Philadelphia Orchestra Launches 2013 Summer Season Tonight at RiverStage

The Philadelphia Orchestra launches an exciting 2013 summer season tonight, July 2 with a free Neighborhood Concert under the stars on the RiverStage at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing. This quintessential summer concert, presented by Wells Fargo and conducted by Philadelphia Orchestra Associate Conductor Cristian M?celaru, is followed by a spectacular fireworks display on the Delaware River. Philadelphia audiences will enjoy an array of other performances in the tri-state area this summer, with a July concert in Princeton, New Jersey's Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall-the Orchestra's first concert in Princeton in nearly 50 years; two performances at the lush Meadow at LongwoodGardens; and two weeks of concerts at the Mann in beautiful and expansive Fairmount Park.

Music lovers beyond Philadelphia will have a chance to enjoy the Orchestra when the ensemble returns to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for its annual residency at Bravo! Vail in early July. And, as the perfect end to an exciting summer season, the Orchestra returns to Saratoga Springs, New York, for three weeks of concerts at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in August-where it has performed each summer since the Center's founding in 1966.

CONCERT HIGHLIGHTS

RiverStage at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-Tuesday, July 2, at 8:00 PM
The Philadelphia Orchestra with Associate Conductor Cristian M?celaru and guest violinist Kristin Lee takes to the RiverStage at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing for a free Neighborhood Concert. This is the Orchestra's sixth appearance on the Great Plaza. The program, presented by Wells Fargo, features Bernstein's Overture to Candide; Barber's Commando March; Vieuxtemps's Souvenir d'Amérique: Variations on "Yankee Doodle"; Copland'sBilly the Kid Suite; Grofé's "On the Trail," from The Grand Canyon Suite; and ends with Tchaikovsky's rousing and patriotic 1812 Overture. To close this enchanted evening, a spectacular fireworks display lights up the night sky on the Delaware Riverfront. In a rare pre-concert treat at 5:00 PM, the Orchestra welcomes students from the Philadelphia International Music Festival as they perform Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 5 in D major ("Reformation"); Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite; Winkler's Concert Prelude III; Bach's Concerto for Two Violins in D minor; and Vivaldi's Concerto for Violin and Cello in B-flat major; all under the direction of M?celaru. This annual summer music program provides young musicians from around the world the opportunity to study with members of The Philadelphia Orchestra. For more information, visit http://www.delawareriverwaterfront.com/.

Bravo! Vail-Vail, Colorado-July 5 to 13
The Philadelphia Orchestra journeys to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado for the seventh season of performances at Bravo! Vail taking place from July 5 to 13. On the heels of a highly-successful inaugural subscription season in Philadelphia, and his debut at Bravo! Vail in 2012, Philadelphia Orchestra Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the Orchestra in concerts at the Gerald F. Ford Amphitheater on July 10, 12, and 13. The first program features works by Shostakovich and Rachmaninoff with cellist Alisa Weilerstein, while the July 12 program showcases the music of Mozart and Mahler with pianist Jan Lisiecki (in his Philadelphia Orchestra debut) and soprano Susanna Phillips. In the culminating performance of the residency on July 13, the Orchestra recreates the magic of Verdi's Requiem, which Nézet-Séguin performed with the ensemble last fall in Verizon Hall to celebrate his inaugural subscription season. A star-studded cast including soprano Angela Meade, mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill, tenor John Mac Master (in his Philadelphia Orchestra debut), and bass-baritone John Relyea joins the Orchestra and Nézet-Séguin for a performance with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Other renowned guest artists set to join the Orchestra on the festival stage include saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera in his Philadelphia Orchestra debut (July 5), conductor Giancarlo Guerrero (July 5, 7), and violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg (July 7). Plus, The Philadelphia Orchestra's own associate conductor, Cristian M?celaru, conducts Cirque de la Symphonie (July 6) while Principal Clarinet Ricardo Morales is featured on the Latin Jazz Night with Paquito D'Rivera program (July 5). Visit www.vailmusicfestival.org for tickets and more information.

Princeton University's Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall-Princeton, New Jersey-July 17
The Philadelphia Orchestra returns to Princeton, New Jersey, for the first time in nearly 50 years as William and Judith Scheide welcome the ensemble for the Sixth Annual Midsummer Celebration concert in July. The performance will be led by guest conductor Mark Laycock­ who made his Philadelphia Orchestra conducting debut at the age of 21 as winner of the Leopold Stokowski Memorial Conducting Competition nearly 35 years ago. The concert will take place at Princeton University's Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall on July 17, at 8:00 PM and will feature Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1 ("Classical"), Weber's Overture to Oberon, Brahms's Variations on a Theme of Haydn, and Schumann's Symphony No. 1 ("Spring"). This will mark the first Philadelphia Orchestra performance in Princeton since 1964. Visit www.princeton.edu/utickets for tickets and more information.

The Meadow at Longwood Gardens-Kennett Square, Pennsylvania-July 18, 19
As part of Longwood Gardens' annual Summer Concert series, the Orchestra performs two evenings of music under the stars with Associate ConductorCristian M?celaru and conductor Sarah Hicks. The first concert, with M?celaru, features Beethoven's Egmont Overture, Dvo?ák's Symphony No. 8, and violinist Nicola Benedetti in her Philadelphia Orchestra debut performing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. The following evening, with Ms. Hicksand soprano Janai Brugger in her Philadelphia Orchestra debut, brings a program of classic favorites to Longwood with a concert featuring excerpts from The Sound of Music, Mancini's "Moon River," from Breakfast at Tiffany's, and others. For ticketing and other information, visit www.longwoodgardens.org.

The Mann Center for the Performing Arts-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-July 23-25, July 31-August 2
The Philadelphia Orchestra returns to its summer home in Philadelphia at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts. This marks the 38th season the ensemble has performed at the Mann's Fairmount Park campus, which now features a greatly expanded Great Lawn along with the most spectacular views of Philadelphia's nighttime skyline. The Philadelphians perform an eclectic mix of programming in July and August, and are joined by a number of highly-acclaimed conductors such as Steven Reineke (July 24) and Kirill Karabits in his Philadelphia Orchestra debut (July 31).

Philadelphia Orchestra Associate Conductor Cristian M?celaru leads the July 23 program entitled Disney's Fantasia: Live in Concert featuring well-known works such as Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, excerpts from Tchaikovsky's Suite from The Nutcracker, and Dukas's The Sorcerer's Apprentice, which was featured in the popular Disney movie, Fantasia, for which the Orchestra performed the original soundtrack. On July 24, the "Voice of the Eagles," Merrill Reese, and composer/parodist Peter Schickele join the Orchestra for a "Symphonic Sports-tacular," pairing larger-than-life images of Philly's greatest moments in sports with some of classical music's most iconic pieces, plus fireworks. July 25 brings video gamers a rare treat with a program conducted by Eímear Noone in her Philadelphia Orchestra debut entitled The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses and on August 1, the Orchestra celebrates the legendary Van Cliburn in a tribute concert led by M?celaru and featuring this year's Van Cliburn Competition winner, Russia's Vadym Kholodenko.

Other notable performers include pianist Di Wu in The Rite of Spring (July 31) and the two-time Emmy Award-nominated Michael Feinstein (August 2), also celebrating his Philadelphia Orchestra debut.

Members of The Philadelphia Orchestra began playing summer concerts at the Robin Hood Dell in Fairmount Park as early as 1930. The Mann Center for the Performing Arts was founded in 1935 under the name Robin Hood Dell Concerts, as the summer venue for the concert presentations of The Philadelphia Orchestra. The Mann moved into its present outdoor facility in 1976, where the Orchestra has performed every year since. Visithttp://manncenter.org for tickets and more information.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center-Saratoga Springs, New York-August 7-24
The Saratoga region welcomes back The Philadelphia Orchestra for three weeks of concerts at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) from August 7-24. The ensemble has performed at SPAC each summer since the Center's founding in 1966. Highlights of the 12-concert series include the 150th Anniversary of the Racecourse Concert with conductor Keith Lockhart (August 8), A Bernstein Extravaganza with New York City Ballet led byStéphane Denève and featuring Jamie Bernstein as host and Rob Lorey as vocalist in his Philadelphia Orchestra debut (August 9), cellist Yo-Yo Maalso with conductor Denève (August 10), and An Evening with Béla Fleck featuring the artist performing his Banjo Concerto in his Philadelphia Orchestra debut with conductor Giancarlo Guerrero (August 21).

Throughout the residency, the Orchestra will also be led by New York Pops Music Director Steven Reineke (August 14), Bramwell Tovey (August 15), Gianandrea Noseda (August 16, 17), and Philadelphia Orchestra Associate Conductor Cristian M?celaru (August 23, 24). Additional guest artists include violinists Gil Shaham (August 7) and Sarah Chang (August 16), vocalist Michael Cavanaugh in his Philadelphia Orchestra debut (August 14), percussionist Colin Currie (August 15), pianist Jonathan Biss (August 17), cellist Johannes Moser (August 22), and pianist Daniil Trifonov in his Philadelphia Orchestra debut (August 24).

Since its opening in 1966, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center has created a reputation as one of America's most prestigious summer festivals. Its tranquil setting among the woods of Saratoga State Park north of Albany, New York, draws vacation crowds and arts connoisseurs each year to its summer programming. The annual Saratoga Chamber Music Festival takes place surrounding the Philadelphians' orchestral concerts each August. Visitwww.spac.org for more information.

To post a comment, you must register and login.