BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons Welcomes Trumpet Virtuoso Håkan Hardenberger & Conducts All-Brahms Program

BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons returns to Symphony Hall to lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra in music of Jörg Widman, Mahler, and Brahms, bringing the fall period of the 2021-22 BSO season to an end.

Program Details-BSO Concerts, November 18 and 20 at 8 p.m.; November 19 at 1:30 p.m.
A frequent collaborator with Andris Nelsons and the BSO, Håkan Hardenberger returns to the Symphony Hall stage for the first American performances of a BSO co-commissioned work, Towards Paradise (Labyrinth VI), for trumpet and orchestra, by German composer Jörg Widmann. The Swedish trumpeter has appeared with the BSO in a wide range of music since his 2012 debut, and in 2015 toured Europe with Mr. Nelsons and the BSO.

The Widmann work is one of six co-commissioned works-from composers representing three continents-the BSO will perform during the 2021-22 season. Widman, himself a noted clarinetist, creates imaginatively dramatic works with deep roots in music history. Also on the program is Mahler's Symphony No. 1, which displays the combination of folk-music simplicity and Romantic intensity that became hallmarks of his later works.

Program Details-BSO Concerts, November 23 and 27 at 8 p.m.; November 26 at 1:30 p.m.
This all-Brahms concert led by Andris Nelsons includes the first of Brahms's four symphonies, which he did not complete until the comparatively late age of 43. In its progression from C minor to C major and especially in the final movement, the Symphony No. 1 was influenced by the music of Beethoven, yet already displays Brahms's own distinctive compositional style. The two Brahms serenades, both early orchestral works in the composer's output, were inspired by the serenades and divertimentos of the Classical era. The second, written in 1859, is in five movements and omits violins, brass, and percussion from its orchestration. The middle movement Adagio is the expressive high point of the work.

Mr. Nelsons, the Ray and Maria Stata BSO Music Director, will return to the Boston Symphony Orchestra podium, January 6-8, to lead the world premiere of the BSO co-commission Stories from the Vienna Woods by Viennese composer HK Gruber, Mozart's Violin Concerto No 5, with Hilary Hahn as soloist, and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5.

Current BSO NOW concert streams now available at bso.org/now include an Andris Nelsons-led program of music by Mozart and Strauss, the Concert for Our City: Reunited at Symphony Hall, with BSO leadership Andris Nelsons, Thomas Wilkins, John Williams, and Keith Lockhart sharing the BSO and Boston Pops podium, and an archival performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with Eric Leinsdorf conducting. Click here for further details about the 2021-22 BSO NOW online performance series, which will also feature Holiday Pops, education, and special activities and chamber music performances from Tanglewood.

In addition, CRB Classical 99.5, a GBH station - celebrating their 70th anniversary of presenting Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts - will feature live BSO radio broadcasts and online audio streams (bso.org/broadcast and classicalwcrb.org) of Saturday-evening concerts from Symphony Hall at 8 p.m., October 2-April 30.

Ticket Information, Discounted Programs, and the BSO's Website and Social Media Channels
Tickets for the 2021-22 BSO season, starting at $25, are available for purchase through bso.org or by calling 888-266-1200. Click here for additional ticketing information, including details on the BSO's discounted ticket programs-the High School and College Cards, $25 tickets for patrons under 40, Rush Tickets, EBT Card to Culture, and Group Sales-as well as access information for patrons with disabilities.

Further details about the BSO's many activities and ticketing options are available at bso.org.

The orchestra remains strongly committed to the health and safety of audience members, musicians, and staff. Mask-wearing and proof of either vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test are required for entry to the hall. Updated pandemic protocols at Symphony Hall are available here or at bso.org/safety.

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