENTS performances in total, curated by Alisa and underscored with bespoke lighting, scenic architecture and costume design from a world-class team of creatives. Each of the six FRAGMENTS performances embodies its own striking identity that transforms the Bach Cello suites 1-6 in turn: Wonder – Tumult – Emergence – Labyrinth – Lament – Radiance.

Each FRAGMENTS performance is around 60 minutes of music with no pause, no program, in which Alisa invites the audience to simply immerse themselves in the dramatic power of live performance.

Composers featured over the course of this project include Alan Fletcher, Allison Loggins-Hull, Ana Sokolović, Andy Akiho, Carlos Simon, Caroline Shaw, Courtney Bryan, Daniel Kidane, Gabriel Kahane, Gabriela Lena Frank, Gabriella Smith, Gerard McBurney, Gili Schwarzman, Gity Razaz, Jeffrey Mumford, Jessie Montgomery, Joan Tower, Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Hallman, Mathilde Wantenaar, Matthias Pintscher, Missy Mazzoli, Osvaldo Golijov, Paul Wiancko, Reinaldo Moya, Tania Leon, Thomas Larcher and Chen Yi

As the culmination of October, the Joensuu City Orchestra offers cosmic movement and a heavenly symphony.

The evening’s program will gently transport the listener to the sounds of space and heaven. Among others, soprano Marjukka Tepponen, winner of the Timo Mustakallio singing competition, will shine as a soloist in Richard Strauss’ impressive Vier letzte Lieder series .

Conductor Jukka Untamala leads the orchestra in Missy Mazzolini’s space-themed Symphony (For Orbiting Spheres), filling the Carelia Hall with images of cosmic movement. The concert culminates in Jean Sibelius’ enchanting Symphony No. 3, which takes the listener to the bright and celestial C major.

Come and experience the atmosphere that will lift you to the skies!

Program:

Jukka Untamala , conductor
Marjukka Tepponen, soprano
Joensuu City Orchestra

Missy Mazzoli: Symphony (For Orbiting Spheres), 9′
Richard Strauss: Vier letzte Lieder TrV 296, 24′
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 3, Op. 52, C major, 29′

The concert lasts approximately two hours, including intermission.

Meet & Greet event before the concert at 5:15 PM in the Carelia lobby.

Depicting the shape of a solar system in loops and spirals, LSO opens with Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres). LSO principal trombonist Scott Anderson takes the stage to perform Ferdinand David’s virtuosic Concertino for Trombone. After intermission, the orchestra performs Gustav Holst’s The Planets, an epic journey through our solar system.

• November 13, 2025 at 7:30pm
• November 14, 2025 at 7:30pm
• November 15, 2025 at 7:30pm
• November 16, 2025 at 3:00pm

In addition, as part of the Great Performers Series, Cellist Gautier Capuçon will present a recital of world premiere cello works on November 16. The San Francisco Symphony commissioned 16 composers for Capuçon’s project, including Bryce Dessner, Joe Hisaishi, Missy Mazzoli, Gabriela Montero, Nico Muhly, Max Richter, Ayanna Witter-Johnson, and more. The recital will also feature a new work by composer and cellist Quenton Xavier Blache, who Capuçon anonymously selected for a new commission under the umbrella of the Emerging Black Composers Project. Quenton was selected from the pool of applicants from the 2023 Emerging Black Composers Project.

Acclaimed conductor and Berkeley Symphony’s own Ming Luke conducts the 25/26 season’s third performance, Worlds Beyond. This program explores the artist’s voice at moments of transition and liminality. Alma Monarca, a new work from Juan Pablo Contreras co-commissioned by Berkeley Symphony, is inspired by Contreras’s memories of celebrating Día de los Muertos in his grandfather’s hometown of Pátzcuaro, Mexico. Next, soprano Laquita Mitchell leads audiences through Richard Strauss’s haunting Four Last Songs, written as the composer contemplated the end of his life. Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) lifts the audience into the cosmos, inviting us to view our lives from a new perspective. We close with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Ninth Symphony, a work that signifies the composer’s challenges navigating the political thresholds of his era.

Juan Pablo Contreras – Alma Monarca

Richard Strauss – Four Last Songs – Laquita Mitchell

Missy Mazzoli – Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)

Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 9

Program

You can’t beat the beauty of Barber! Anthony Parnther leads the Orchestra through three of the composer’s most iconic works: the gorgeous Adagio for Strings, the evocative Symphony in One Movement, and the dazzling Violin Concerto — featuring soloist Amaryn Olmeda, winner of the First Prize and Audience Choice awards at the 24th Annual Sphinx Competition. Plus, we’ll voyage to the stars with dynamic galaxy-inspired pieces by Jessie Montgomery and Missy Mazzoli.

Jessie Montgomery Starburst
Samuel Barber Adagio for Strings
Missy Mazzoli Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)
Samuel Barber Symphony in One Movement
Samuel Barber Violin Concerto

Pre-concert chat, 6:35 PM

Program and artists subject to change without notice.

Step into the warmth of the season with Chez Nous – Elektra’s festive celebration where timeless Yuletide melodies meet bold new sounds. Derek Holman’s jubilant Sir Christëmas suite anchors the program, complemented by Missy Mazzoli’s ethereal reimagining of Hildegard von Bingen, and Kelly-Marie Murphy’s uplifting works with harp. Andrew Balfour’s Wyandot’s Realm offers a poignant, Indigenous perspective – powerfully rejecting the “Huron Carol” to retell its story with honesty and depth. A world premiere by Gerda Blok-Wilson adds a fresh Canadian voice, while the vibrant Mira Youth Mentorship singers join Elektra on stage. Let the soaring voices of Elektra launch your own festive season full of wonder, community spirit, and joy.

Two-time Grammy-winning vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth cultivates beauty and connection, with a strong dose of passion, curiosity, and contagious enthusiasm. The group collaborates with musicians from a wide array of backgrounds as it explores the immense potential of the human voice.

General Public: $39
Museum Member: $33
34 or under: $19,50

Tuesday December 2, 2025 at 07:30 pm

ARTISTS

Esteli Gomez, microphone 1
Mingjia Chen, microphone 2
Martha Cluver, microphone 3
Virginia Kelsey, microphone 4
Steven Bradshaw, microphone 5
Taylor Ward, microphone 6
Thann Scoggin, microphone 7
Cameron Beauchamp, microphone 8 & artistic director
Randall Squires, audio engineer

PROGRAMME

Caroline SHAW The Isle
Missy MAZZOLI Vesper Sparrow
Peter S. SHIN
Excerpts from Bits torn from words
If _____ did happen, how bad would it be
GaNaDaRaMaBaSaAJaChaKaTaPaHa
Christopher CERRONE Friday’s Saints (Canada premiere)
Mingjia CHEN COMIC CON (Canada premiere)

Chief Conductor Joana Mallwitz describes the evening: “It is a program with different sound languages ​​from different composers, yet united by a fundamental principle of music, the so-called chiaroscuro , the question of light and dark. This is a principle that was already part of the style in classical music, in contrasts in the smallest of spaces; we hear it, for example, in Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 102. In Wagner’s Lohengrin Overture, this process is expanded much more extensively, and ultimately, with Missy Mazzoli, we experience it as the central theme of the piece itself. For this, she uses the double bass as her solo instrument, which is still a real rarity in symphony concerts. In this piece, it offers an extreme range of expression, from strong and dark colors to breathy harmonics. It is, of course, wonderful, and I am thrilled to be working with our principal double bassist, Maria Krykov! There is always a special energy when one of our fantastic orchestral musicians steps forward.” and is accompanied by all colleagues.”

Chief Conductor Joana Mallwitz describes the evening: “It is a program with different sound languages ​​from different composers, yet united by a fundamental principle of music, the so-called chiaroscuro , the question of light and dark. This is a principle that was already part of the style in classical music, in contrasts in the smallest of spaces; we hear it, for example, in Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 102. In Wagner’s Lohengrin Overture, this process is expanded much more extensively, and ultimately, with Missy Mazzoli, we experience it as the central theme of the piece itself. For this, she uses the double bass as her solo instrument, which is still a real rarity in symphony concerts. In this piece, it offers an extreme range of expression, from strong and dark colors to breathy harmonics. It is, of course, wonderful, and I am thrilled to be working with our principal double bassist, Maria Krykov! There is always a special energy when one of our fantastic orchestral musicians steps forward.” and is accompanied by all colleagues.”

Copenhagen Phil
Conductor / Bjarni Frimann Bjarnason
Soloist / Josefine Opsahl, cello
Host / Olga Ravn

Ives / The unanswered question
Strozzi / Che si puo fare / Lagrime Mie
Opsahl / HANDS, world premiere of version for symphony orchestra
Mazzoli / Orpheus Undone, Danish world premiere
Stravinsky / The Firebird suite
Hildegard / O Rubor Sanguinis
Falla / El circulo magico from El Amor Brujo

OLGA RAVN: RE-ENCHANTMENT

As a poetic encounter between folk magic and symphonic music, star author and artist Olga Ravn enters into dialogue with the concert hall as a place and the concert as an event to re-enchant the listening moment.

With her deep knowledge of Nordic folk magic, Olga Ravn works to stage performances that reinterpret folk magic with inspiration from cultic ritual, the visual world of poetry and the concentration of performance art. It is this dialogue that now moves into the concert hall with a performance developed especially for the Copenhagen Phil.

Listen to Charles Ives’ evocative The Unanswered Question , the heartfelt sounds of Baroque composer Barbara Strozzi and Stravinsky’s haunting ballet suite The Firebird –  as well as the premiere of the cello concerto HANDS with the award-winning Danish cellist and composer, Josefine Opsahl, who has established herself as a unique artist with prestigious concerts in, among others, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and at The Met in New York.

Echoes of Two Worlds
January 24, 2026

Echoes of Two Worlds: A Contemporary Sonic Journey
January 24, 2026, 19:00

Werner-Otto-Saal, Konzerthaus-Berlin​

Berlin Academy of American Music

​

Jonathan Dawe: Of Symphonies for Chamber Orchestra (World premiere)

Missy Mazzoli: You Know Me from Here (European premiere)

Lawrence Wilde: 808 for Chamber Orchestra (World premiere)

Ursula Mamlok: Concerto für Oboe und Kammerorchester

Billy Childs: Each Moment is a New Discovery (European premiere)

​

Garrett Keast, Conductor

Embark on a musical odyssey with renowned Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä. The evening begins with Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres), a swirling, celestial work inspired by planetary motion and the roiling drone of the medieval stringed instrument, the hurdy-gurdy. Henry Dorn’s powerful Transitions follows, a deeply personal tone poem reflecting on loss, transformation, and resilience.

The program features the world premiere of a new concerto for woodwinds and orchestra by David Serkin Ludwig, performed by Grammy-winning quintet and Curtis faculty Imani Winds. The concert concludes with Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, a virtuosic showcase that transforms each section of the ensemble into dazzling soloists. Charting a bold musical journey across five movements—this masterwork blends folk-inspired melodies, modernist harmonies, and brilliant orchestration, making it one of the most beloved orchestral pieces of the 20th century.

Please note programs and artists are subject to change.

Orbits are at the center of tonight’s space-inspired program. It begins with acclaimed New York composer Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres), an exciting, barely ten-minute piece, which takes place in the various orbits of the solar system. Here, baroque stylistic figures meet the future in a twisted soundscape with breathtaking imaginary sci-fi effects.

Then we follow the sun’s journey across the firmament in 96-year-old Thea Musgrave’s oboe concerto Helios . Musgrave’s knack for telling a story through musical means manifests itself again in this twenty-minute, sensuously dramatic work. In Greek mythology, Helios travels across the firmament in his fiery chariot before sinking into the realm of evening to travel back with the ocean currents to his golden palace in the east during the night. A process that the orchestra, in dialogue with the eminent German oboe soloist Juri Vallentin in the “role” that Helios refinedly portrays.

After a break, the orchestra plays Schuman’s life-affirming and green-blooming “spring symphony”. A perfect way to return down to earth and the earthly. At the lectern we find Norrlandsoperan’s own Eduardo Strausser.

Copenhagen Phil
Chief Conductor / Christoph Gedschold
Soloist / Marianna Shirinyan, piano

Mazzoli / Sinfonia
Ravel / Piano Concerto
Shostakovich / Symphony No. 11

RAVEL AND SHOSTAKOVICH

An irresistible piano virtuoso. A symphony that sets the 20th century’s most groundbreaking event to music. As well as a newly written orchestral work by America’s most hyped composer. This is the concert you can’t miss!

The formidable Marianna Shirinyan is finally back! This time with Ravel’s irresistible Piano Concerto, which offers both magnificent virtuosity, shimmering impressionism and swinging jazz. With Shirinyan in the lead role, Ravel’s cornucopia of musical ideas sparkles and sparkles.

Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11 is like a film score without a film. It is titled The Year 1905 because the imagery of the notes describes the St. Petersburg Uprising, which became the precursor to the Russian Revolution. The magnificent work is an epic movement from dawn on the palace square, where heroic rebels (represented by revolutionary melodies) come into bloody conflict with the Tsar’s bestial guards. Shostakovich’s own father had participated in the uprising the year before he had his famous son. Shostakovich himself said that in his childhood he had heard his father talk about the uprising over and over again.

Composer Missy Mazzoli is the talk of the town in the USA these days, and after last year’s success with the solo concert Dark with Excessive bright, we at Copenhagen Phil are pleased to now present the orchestral work Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) from 2014. Sinfonia  was written on commission from the Los Angeles Philharmonic – and is a paralyzing description of the eternal orbits of celestial bodies and spheres.

World Premiere
Libretto by Michael R. Jackson
Music by Andy Akiho, Alistair Coleman, Nathalie Joachim, Missy Mazzoli, Nico Muhly, Rene Orth, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Kamala Sankaram, Dan Schlosberg, and Errollyn Wallen
Performed in English with English supertitles

One librettist, one actor, four singers, and ten composers join forces to make opera in a brand-new way. In his first opera libretto, Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop) traces the life of a woman named Sue whose personality is split in two. Sue’s life, from the mundane to the extraordinary, unfolds before us, with each decade scored by a different musical luminary. Opera Philadelphia favorites Missy Mazzoli (Breaking the Waves, The Listeners), Rene Orth (10 Days in a Madhouse), and Nico Muhly (Dark Sisters) return alongside a panoply of company debuts from notable composers, like GRAMMY® nominee Nathalie Joachim. The production stars MacArthur Genius and cabaret icon Justin Vivian Bond, with Zack Winokur directing, and conductor Caren Levine making her Opera Philadelphia debut.

Subscriptions are on sale now. Pick Your Price tickets go on sale to subscribers, donors $100+, and Opera Pass holders on May 1, and to the general public on May 15.

How would music sound if it were in the shape of a solar system? Hear how one of the most successful classical composers on the planet lets her imagination run free with that idea. Then it’s your turn to imagine Carnival time in St. Petersburg as the puppet Petrushka comes to life.

Tchaikovsky’s Fourth

Amica Rush Hour Series: March 13, 2026, 6:30PM

TACO Classical Series: March 14, 2026, 7:30PM

Marcelo Lehninger, conductor

Joyce Yang, piano

MISSY MAZZOLI: These Worlds in Us

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 1

TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4

Yaniv Dinur, conductor

Michel Camilo, piano

Missy Mazzoli: River Rouge Transfiguration
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 3
Michel Camilo: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.1

This concert is a celebration of transformation—of sound, of spirit, and of the boundless possibilities in music that dares to cross borders.

We begin with Missy Mazzoli’s River Rouge Transfiguration—a vivid, pulsing soundscape inspired by Detroit’s industrial heart. It’s a musical metamorphosis, where steel and smoke give way to shimmering light and unexpected beauty.

Next, we dive into the rich, emotional landscapes of Brahms’ Symphony No. 3—a masterpiece of tenderness and passion. From its noble opening to its yearning finale, Brahms invites us into a world where strength and vulnerability exist in perfect harmony.

Finally, Dominican-born jazz and classical powerhouse Michel Camilo brings electrifying charisma to the stage with his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1. Blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms, jazz spontaneity, and classical grandeur, Camilo’s concerto is a thrilling ride—bold, joyful, and utterly alive. And the slow movement will stir your soul.

Feel the rush. Be transformed. Let the music take over.

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Individual concert tickets go on sale September 18

Description

Your Colorado Symphony and Chorus present an evocative program uniting music born from the shadows of war, offering a journey through conflict, grief, and the search for peace. Two movements from Handel’s Messiah set the stage with a searing portrayal of nations at war. Haydn’s Mass in Time of War continues the narrative, its solemn prayers for peace interrupted by martial rhythms that reflect the looming threat of Napoleon’s armies. Missy Mazzoli’s These Worlds in Us – a haunting orchestral work inspired by her father’s service in Vietnam – intertwines grief and resilience, merging vulnerability with militaristic energy. Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem closes the program with an urgent cry for peace, drawing on sacred texts and Walt Whitman’s poetry, while offering a vision of hope. Through these works, the Colorado Symphony and Chorus remind us that even in humanity’s darkest hours, the struggle to find harmony is urgent and eternal.

Featured Artists

Taylor Martin, conductor
Colorado Symphony Chorus

The iconic King’s Singers, at the top for half a century, return to the Muziekgebouw in an exciting collaboration with the Scottish percussion phenomenon Colin Currie. The common thread in this contemporary programme is the English composer Steve Martland. His powerful, direct music – heavily influenced by Louis Andriessen’s monumental minimalism – holds a place in Dutch television history: the beginning of Martland’s Dance Works has been the opening tune of the political interview programme Buitenhof for nearly three decades.

In this programme, Colin Currie and the King’s Singers take us on a journey through a number of appealing contemporary music styles. We hear new pieces by celebrated contemporary composers such as the Scot James MacMillan and the American Missy Mazzoli. In Ashita no uta (2020) by Makiko Kinoshita and Alive (2022) by Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, hope and optimism resonate.

While the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra season just ended last month, the schedule for the new 2025-2026 season has been announced and tickets are on sale now for the new season that begins in September.

It will be Music Director James Ross’ final season with the symphony, after announcing his decision to step down after this season.

Later in the spring, the musical journey continues with Bruch & Sibelius, scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, and again on Sunday, April 26, 2026, at 3 p.m.at the George Washington Masonic Memorial.

This program offers a powerful exploration of Romantic and Nordic soundscapes. The concert will begin with Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres), a contemporary piece that evokes a sense of cosmic wonder and movement. The celebrated violinist Alexander Kerr will then take center stage to perform Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, one of the most beloved and emotionally resonant works in the violin repertoire. The program will conclude with the sweeping grandeur of Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2, a work celebrated for its lyrical beauty and powerful sense of national identity.

These two concert experiences offer a fantastic opportunity to witness exceptional musical talent and explore a diverse range of orchestral masterpieces. Whether you are a seasoned classical music enthusiast or new to the world of orchestral performance, these evenings promise to be both enriching and unforgettable. Mark your calendars for February and April 2026 to experience the magic of live music.

Founded during the Second World War, the Alexandria Symphony provides music education and performance to the western Potomac community.  It currently presents five concert pairs each season.   Saturday evenings are performed at Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, and Sunday matinees at George Washington Masonic National Memorial.

While the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra season just ended last month, the schedule for the new 2025-2026 season has been announced and tickets are on sale now for the new season that begins in September.

It will be Music Director James Ross’ final season with the symphony, after announcing his decision to step down after this season.

Later in the spring, the musical journey continues with Bruch & Sibelius, scheduled for Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, and again on Sunday, April 26, 2026, at 3 p.m.at the George Washington Masonic Memorial.

This program offers a powerful exploration of Romantic and Nordic soundscapes. The concert will begin with Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres), a contemporary piece that evokes a sense of cosmic wonder and movement. The celebrated violinist Alexander Kerr will then take center stage to perform Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, one of the most beloved and emotionally resonant works in the violin repertoire. The program will conclude with the sweeping grandeur of Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2, a work celebrated for its lyrical beauty and powerful sense of national identity.

These two concert experiences offer a fantastic opportunity to witness exceptional musical talent and explore a diverse range of orchestral masterpieces. Whether you are a seasoned classical music enthusiast or new to the world of orchestral performance, these evenings promise to be both enriching and unforgettable. Mark your calendars for February and April 2026 to experience the magic of live music.

Founded during the Second World War, the Alexandria Symphony provides music education and performance to the western Potomac community.  It currently presents five concert pairs each season.   Saturday evenings are performed at Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, and Sunday matinees at George Washington Masonic National Memorial.

In a strict Calvinist community in the north of Scotland, young Bess falls in love with Jan, a Norwegian who works on a nearby oil rig. Shortly after their wedding, Jan narrowly survives a serious accident that leaves him paralyzed from the waist down. As a substitute for their now impossible physical relationship, Jan encourages his wife to sleep with other men and to tell him about it. Strengthened by her love and her faith, Bess goes against the moral code of her community and sacrifices herself for Jan, who feels increasingly better the further she pushes her own boundaries…

Lars von Trier’s successful film of the same name forms the basis for Missy Mazzoli’s highly acclaimed and award-winning musical theater piece. With an orchestral sound reminiscent of film music, Gaelic psalms, and intimate dialogues between instrument and singing voice, the American composer paints a nuanced portrait of the complex characters. With Bess, a childishly naive woman characterized by deep faith and shocking bravery, she brings “a new kind of heroine” to the operatic stage.

Director Krystian Lada, known for his impressive and innovative musical theater creations, is making his first appearance at the Mainz State Theater. Conductor Dirk Kaftan also makes his Mainz debut with the State Philharmonic Orchestra.

Bertrand Chamayou | Piano

Dalia Stasevska | Conductor

• Missy Mazzoli | Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)
• Maurice Ravel | Piano Concerto in G major
• Witold Lutosławski | 4th Symphony
• Maurice Ravel | La Valse

PIANO DIALOGUES
100 Years of American Piano Music: Diary
Winner of the Naumburg International Piano Competition and an Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, pianist Awadagin Pratt has received acclaim for delivering “forceful, imaginative, and precisely tinted” performances (The Washington Post) and has been hailed as “one of the great and distinctive American pianists and conductors of our time” (WGBH Radio). Pratt sparks intimate and surprising connections across the decades in a program of music by Florence Price, Missy Mazzoli, Tyshawn Sorey, Julius Eastman and more, including a world premiere transcription by the pianist.

FLORENCE PRICE  –  Joshua Fit de Battle of Jericho
GEORGE WALKER  –  Sonata No. 1, “Theme and Six Variations”
R. NATHANIEL DETT  –  8 Bible Vignettes
LOU HARRISON  –  “Ground” from A Summerfield Set
HENRY COWELL, JOHN CAGE & VIRGIL THOMSON  –  Party  pieces 3,4,10
WILLIAM GRANT STILL  –  Summerland 
MISSY MAZZOLI  –  The Night Ahead and No Real Fate
TYSHAWN SOREY  –  Untitled
JULIUS EASTMAN  –  Touch Him When
JUDD GREENSTEIN  –  First Ballade
FRED HERSCH  –  Nocturne for Left Hand Alone (For Sophia)
JEREMY JORDAN –  Keyboard Suite #1: Nocturne and chorale
MIKAEL DARMANIE  –  Ritual
BURLEIGH/PRATT  –  Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child