New World Symphony Sets 2023-24 Season Featuring 19 Artist Debuts

The New World Symphony has announced its 2023-24 season, a landmark year for the institution, as it welcomes Stéphane Denève in his first full season as Artistic Director. Denève is only the second person to hold this position in the 35-year history of the organization, succeeding co-founder and Artistic Director Laureate Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT).

Eager to embrace NWS's mission to prepare its highly gifted Fellows for leadership in the orchestral field, Denève will lead the Fellows in eight programs of beloved favorites and modern masterworks, including French composer Albert Roussel's The Spider's Feast, featuring the world premiere of NWS-commissioned animations; the world premiere of a new work by French composer Guillaume Connesson; a performance and exploration of Jennifer Higdon's blue cathedral, celebrating its 25th year; Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, Debussy's La Mer, and more.

Stéphane Denève is Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director of the New World Symphony, and will also be Principal Guest Conductor of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic from 2023. Recognized internationally for the exceptional quality of his performances and programming, Stéphane has a special affinity for the music of his native France, and is a passionate advocate for music of the 21st century. A gifted communicator and educator, he has worked regularly with young people at the Colburn School, the European Union Youth Orchestra, and the Music Academy of the West.

"It is nothing short of a dream come true to begin my first full season with the New World Symphony, and build upon the legacy of its co-founder and guiding soul, Michael Tilson Thomas," said Denève. "It is a rare privilege and deep honor to lead NWS and its remarkable Fellows, an outstanding group of talented and passionate musicians. Together, with this season's guest artists and conductors from around the world, the future of classical music is thriving in Miami!"

MTT returns to mentor the Fellows and lead them in performances with renowned guest artists throughout the season.

"I welcome my colleague, Stéphane Denève, to his first full season as Artistic Director," said Tilson Thomas. "I am so happy that he is carrying on our tradition of excellence. It is always a joy for me to make music with the brilliant Fellows of NWS and I am so pleased that we will collaborate this year with the esteemed artists Leif Ove Andsnes, Emanuel Ax, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Dashon Burton. And, it is always great fun when music students from our community join us for a 'Side-by-Side Concert.' I'm so looking forward to seeing you all and to continuing our 35-years together."

NWS's 2023-24 season spans centuries and the globe, and features both classics and contemporary works, from Beethoven's monumental Ninth Symphony in celebration of its 200th anniversary, to Billy Childs' Saxophone Concerto. Performances take place at the New World Center, NWS's Miami Beach campus designed by Frank Gehry, as well as the Adrienne Arsht Center and throughout the community. Through its WALLCAST® and other, select free and open-to-the-public concerts, NWS continues its commitment to providing access to classical music for all.

"I am blown away by Stéphane's generosity. The more time I spend with him, the more I see that that's just who he is, even off the stage," said First-year Violin Fellow Beatrice Hsieh. "I'm so excited to work with him next season; his mentorship is only going to further New World's legacy!"

Subscriptions to NWS's 2023-24 season are available on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, with single tickets available Tuesday, September 5, 2023.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS

Stéphane Denève, Artistic Director

Stéphane Denève will lead the Fellows throughout the season including his September 16, 2023 performance of Claude Debussy's La mer, Benjamin Britten's Four Sea Interludes and Adolphus Hailstork's An American Port of Call. He will host, with composer Jennifer Higdon, an exploration of her blue cathedral, which celebrates its 25th year and is one of the most frequently performed works of the 21st century. Denève will lead the season finale concerts on May 11-12, 2024 with a performance of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring and John Williams' first Violin Concerto.

As part of their curriculum, the Fellows will also engage with Denève behind the scenes, including weeks of reading rehearsals and conducting workshops that are critical to their development and preparation as leaders of the artform.

On November 17 and 18, 2023, Denève and the NWS Fellows join forces with The Cleveland Orchestra at the Adrienne Arsht Center for a joint performance of Richard Strauss' Alpine Symphony, featuring over 120 musicians together on stage for this epic work. This collaboration is a continuation of the organizations' collaborative partnership that includes side-by-side concert presentations as well as professional development and mentoring activities. Tickets are available this spring through the Arsht Center.

Michael Tilson Thomas, Artistic Director Laureate

NWS Co-Founder and Artistic Director Laureate Michael Tilson Thomas will also lead the Fellows throughout the 2023-24 season. Joining him and the Fellows are guest artists and longtime friends, as well as audience favorites, including Emanuel Ax and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. MTT will present music by composers dear to him, including Aaron Copland, Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, as well as his own work Agnegram.

In April 2024, MTT will conduct NWS's annual Side-by-Side Concert, continuing to inspire South Florida's musical youth through this opportunity for young instrumentalists (grades 7-12) to perform alongside him and the New World Symphony Fellows.

Celebrating Today's Composers and Artists

NWS Fellows will explore and perform music by today's emerging and established composers, including Adolphus Hailstork, Olly Wilson, James Lee III, William Edward (Billy) Childs, Allison Loggins-Hull, Gabriela Ortiz, Rhiannon Giddens, Michael Abels, Pacho Flores, Jennifer Higdon, Josephine Stephenson, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Michael Tilson Thomas, Wynton Marsalis, and John Williams. Many of these composers will connect with Fellows in person and/or via the internet for rehearsal mentorship and to share the inspiration behind their works.

"It is always special to collaborate with the Fellows at New World Symphony and Stéphane Denève, but to celebrate the 25th anniversary of blue cathedral, my most personal work, is especially meaningful," said composer Jennifer Higdon. "I have said that blue cathedral represents all potential and the progression of journeys, and by exploring this work together, I hope the NWS Fellows are empowered to share and explore their unique artistic voices as they prepare to forge their own creative paths."

NWS is also proud to welcome several celebrated artists making their NWS debut, including Grammy® Award-winning mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor; 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant winner, saxophonist Steven Banks; one of today's foremost Baroque violinists, Aisslinn Nosky; multiple Grammy® Award-winning mezzo-soprano, Isabel Leonard; William Petschek Recital Award winner, pianist Elizabeth Joy Roe; former principal trumpet of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, Pacho Flores; Venezuelan Cuatro player Leo Rondón; Grammy® Award-winning Lebanese-American tenor Karim Sulayman; Colombian conductor and LA Opera Resident Conductor Lina Gonzales-Granados; and Music Director of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg and Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Gustavo Gimeno.

Return of Audience Favorites

Returning to NWS to join the Fellows in performances throughout the season are renowned artists and pianists Emanuel Ax and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, violinist James Ehnes, mezzo-soprano Ronnita Miller, and conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya.

Conductor Edwin Outwater returns to present "Music and the Senses" alongside neuroscientist Dr. Indre Viskontas on March 23, 2024. That same weekend, Fellows will present a staged production of Wynton Marsalis' A Fiddler's Tale with projections, sets and costumes on March 24, 2024.

The 2023-24 season marks the anticipated return of the Concerto Showcase concert-where select Fellows take the stage as winners of this season's concerto competition, and the return of NWS's Harlem Renaissance-centered festival, "I Dream a World," where chief curator Dr. Tammy Kernodle, conductor Andrew Grams and pianist Aaron Diehl will explore the music of Mary Lou Williams.

Commitment to Access

NWS continues to deliver on its vision to redefine, reaffirm, express, and share the traditions of orchestral music with as many people as possible. Nearly 30% of NWS's 60+ performances within the New World Center are free to the public. Throughout the 2023-24 season, NWS will present twelve WALLCAST® Concerts in SoundScape Park, where audiences experience live NWS performances through a striking use of visual and audio technology on the soaring, 7,000-square-foot projection wall of the New World Center.

NWS Mobile WALLCAST® Concerts, first unveiled at SoundScape Park in May 2022, bring the WALLCAST® experience into neighborhoods around Miami. In its inaugural year during the 2022-23 season, NWS hosted Mobile WALLCAST® concerts in Doral, Liberty City, Miami Gardens and North Miami. Currently the largest mobile wall in South Florida, the 23x16 screen consists of state-of-the-art LED panels and sound system, offering a local and captivating way to experience WALLCAST® concert content. Multiple activations in the 2023-24 season will forge and reaffirm community connections across South Florida. The NWS Mobile WALLCAST® Concert Series is made possible with the support of the Dr. M. Lee Pearce Foundation, Wege Foundation and the NWS Resilience Fund.

Through the digital membership program NWS Inside, NWS will continue to livestream select concerts throughout the season and provide behind-the-scenes access to the fellowship program, NWS artistic staff and the season's guest artists.

NWS provides family-friendly performances with a two-concert series designed for children aged 4-9, including a Halloween-themed performance on October 29. The "Concert for Kids" series is an educational and entertaining introduction to composers and music with activities designed by local partners like Miami Children's Museum.

NWS's annual holiday concert, "Sounds of the Season," is an audience favorite. The December 15 performance is presented by the City of Miami Beach for its residents.

Digital Exploration

With the extraordinary flexibility afforded by its home at the New World Center, the New World Symphony has become a laboratory for generating new ideas about the way music is taught, presented, and experienced. Within its Knight New Media Center, the New World Symphony will continue its pursuit of digital content, educational dialogue, and distribution. In the 2022-23 season, NWS received a $10 million investment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to expand NWS's pioneering work in the integration of technology with music performance, education, and community engagement, as well as to push the boundaries of artistic expression.

Stéphane Denève sees pairing of music and video as the future of the symphonic artform. The 2023-24 season will include an NWS commission by artist Grégoire Pont, who developed a performance concept called Cinesthetics, to create animations paired with Albert Roussel's A Spider's Feast. NWS will also showcase a video score by filmmaker Bill Viola to accompany Edgard Varèse's Déserts.

NWS BLUE Projects

Standing for Build, Learn, Understand, and Experiment, NWS's BLUE program is a combination of leadership and entrepreneurship training and hands-on experimentation that provides NWS Fellows and alumni with a comprehensive skill set to complement their musical training.

NWS BLUE Projects during the 2023-24 season will take place at the New World Center, across South Florida, and online. Through the program, select Fellows will curate and perform an Early Music concert and the popular Late Night at NWS event that turns the New World Center's Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall into a nightclub.

The impacts and value of the unique NWS BLUE program are currently being studied as part of a long-term research project on sustainable entrepreneurship in the performing arts supported by NEA Research Labs: The Arts, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation.

NWS at the Arsht Center

In addition to performing at the New World Center, NWS's Miami Beach campus designed by Frank Gehry, Fellows also have the opportunity to perform at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, in the Knight Concert Hall, which offers a performance experience similar to that which Fellows will encounter in their professional careers.

NWS's 2023-24 Arsht Center series features Miguel Harth-Bedoya and saxophonist Steven Banks performing music from the Americas, including Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and Jimmy López Bellido's Fiesta!. In January, conductor Douglas Boyd will lead NWS Fellows, soloists Joélle Harvey, Ronnita Miller, Limmie Pulliam, Musa Ngqungwana, and the Master Chorale of South Florida in performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's monumental Ninth Symphony, in celebration of its 200th anniversary. The concert will also feature excerpts from Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels' opera Omar. Michael Tilson Thomas concludes the series with his own work Agnegram and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony. He and the Fellows will be joined by Dashon Burton for songs by Aaron Copland, whose music is a signature of MTT.

The NWS Fellowship Experience

The New World Symphony is a global leader in orchestral and artistic training. Talented musicians, aged typically between 22-30, are awarded three-year fellowships that consist of a robust curriculum of musical, entrepreneurial and community engagement training. Each season, Fellows are mentored by over 250 visiting faculty members and guest artists, and design and execute their own entrepreneurial projects. Eighty-seven Fellows in various stages of their three-year fellowship make up the orchestra each season. NWS has over 1,200 alumni transforming communities in over 30 countries.

2023-24 CONCERT SCHEDULE

DENÈVE CONDUCTS DEBUSSY AND BRITTEN

Saturday, September 16, 2023 at 7:30 PM

New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Stéphane Denève, conductor
Adolphus Hailstork: An American Port of Call
Jacques Ibert: Escales (Ports of Call)
Benjamin Britten: Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
Claude Debussy: La mer

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MTT CONDUCTS COPLAND AND SIBELIUS

Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Aaron Copland: Suite from Billy the Kid
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 6
Béla Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra

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MTT + LEIF OVE ANDSNES

Saturday, September 30, 2023 at 7:30 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
Olly Wilson: Shango Memory
Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, "The Emperor"
Johannes Brahms/ Arr. Arnold Schoenberg: Piano Quartet in G minor

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CHAMBER MUSIC: MOZART'S GRAND PARTITA

Sunday, October 8, 2023 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
NWS alumni soloists
George Enescu: Piano Quartet No. 2
Olly Wilson: A City Called Heaven
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Serenade No. 10, "Gran Partita"

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DENÈVE: PROKOFIEV'S ROMEO + JULIET

Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 15, 2023 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Stéphane Denève, conductor
Kelley O'Connor, mezzo-soprano
James Lee III: Visions of Cahokia (with video)
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs
Sergei Prokofiev: Suite from Romeo and Juliet

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DANCES FROM WEST SIDE STORY

Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 8:00 PM
Adrienne Arsht Center, Knight Concert Hall
Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor
Steven Banks, saxophone
Samuel Barber: Symphony No. 1
Billy Childs: Saxophone Concerto
Jimmy López Bellido: Fiesta!
Leonard Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

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CAGE, LIGETI AND ORTIZ

Friday, October 27, 2023 at 7:30 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Michael Linville, conductor
Katalin Károlyi, mezzo-soprano
John Cage: First Construction (in Metal)
György Ligeti: With Pipes, Drums, Fiddles
Allison Loggins-Hull: Hammers
Gabriela Ortiz: Liquid Borders

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CONCERT FOR KIDS: TRICKS AND TREATS

Sunday, October 29, 2023 at 11:30 AM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall

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MAHLER 6

Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, November 5, 2023 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Gustavo Gimeno, conductor
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 6

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VARÈSE'S DÉSERTS

Saturday, November 11, 2023 at 7:30 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
André de Ridder, conductor
Edgard Varèse: Déserts (with video by Bill Viola)
Bela Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta
Nicole Lizée: Black MIDI

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NWS + THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA

Friday, November 17, 2023 at 8:00 PM

Saturday, November 18, 2023 at 8:00 PM

Adrienne Arsht Center, Knight Concert Hall

Stéphane Denève, conductor

Pablo Ferrández, cello

Robert Schumann: Cello Concerto

Richard Strauss: An Alpine Symphony

Tickets only available through the Arsht Center.

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CHAMBER MUSIC WITH THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA

Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Members of The Cleveland Orchestra
Dai Fujikura: Cosmic Breath (NWS co-commission)
Dmitri Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 9
Robert Schumann/arr. Theodor Kirchner: Six Studies in Canonic Form
Ned Rorem: 11 Studies for 11 Players

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SOUNDS OF THE SEASON

Friday, December 15, 2023 at 7:30 PM (Presented by the City of Miami Beach)
Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 7:30 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall

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CHAMBER MUSIC: NOSKY AND UNCHARTED BAROQUE

Sunday, December 17, 2023 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Aisslinn Nosky, violin and leader
Johann David Heinichen: Concerto in F major
Dario Castello: Sonata concertante
Georg Philipp Telemann: Concerto for Three Trumpets
Jan Dismas Zelenka: Concerto à 8
Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre: Trio Sonata No. 3
Michael Oesterle: Chamber Concerto
Karol Szymanowski: String Quartet No. 2

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BEETHOVEN 9: ODE TO JOY

Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Adrienne Arsht Center, Knight Concert Hall
Douglas Boyd, conductor
Master Chorale of South Florida
Joélle Harvey, soprano
Ronnita Miller, mezzo-soprano
Limmie Pulliam, tenor
Musa Ngqungwana, bass
Leoš Janáček: Sinfonietta
Rhiannon Giddens/Michael Abels: "Psalm 23" from Omar
Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, "Choral"

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DENÈVE AND Isabel Leonard

Saturday, January 20, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, January 21, 2024 at 7:30 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Stéphane Denève, conductor
Grégoire Pont, cinesthetics/animation
Isabel Leonard, soprano
Program to include:
Albert Roussel: The Spider's Feast (world premiere of NWS-commissioned animations)
Maurice Ravel: Shéhérazade
Florent Schmitt: The Tragedy of Salomé

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CHAMBER MUSIC: ELIZABETH ROE PLAYS BACH

Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Elizabeth Joy Roe, piano
George Walker: Music for Brass (Sacred and Profane)
Johann Nepomuk Hummel: Septet No. 2, "Military"
Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerto in C minor for Two Keyboards
Frank Bridge: String Sextet

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CONCERT FOR KIDS

Sunday, February 4, 2024 at 11:30 AM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall

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CARLOS MIGUEL PRIETO + PACHO FLORES

Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Carlos Miguel Prieto, conductor
Pacho Flores, trumpet
Leo Rondón, cuatro
Carlos Chávez: Sinfonía india
Gabriela Ortiz: Trumpet Concerto (world premiere of NWS co-commission)
Pacho Flores: Cantos y Revueltas
Silvestre Revueltas: La noche de los Mayas

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BITS AND SCRAPS: NEW MUSIC FOR PERCUSSION

Friday, February 16, 2024 at 7:30 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall

Michael Linville, conductor

Josephine Stephenson: All casual bits and scraps, assembled

Jennifer Higdon: Splendid Wood

Mark-Anthony Turnage: New England Etudes

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CHAMBER MUSIC: BEETHOVEN, BRITTEN AND BINGEN

Sunday, February 18, 2024 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall

Karim Sulayman, tenor

Claude Debussy: Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp

Hildegard von Bingen/arr. Michael Linville: Dove Peering In

Ludwig van Beethoven: String Quintet in C major

Benjamin Britten: Nocturne

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Mary Lou Williams' ZODIAC SUITE

Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 7:30 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall

Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 2:00 PM
Andrew Grams, conductor
Aaron Diehl, piano

Program to include:
Mary Lou Williams: Zodiac Suite
Mary Lou Williams: Mass

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MTT AND EMANUEL AX

Saturday, March 9, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor

Emanuel Ax, piano

Arnold Schoenberg: Five Pieces for Orchestra

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3

Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 1

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MTT CONDUCTS TCHAIKOVSKY 4

Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Adrienne Arsht Center, Knight Concert Hall
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor

Dashon Burton, baritone

Michael Tilson Thomas: Agnegram
Aaron Copland: Old American Songs

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4

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MUSIC AND THE SENSES WITH EDWIN OUTWATER

Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall

Edwin Outwater, conductor

Indre Viskontas, presenter

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CHAMBER MUSIC: MARSALIS' FIDDLER'S TALE

Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Wynton Marsalis: A Fiddler's Tale (one act with lights, projections, sets, costumes and narrator)

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DENÈVE: HIGDON'S BLUE CATHEDRAL

Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 8:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Stéphane Denève, conductor

Jennifer Higdon, composer

Jennifer Higdon: blue cathedral

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CONCERTO SHOWCASE

Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 8:00 PM

Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Lina Gonzales-Granados, conductor
NWS Fellow soloists to be announced

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LATE NIGHT AT NEW WORLD SYMPHONY

Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 9:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall

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MTT: SIDE-BY-SIDE CONCERT

Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 8:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall

Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor

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MTT AND JEAN-YVES THIBAUDET

Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 8:00 PM

Sunday, May 5, 2024 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture

Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto

Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15

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SEASON FINALE: DENÈVE AND EHNES

Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 8:00 PM

Sunday, May 12, 2024 at 2:00 PM
New World Center, Michael Tilson Thomas Performance Hall
Stéphane Denève, conductor

James Ehnes, violin

John Williams: Violin Concerto
Guillaume Connesson: New work to be announced (world premiere of NWS commission)

Igor Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

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