Las Vegas Philharmonic Celebrates Opening Night 9/15

The Las Vegas Philharmonic opens its 20th anniversary season on Saturday, September 15, 2018 at 7:30 pm in Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts with a program celebrating the works of Bernstein, Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Music Director Donato Cabrera will host a pre-concert conversation in Reynolds Hall one hour prior to the performance (6:30 PM) for patrons who want to learn more about the history and meaning behind the music to be performed that evening. Following the concert, the Philharmonic will celebrate its 20th anniversary at a special reception with wine, coffee and dessert on Reynolds Hall stage ($50 per person, tickets separate from concert).

In commemoration of the Las Vegas Philharmonic's 20th anniversary, the orchestra will feature several prominent works that it performed over past seasons including Bernstein's Overture to Candide (2007) and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (2012).

"Our opening concert of the twentieth anniversary season perfectly captures the essence of Bernstein the composer, performer, and educator. We begin and end the concert with two of his most iconic pieces, the Overture to Candide and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. I am thrilled to welcome back the extraordinary pianist, Joyce Yang, to perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, a piece Bernstein was famous for recording with the pianist Gary Graffman and the New York Philharmonic. Finally, we begin the second half of the concert with Tchaikovsky's extraordinary fantasy overture, Romeo and Juliet, a Bernstein specialty as a conductor and a piece that has the same literary inspiration as West Side Story and Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet," shared Music Director Donato Cabrera.

The Overture to Candide, based on the comic opera, Candide, is about a young couple's trials and tribulations in life. The delightfully fast melody perfectly counterbalances the fanfare of the timpani and brass.

The orchestra changes gears with Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor (prior performances in 2001 and 2012) featuring guest pianist Joyce Yang. The second concerto is Rachmaninoff's most popular of the four he composed. The work is a magnificent display of dexterity and dynamic extremes indicative of his Romantic composition style. Yang returns to perform with the Las Vegas Philharmonic, having previously performed Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the orchestra during its 2014-15 season. She is a Van Cliburn International Piano Competition silver medalist and Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, having performed with some of the world's top orchestras including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, and Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.

Next, the Philharmonic performs Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy (prior performances in 2009 and 2011). The music captures the tension between the Montagues and Capulets as well as the heartbreaking beauty of Romeo and Juliet's love for one another.

The Philharmonic closes its opening night performance with a more modern-day interpretation of Romeo and Juliet with Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Bernstein composed the musical in 1957 and then extracted nine separate episodes to create the Symphonic Dances, which were first premiered by the New York Philharmonic in 1961. The music demonstrates Bernstein's mastery of popular jazz and dance rhythms.

Ticket Prices and Shuttle Bus Services
Single tickets include five price levels in Reynolds Hall:
PT Box = $109, A Seating = $105, B Seating = $70, C Seating = $50 and N*E*R*D Seating = $30
Tickets can be purchased online through lvphil.org or The Smith Center Box Office at 702.749.2000.

The Las Vegas Philharmonic will continue to offer its roundtrip shuttle bus service from designated Henderson and Summerlin locations to its Saturday evening performances during the concert season. A roundtrip bus pass costs $25 per concert and can be purchased in conjunction with the patron's concert ticket.

Calendar Listing
OPENING NIGHT - CELEBRATING BERNSTEIN
Saturday, September 15, 2018 - 7:30pm
Pre-concert conversation at 6:30pm in Reynolds Hall
Opening Night Reception on stage at 9:30pm - $50 per person; reservations required; ticket purchase separate from concert

Donato Cabrera, conductor
Joyce Yang, piano

BERNSTEIN Overture to Candide *2007
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Opus 18 *2001, 2012
TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy *2009, 2011
BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from West Side Story *2012

*Dates in red indicate previous performance dates

About the Las Vegas Philharmonic
The Las Vegas Philharmonic, led by Music Director, Donato Cabrera, established its presence in Southern Nevada in 1998. The mission of the Las Vegas Philharmonic is to inspire a lifelong appreciation of music through performances and educational experiences for our community that enhance the lives of our residents and the culture of our city.

Music education and outreach are the cornerstones of the Philharmonic's commitment to community. Our Youth Concert Series brings more than 23,000 children annually into the concert hall for a vital music education program, and our Cox Communications Young Artists' Concerto Competition recognizes and encourages emerging talent among Nevada youth in the area of music performance.

Our season of concerts showcases local talents alongside stellar nationally and internationally known guest artists on the magnificent Reynolds Hall stage. At the orchestra's core are 76 contracted professional musicians, many of whom are esteemed educators who also perform in other professional productions in Las Vegas, bringing depth and variety to the organization.

As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Philharmonic's community, education and artistic programs are made possible by the generous donations and support of individuals and corporations. To join us in our mission or learn more, visit lvphil.org or call 702.258.5438.

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