Boston Philharmonic Orchestra Announces 2019-2020 Season Concerts

The Boston Philharmonic today announces its 2019-2020 season, featuring a series of four programs by the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) and three programs by the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (BPYO), all led by Maestro Benjamin Zander. Marking the BPO's 41st anniversary, the season continues the orchestra's tradition of bringing exciting soloists to Boston audiences and presenting thrilling performances of orchestral masterpieces. The BPO concerts are paired with Maestro Zander's popular pre-concert talks, engaging classical music novices and aficionados alike in the concert experience.

Expressing excitement about the soloists for the upcoming season, Maestro Zander says I went on a treasure hunt and I came home with some very, very precious discoveries. Three of the soloists are Europeans performing in Boston for the first time. Italian pianist Alessandro Deljavan is electrifying and maverick in his approach. His performances have been described as revelatory in every respect (Theater Jones). Dutch violinist Liza Ferschtman is known for her strong musical personality and versatile musicianship. French pianist Lucas Debargue was discovered through his performances at the 15th International Tchaikovsky Competition, where he was the only musician awarded the coveted Moscow Music Critic's Prize as a pianist whose incredible gift, artistic vision, and creative freedom have impressed the critics as well as the audience. The two other soloists featured this season are already known to Boston Philharmonic audiences. Originally from Boston, Stefan Jackiw performed the Mendelssohn concerto with Maestro Zander and the Philharmonia Orchestra in London when he was 14, to great critical acclaim. His most recent performance with the Boston Philharmonic was the Prokofiev Concerto No. 2, in 2012. British-born Canadian mezzo-soprano Susan Platts is particularly esteemed for her performances of Gustav Mahler's works. Her most recent performance with the Boston Philharmonic was in Mahler's Symphony No. 2 in 2009.

The season opens on Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in Sanders Theatre at Harvard University with a concert featuring Italian pianist Alessandro Deljavan in Brahms's epic Piano Concerto No. 2. The program also includes Schumann's Genoveva Overture and Bart k's Concerto for Orchestra. The program is also offered on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory, and Sunday, October 20, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. in Sanders Theatre.

On Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 17, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. in Sanders Theatre, and on Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. in Jordan Hall, the BPO plays a thrilling program to include Carl Nielsen's Helios Overture and Rachmaninoff's spirited Symphonic Dances, Op. 45. Dutch violinist Liza Fershtman is the featured soloist in Beethoven's only Violin Concerto.

The third BPO program of the season, happening Thursday, February 20, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. in Sanders Theatre and on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. in Jordan Hall, includes Kod ly's Dances of Galanta, Dvo k's Symphony No. 7, and Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2 featuring French pianist Lucas Debargue.

The BPO 41st season closes with a single performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 3 on Friday, April 24, 2020 at 8:00 p.m. in Symphony Hall with mezzo soprano Susan Platts. Maestro Benjamin Zander began conducting Mahler's symphonies in the 1970s and has become one of the foremost Mahler conductors of his time. High Fidelity Magazine named Benjamin Zander and London's Philharmonia Orchestra's recording of Mahler's Sixth Symphony as the best classical recording of 2002; the recording of the Third Symphony was awarded 'Critic's Choice' by the German Record Critics; and Zander's recordings of Mahler's Ninth and Second were nominated for Grammy Awards.

The three Thursday evening BPO concerts are the orchestra's Discovery Series. On these programs, Mr. Zander speaks from the stage, introducing and explaining each of the pieces that will be performed, often with musical examples played by the orchestra. Saturday evening BPO concerts in Jordan Hall and Sunday afternoon BPO concerts in Sanders Theatre, as well as the Friday, April 24 concert in Symphony Hall, are all preceded by Mr. Zander's pre-concert Guide to the Music, one hour and fifteen minutes prior to the concert start time. The talks offer an in-depth preview of the music on each program. These talks about the music whether before the concerts or integrated into them have become a powerful feature of the BPO experience, given in the style of his famous TED talk, which has been viewed over 10 million times on YouTube.

The Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra comprised of 120 young musicians from across the northeastern United States ages 12 to 21 opens its 2019-20 season on Sunday, November 24, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. in Symphony Hall. The BPYO performs Strauss's Emperor Waltzes, Op. 437 and Mahler's Symphony No. 1 in N*E*R*D Major Titan, as well as Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 with internationally acclaimed Boston-born violinist Stefan Jackiw.

On Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 8:00 p.m in Symphony Hall, the BPYO performs a Russian-themed concert to feature Stravinsky's Petrushka and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74, TH 30 Pathethique.

To close the BPYO's season on Sunday, May 10, 2019 at 3:00 p.m. in Sanders Theatre, the orchestra performs Ravel's Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, Hindemith's Mathis der Maler, and Brahms's Symphony No. 1.

2019-20 Boston Philharmonic Orchestra Program Information
Schumann/Brahms/Bart k
Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
Discovery Series discussion of music takes place prior to performance of each piece.
Sunday, October 20, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.
Guide to the Music pre-concert talk takes place beginning at 1:45 p.m.
Sanders Theatre at Harvard University | 45 Quincy Street | Boston, MA 02138

Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 8:00 p.m.
Guide to the Music pre-concert talk takes place beginning at 6:45 p.m.
Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory | 30 Gainsborough Street | Boston, MA 02115

Program:
Schumann: Genoveva Overture
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2
Alessandro Deljavan, piano
Bart k: Concerto for Orchestra

Nielsen/Beethoven/Rachmaninoff
Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
Discovery Series discussion of music takes place prior to performance of each piece.
Sunday, November 17, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.
Guide to the Music pre-concert talk takes place beginning at 1:45 p.m.
Sanders Theatre at Harvard University | 45 Quincy Street | Boston, MA 02138

Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 8:00 p.m.
Guide to the Music pre-concert talk takes place beginning at 6:45 p.m.
Jordan Hall | 30 Gainsborough Street | Boston, MA 02115

Program:
Nielsen: Helios Overture
Beethoven: Violin Concerto
Liza Fershtman, violin
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances, Op. 45

Kod ly/Liszt/Dvo k
Thursday, February 20, 2020 at 7:00 p.m.
Discovery Series discussion of music takes place prior to performance of each piece.
Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.
Guide to the Music pre-concert talk takes place beginning at 1:45 p.m.
Sanders Theatre at Harvard University | 45 Quincy Street | Boston, MA 02138

Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 8:00 p.m.
Guide to the Music pre-concert talk takes place beginning at 6:45 p.m.
Jordan Hall | 30 Gainsborough Street | Boston, MA 02115

Program:
Kod ly: Dances of Galanta
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2
Lucas Debargue, piano
Dvo k : Symphony No. 7

Mahler
Friday, April 24, 2020 at 8:00 p.m.
Guide to the Music pre-concert talk takes place beginning at 6:45 p.m.
Symphony Hall | 301 Massachusetts Avenue | Boston, MA 02115

Program:
Mahler: Symphony No. 3
Susan Platts, mezzo soprano

2019-2020 Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Program Information
Weber/Rachmaninoff/Shostakovich
Sunday, November 24, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.
Symphony Hall | 301 Massachusetts Avenue | Boston, MA 02115

Program:
Strauss: Emperor Waltzes
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
Stefan Jackiw, violin
Mahler: Symphony No. 1

Stravinsky/Tchaikovsky
Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 8:00 p.m.
Symphony Hall | 301 Massachusetts Avenue | Boston, MA 02115

Program:
Stravinsky: Petrushka
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6

Ravel/Hindemith/Brahms
Sunday, May 10, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.
Sanders Theatre at Harvard University | 45 Quincy Street | Boston, MA 02138

Program:
Ravel: Valses Nobles et Sentimentales
Hindemith: Mathis der Maler
Brahms: Symphony No. 1

Tickets are available by visiting www.bostonphil.org or by calling 617-236-0999.

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