ANNOUNCING DSO’S NEW MUSIC DIRECTOR
JADER BIGNAMINI
CLASSICAL 2020-2021
20-21 SEASON
JADER BIGNAMINI DETROIT WELCOMES
Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s new Music Director
The 2020-2021 Season ushers in the next era for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as we welcome the DSO’s new Music Director, Jader Bignamini! Over the last two seasons, as audiences have been captivated by his mastery on the podium, Jader and our DSO musicians have felt an undeniable chemistry when they perform together — a spark of inspiration that will continue to grow, bringing us extraordinary music for years to come. Join us as we all embark on a new chapter of music-making in Detroit! Join Jader Bignamini and the DSO in December 2020 for celebratory performances of Beethoven’s joyous Ninth Symphony and in May 2021 for a two-week preview of his first full season as Music Director with the music of Respighi and Shostakovich.
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20-21 SEASON
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DVOŘÁK CELLO CONCERTO TCHAIKOVSKY’S FIFTH BEETHOVEN’S “EROICA” SYMPHONY RUNNICLES CONDUCTS BRAHMS DVOŘÁK SYMPHONY NO. 7 RACHMANINOFF & RODRIGO BEETHOVEN’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4 BEETHOVEN 9
VIRTUOSIC VIVALDI & MOZART 38 SCHUBERT & BARTÓK RAVEL’S PIANO CONCERTO IN G JAMES EHNES PLAYS BRAHMS CLASSICAL ROOTS TCHAIKOVSKY’S “PATHÉTIQUE” SYMPHONY RACHMANINOFF’S SECOND PIANO CONCERTO SLATKIN CONDUCTS COPLAND, BARBER & BERNSTEIN MAHLER’S SEVENTH MIDORI PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY JADER CONDUCTS BRAHMS & SHOSTAKOVICH KENT NAGANO: THE RITE OF SPRING
1 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 7 8 8 9 10 10 11 11 12 12 13
Wei Yu
Jean-Yves Thibaudet
DVOŘÁK CELLO CONCERTO
TCHAIKOVSKY’S FIFTH
September 24-26, 2020
October 2-4, 2020
Matthias Pintscher conductor Wei Yu cello
Leonard Slatkin conductor Jean-Yves Thibaudet piano
STRAVINSKY Le chant du Rossignol MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4 in A major, Op. 90 DVOŘÁK Concerto for Cello and Orchestra in B minor, Op. 104
Samuel ADLER Mirror Images (world premiere) SAINT-SAËNS Piano Concerto No. 5 in F major, Op. 103 TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
Mendelssohn couldn’t shake the festive air of Italy while composing his fourth symphony, which he called “the happiest piece I have ever done.” And the spotlight will be on Principal Cello Wei Yu, who performs the greatest piece in his instrument’s repertoire: Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.
Music Director Laureate Leonard Slatkin returns to Orchestra Hall to conduct a world premiere by his friend Samuel Adler, SaintSaëns’s “Egyptian” Piano Concerto, and the symphony Tchaikovsky called “a complete resignation before Fate.”
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Han-Na Chang
BEETHOVEN’S “EROICA” SYMPHONY October 15-17, 2020 Han-Na Chang conductor Stephen Hough piano TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture MENDELSSOHN Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25 BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55, “Eroica”
The Times (London) calls Stephen Hough “the living advocate” of Mendelssohn’s First Piano Concerto, which was an immediate hit from its premiere in 1831. Thirty years prior, Beethoven’s Third Symphony had changed classical music forever by breaking the rules of form, length, and harmony. And the program begins with one of the most enduring musical portraits of Romeo and Juliet.
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Donald Runnicles
RUNNICLES CONDUCTS BRAHMS
October 23-26, 2020 Donald Runnicles conductor
BRAHMS Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90 R. STRAUSS Four Last Songs R. STRAUSS Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Op. 28
Donald Runnicles, a premier interpreter of German and Romantic music, conducts Brahms’s masterful Third Symphony, as well as two works by Richard Strauss: a musical poem delighting in the pranks of the jokester Till Eulenspiegel, and the reflective Four Last Songs.
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Jennifer Koh
Pablo Sáinz Villegas
DVOŘÁK SYMPHONY NO. 7
RACHMANINOFF & RODRIGO
November 7-8, 2020
November 13-14, 2020
Christian Reif conductor Jennifer Koh violin
Eun Sun Kim conductor Pablo Sáinz Villegas guitar
John ADAMS The Chairman Dances Tyshawn SOREY Concerto for Violin and Orchestra DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70
TEXU KIM Dub-Sanjo RODRIGO Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar & Orchestra RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 44
Jennifer Koh returns to Detroit to perform Tyshawn Sorey’s new Violin Concerto as part of her mission to demonstrate the diversity of American music. Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony was written in a flurry of Czech nationalism – “God grant that this Czech music will move the world!” the composer wrote.
Guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas performs Rodrigo’s quintessential showpiece for Spanish guitar, a fragrant gem that evokes birds, flowers, and fountains in the gardens of Aranjuez. And Eun Sun Kim conducts Rachmaninoff’s Third Symphony, a moody work that hints at the exiled composer’s homesickness for Russia.
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Inon Barnatan
BEETHOVEN’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4 December 3-5, 2020 Enrique Mazzola conductor Inon Barnatan piano ROSSINI Overture to William Tell BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58 SCHUMANN Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 97
Fresh from recording the complete cycle of Beethoven’s piano concertos, Inon Barnatan joins the DSO for the serene fourth, today a staple of piano repertoire. And Schumann’s Third Symphony was inspired by a happy journey Schumann and his wife made to the Rhineland.
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Jader Bignamini
BIGNAMINI CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN 9 December 10-13, 2020 Jader Bignamini conductor
Hannah LASH In Hopes of Finding the Sun BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
Possibly the single most iconic piece of classical music ever written — especially its heart-swelling “Ode to Joy” — Beethoven’s influential Ninth Symphony celebrates brotherhood, forgiveness, and the quest for peace. Jader Bignamini conducts this “bucket list” symphony, a sheer joy to experience in a live orchestral setting.
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Dmitry Sinkovsky
Leila Josefowicz
VIRTUOSIC VIVALDI & MOZART 38
SCHUBERT & BARTÓK
January 22-23, 2021
February 5-6, 2021
Dmitry Sinkovsky conductor, violin, countertenor
Hannu Lintu conductor Leila Josefowicz violin
REBEL Selections from Les élémens VIVALDI Violin Concerto in D major, RV 562a VIVALDI Lute Concerto in D major, RV 93 PORPORA “Alto Giove” from Polifemo VIVALDI “Agitata infido flatu” from Juditha Triumphans, RV 644 MOZART Symphony No. 38 in D major, K. 504, “Prague”
“This is how to perform Baroque music,” writes The New York Times of conductor, violinist, and countertenor Dmitry Sinkovsky, recognized not only as a musical triple threat but also for his verve and technical prowess. Sinkovsky performs five Baroque jewels, alternating works for his striking voice and exquisite strings.
SCHUBERT Symphony No. 1 in D major, D. 82 Andrew NORMAN Concerto for Violin and Orchestra BARTÓK Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19
Schubert’s highly polished First Symphony shows a total command over the orchestra’s forces – an incredible feat, considering Schubert was only 16 when he completed it. And Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin, which describes a game of thievery and seduction that goes sideways, was originally banned from performance on moral grounds.
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Cédric Tiberghien
Karina Canellakis
RAVEL’S PIANO CONCERTO IN G
JAMES EHNES PLAYS BRAHMS
February 12-14, 2021
February 18-20, 2021
John Storgårds conductor Cédric Tiberghien piano
Karina Canellakis conductor James Ehnes violin
MESSIAEN Le tombeau resplendissant RAVEL Concerto in G major for Piano and Orchestra CHAUSSON Symphony in B-flat major, Op. 20
SIBELIUS Pohjola’s Daughter, Op. 49 BRAHMS Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op. 77 LUTOSŁAWSKI Concerto for Orchestra
Ravel was inspired to compose his Piano Concerto in G following a tour of North America, where he first became smitten with the sounds of jazz. You can hear jazz throughout this lively concerto, as well as Spanish flair and infectious rhythms. Messiaen’s The Resplendent Tomb and Chausson’s only symphony round out this program celebrating French composers.
Brahms’s joyous Violin Concerto is the best of both worlds: the style and seriousness of Brahms and the dazzling technical fireworks that have earned it a reputation as being against the violin rather than for it. Meanwhile, Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra is the composer’s crowning achievement in his exploration of Polish melodies.
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Wynton Marsalis
CLASSICAL ROOTS March 5-6, 2021 William Eddins conductor
Friday Morning Randall Goosby violin BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 PRICE Symphony No. 3 in C minor
Saturday Evening Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis Wynton Marsalis Swing Symphony
Classical Roots honors and celebrates AfricanAmerican composers, musicians, educators, and cultural and civic leaders. On Friday, experience Florence Price’s Symphony No. 3; Price is the first African-American woman to have a composition performed by a major orchestra, and the Symphony No. 3 was premiered right here in Detroit. On Saturday, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra take the stage to perform Marsalis’s own Swing Symphony.
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Baiba Skride
TCHAIKOVSKY’S “PATHÉTIQUE” SYMPHONY
Louis Lortie
RACHMANINOFF’S SECOND PIANO CONCERTO
March 12-14, 2021
April 9-11, 2021
Domingo Hindoyan conductor Baiba Skride violin
Asher Fisch conductor Louis Lortie piano
DEBUSSY Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun KORNGOLD Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35) TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, “Pathétique”
Lachlan SKIPWORTH Hinterland RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18 SCHUMANN Symphony No. 2 in C major, Op. 61
Korngold, best known for his sweeping Hollywood film scores, lent a similar cinematic feeling to his Violin Concerto; themes from his movies appear in each of its three movements. And Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique,” one of the most popular symphonies ever written, gives itself over entirely to emotion, tragedy, and passion.
Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto is an invigorating work full of themes that have been borrowed by countless films, Sinatra songs, and more. Schumann’s Second Symphony is a perfect fit for conductor Asher Fisch, who’s been passionate about German Romantic music his entire career.
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Leonard Slatkin
SLATKIN CONDUCTS COPLAND, BARBER & BERNSTEIN April 15-17, 2021
James Conlon
MAHLER’S SEVENTH April 24-25, 2021 James Conlon conductor
Leonard Slatkin conductor Yevgeny Kutik violin MAHLER Symphony No. 7 BARBER Medea’s Dance of Vengeance, Op. 23a Joseph SCHWANTNER Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (World Premiere) BERNSTEIN Facsimile: Choreographic Essay for Orchestra COPLAND Suite from Appalachian Spring
Music Director Laureate Leonard Slatkin conducts works by American masters, each staging a musical drama: Copland remembers the drive of Appalachian pioneers; Bernstein toys with a tumultuous love triangle; and Barber explores the jealous rage of the mythic Greek figure Medea.
James Conlon conducts Mahler’s Seventh Symphony, a haunting walk from dusk to dawn. In his Seventh, Mahler introduced instruments rarely heard in an orchestra (tenor horn, guitar, mandolin) and unusual techniques (“pluck the string so hard that it hits the wood”) to create a uniquely moody night and a blinding break of day.
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Midori
Jader Bignamini
MIDORI PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY
JADER CONDUCTS BRAHMS & SHOSTAKOVICH
May 6-9, 2021
May 21-23, 2021
Jader Bignamini conductor Midori violin
Jader Bignamini conductor Orli Shaham piano
Veronika KRAUSAS New work (World Premiere) TCHAIKOVSKY Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, Op. 35 RESPIGHI Fountains of Rome RESPIGHI Pines of Rome
BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83 SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 54
Two paragons of the violin meet in this can’tmiss program: Tchaikovsky’s unparalleled Violin Concerto and the inimitable Midori. After the dust has settled, two more audience favorites: Respighi’s symphonic poems describing the stunning fountains and graceful pines of his beloved Rome.
Brahms dedicated his Second Piano Concerto to the teacher who first inspired him to become a musician, and this sublime – but difficult – concerto is a clear demonstration of how well Brahms learned his lessons. Shostakovich, a master of tragedy and passion, set out to convey “the moods of spring, joy, youth” in his Sixth Symphony.
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Kent Nagano
KENT NAGANO: THE RITE OF SPRING June 3-5, 2021 Kent Nagano conductor Till Fellner piano Helen GRIME Fanfares MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, K. 503 STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring
Sometimes music takes a while to sink in. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25 wasn’t heard again for nearly 150 years after the composer died; when Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring first hit the concert hall it started a riot. Now both pieces are recognized as groundbreaking and among the greatest masterworks of all time.
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20-21 SEASON DVOŘÁK CELLO CONCERTO TCHAIKOVSKY’S FIFTH BEETHOVEN’S “EROICA” SYMPHONY RUNNICLES CONDUCTS BRAHMS DVOŘÁK SYMPHONY NO. 7 RACHMANINOFF & RODRIGO BEETHOVEN’S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4 BEETHOVEN 9
VIRTUOSIC VIVALDI & MOZART 38 SCHUBERT & BARTÓK
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Sept.24-26 Oct.2-4 Oct.15-17 Oct.23-25 Nov.7-8 Nov.13-14 Dec.5-7 Dec.11-13 Jan.22-23 Feb.5-6
RAVEL’S PIANO CONCERTO in G
Feb.12-14
JAMES EHNES PLAYS BRAHMS
Feb.18-20
CLASSICAL ROOTS
Mar.5-6
TCHAIKOVSKY’S “PATHÉTIQUE” SYMPHONY
Mar.12-14
RACHMANINOFF’S SECOND PIANO CONCERTO
April.9-11
SLATKIN CONDUCTS COPLAND, BARBER & BERNSTEIN MAHLER’S SEVENTH MIDORI PLAYS TCHAIKOVSKY JADER CONDUCTS BRAHMS & SHOSTAKOVICH KENT NAGANO: THE RITE OF SPRING
April.15-17 April.24-25 May.6-9 May.21-23 June.3-5
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