Pittsburgh Symphony Announces Classical Pops Programming For 2017-2018

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra announces the 2017-2018 season programming for its BNY Mellon Grand Classics and PNC Pops series. The upcoming season of the BNY Mellon Grand Classics marks its 10th season under the musical leadership of Music Director Manfred Honeck and the orchestra's 122nd year since its founding.

"These 10 years of music making with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra have truly been a gift to my life," says Honeck. "I am so excited to celebrate an amazing decade in Pittsburgh with this incredible orchestra and our wonderful patrons and subscribers. I am especially looking forward to presenting to Pittsburgh new pieces commissioned to celebrate this milestone year and introducing 15 new talented guest artists to Pittsburgh. Please join us for another joyous year of music!"

Honeck conducts 10 of the 20-week BNY Mellon Grand Classics subscription concerts. In honor of his 10th anniversary season, three of Honeck's programs will include a special commission in honor of the anniversary and nearly every program led by Honeck will feature one piece that he will conduct with the Pittsburgh Symphony for the first time.

The season includes an array of pieces for large-scale forces and monumental choral works, reflecting Honeck's special affinity for that part of the repertoire. Items of note in Honeck's programs include the season opening weekend with violin superstar Christian Tetzlaff; an original theatrical realization of Haydn's The Creation; a one-night-only performance of Handel's Messiah; and the season finale featuring piano legend Emanuel Ax. The season is bookended with two concerts led by Honeck that include grand works with organ - Saint-Saëns' mighty Symphony No. 3, "Organ," and Berlioz's monumental Te Deum, which will be performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony for the first time! (More about the BNY Mellon Grand Classics season can be found below).

"It has been wonderful to work with Maestro Honeck and witness the crafting of the 2017-2018 season," says Melia Tourangeau, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony. "This season features the exceptional talents of Manfred Honeck and the stellar musicians of this orchestra, virtuoso guests and a fantastic array of music from a variety of eras and styles. This will be a season to remember."

PNC Pops

The PNC Pops' 2017-2018 season features a diverse array of popular programming - from sultry singers to doo-wop harmonies to bold Broadway divas. Several popular visiting conductors return this season, including Todd Ellison and Jack Everly, and new voices join the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for a pops season filled with an eclectic and dynamic mix of musical genres that's just great fun! (More about the PNC Pops season can be found below.)

Manfred Honeck & the Pittsburgh Symphony on Tour

The 2017-2018 season begins with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra embarking on its 24th European tour from August 25 through September 9 to prestigious European music festivals in Germany, Austria, England, Switzerland and Romania. The tour opens on August 28 at the Rheingau Festival in Wiesbaden, Germany, with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, who most recently performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony on its 2016 European Tour. The orchestra next performs in Austria at the prestigious Salzburg Festival (August 29) - the first time Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony will appear there together - and the Grafenegg Festival (August 31-September 1). The Pittsburgh Symphony then travels to London to perform at a venue to be announced later this spring. Switzerland is the orchestra's next stop, performing at the Lucerne Festival on September 6. The orchestra's final two concerts will take place at the George Enescu Festival in Bucharest, Romania, on September 7 and 8. Along with Mutter, internationally renowned German baritone Matthias Goerne and Rainer Honeck, concertmaster of the Vienna Philharmonic and the brother of Manfred Honeck, will join the orchestra for several concerts on the tour.

The engagement at the Lucerne Festival is supported by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation through USArtists International in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. International touring is made possible, in part, by the Hillman Endowment for International Performances.

- BNY Mellon Grand Classics Season -

Exciting Debuts

This season features 15 debut guest artists, including three conductors - Venezuelan Rafael Payare (January 26 & 28), chief conductor of the Ulster Orchestra in Northern Ireland; Sir Mark Elder (March 23 & 25), music director of the Halle, principal artist of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and artistic director of the Opera Rara; and Cristian M?celaru (May 18 & 20), recently appointed music director and conductor of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music.

New and exciting soloists in the 2017-2018 season include Ray Chen, winner of the Queen Elizabeth (2009) and Yehudi Menuhin (2008) Competitions; Noa Wildschut, a 16-year-old member of the Mutter Virtusoi (a string ensemble led by Anne-Sophie Mutter) who was first discovered at just four years old; Rachele Gilmore, one of America's most sought after coloratura soprano, and award-winning German tenor Werner Güra who will be featured in Haydn's Creation; multi-faceted pianist Kirill Gerstein whose interpretive style is influenced by jazz; Vilde Frang, a young Norwegian violinist who was awarded the Credit Suisse Young Artist Award in 2012;Benjamin Grosvenor; a leading British classical pianist who won the Keyboard Final of the 2004 BBC Young Musician Competition at the age of 11 and recently won the inaugural Ackman Classical Piano Prize from the New York Philharmonic; Jan Lisiecki, a 20-year-old Canadian pianist who made his debut at Carnegie Hall in 2016; Igor Levit, a Russian pianist who won Gramophone's Recording of the Year in 2016; and three of the four singers who will be featured as part of Verdi's Requiem will make their Pittsburgh Symphony debuts.

Pittsburgh Symphony Principals in the Spotlight

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra continues to highlight the exceptional principal musicians within its own ranks with solo performances by Lorna McGhee (January 12 & 14), principal flute, in Ibert's Flute Concerto; Craig Knox (March 16 & 18), principal tuba, in a world premiere of a PSO co-commissioned tuba concerto by celebrated American composer Jennifer Higdon; and Anne Martindale Williams (March 23 & 25), principal cello, who will perform Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme.

Returning Guest Conductors

Some of the finest names in the orchestra world will return to Pittsburgh this season to lead the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. One of the greatest living conductors,Christoph von Dohnányi, music director of the Cleveland Orchestra for nearly two decades, first appeared as a guest conductor with the Pittsburgh Symphony in 1983. He returns (November 3 & 5) to lead a program featuring Schubert's Symphony No. 9, "The Great." Also returning this year are Christoph König (October 6 & 8); Krzysztof Urba?ski (October 13 & 15); Juanjo Mena (Janaury 12 & 14); Osmo Vänskä (February 9-11); Robert Spano (March 16 & 18); and Ji?í B?lohlávek (April 6 & 8).

Superstar Pianists

Dazzling technique, flawless interpretation and fingers that move like lightning - the 2017-2018 BNY Mellon Grand Classics season features beloved masters and rising superstars of classical piano, including Lang Lang playing Rhapsody in Blue at the Pittsburgh Symphony Gala (September 16); Yulianna Avdeeva in Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 (October 6 & 8); Kirill Gerstein's debut (January 26 & 28) with Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2; Yefim Bronfman performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 (February 23-25); British sensation Benjamin Grosvenor in his debut with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2 (March 2 & 4); Jan Lisiecki also making his debut with Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 (April 6 & 8); Igor Levit (June 8 & 10), making his debut, in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4; and audience favoriteEmanuel Ax (June 15-17) who closes the season with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor."

Composer of the Year

The 2017-2018 season marks the 16th anniversary season of the Pittsburgh Symphony's Composer of the Year program. In honor of this milestone, along with Music Director Manfred Honeck's 10th anniversary season, the Pittsburgh Symphony will present a retrospective year of works written by former composers of the year - including Jennifer Higdon, Steven Stucky, John Adams (part of the world-wide celebration of Adams' 70th birthday) and others - and present three pieces that have been commissioned in honor of Honeck's 10th anniversary season by Pittsburgh-based composer Reza Vali, 2016-2017 Composer of the Year Sir James MacMillan and Israeli composer Boris Pigovat, whose work will appear in a BNY Mellon Grand Classics subscription concert for the first time.

Beethoven Piano Concerto Cycle

Between 1795 and 1809, Ludwig Van Beethoven wrote five piano concerti that have been equally loved by pianists and audiences alike for more than 220 years. During the 2017-2018 season, the Pittsburgh Symphony will perform all five concerti across the season, works that display Beethoven's unbelievable musical intellect and reveal the emotional depth and power of his compositions - Piano Concerto No. 3 (February 23-25); Piano Concerto No. 2 (March 2 & 4); Piano Concerto No. 1 (April 6 & 8); Piano Concerto No. 4 (June 8 & 10); and Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor," (June 15-17).

Haydn's Creation

Based on the Biblical story, Haydn gives musical life to the six most famous days in history. Haydn's love of nature is everywhere apparent and his deep religious faith illuminates in this massive work. It is no wonder that The Creation was Haydn's most beloved composition during his lifetime and Music Director Manfred Honeck, the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra offer a unique twist on this shining masterpiece with an original theatrical realization by acclaimed Stage Director Sam Helfrich on December 1 and 3 at Heinz Hall. The Creation is the third in a series of special collaborations between the Pittsburgh Symphony and Helfrich, following Handel's Messiah and St. John Passion, which produced innovative and modern interpretations of these profound and spiritual works.

- Non-Subscription Special Events -

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Gala

As is tradition, the 2017-2018 season celebrates the new concert season with one of the best parties of the year - the Pittsburgh Symphony's annual gala concert and associated dinner and soiree events on Saturday, September 16. Dubbed "Rhapsody in Blue," this speakeasy-themed gala features superstar pianist Lang Lang performing Gershwin's beloved work of the same title. The concert will be led by Music Director Manfred Honeck. Gala concert tickets will be made available for purchase to the public in late spring. Proceeds from the concert and associated events benefit the extensive learning and community engagement initiatives at the Pittsburgh Symphony and help assure the orchestra's continued artistic excellence.

Yo-Yo Ma Returns

A musical giant and one of the most respected artists of the last 50 years, legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma returns to the Heinz Hall stage for one night only on June 9, 2018. A special friend and collaborator with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Ma joins Music Director Manfred Honeck for a night of unforgettable music making. Please note: This concert will be offered first to Pittsburgh Symphony new and returning subscribers as a subscriber exclusive.

Pittsburgh Symphony Radio from WQED-FM

The weekly Pittsburgh Symphony Radio Series produced and broadcast by WQED-FM 89.3 and WQEJ-FM 89.7 features lively, exciting performances of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra each week. Host Jim Cunningham and acclaimed Music Director Manfred Honeck bring symphonic works of Brahms, Mozart, Beethoven, Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, and more with help from world-class soloists. The program is broadcast locally on Wednesdays and Sundays at 7 p.m. EST (for other cities, please check local listings). Listen to archival concerts anywhere in the world 24 hours a day with a smartphone or computer on the WQED-FM Pittsburgh Concert Channel atwqed.org/fm or with HD radio WQED 89.3 HD2. This series builds on a rich tradition of Pittsburgh Symphony radio broadcasts that have connected the orchestra in the United States and abroad since the 1930s.

Sponsors and Ticket Packages

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra would like to recognize and thank BNY Mellon for its 2017-2018 title sponsorship of the BNY Mellon Grand Classics series, marking BNY Mellon's 17th consecutive year as title sponsor of the series. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel and Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Radio station WQED-FM 89.3 and WQEJ-FM 89.7 is the official voice of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Season tickets are available in packages of six, seven, 14 and 20 concerts and range in price from $103.50 to $1,410. Students and seniors receive extra discounts. Tickets for individual concerts will go on sale in August. Concert times are Fridays and select Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Season ticket packages can be purchased in person at the Heinz Hall Box Office at 600 Penn Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh, by phone at 412-392-4900 or online atpittsburghsymphony.org/classics.

2017-2018 BNY Mellon Grand Classics Season at a Glance

Programs, artists and dates are subject to change

SEPTEMBER

September 22-24

Saint-Saëns Thundering Organ Symphony

Manfred Honeck, conductor

Christian Tetzlaff, violin

Adams: Lollapalooza (PSO premiere)

Brahms: Violin Concerto

Pigovat: Manfred Honeck 10th Anniversary Commission (World premiere)

Saint-Saëns: Symphony No. 3, "Organ"

OCTOBER

October 6 & 8

Chopin & Rachmaninoff

Christoph König, conductor

Yulianna Avdeeva, piano

Mussorgsky: Scherzo (PSO premiere)

Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2

Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2

October 13 & 15

Shostakovich Triumphant

Krzysztof Urbanski, conductor

Ray Chen, violin (debut)

Beethoven: Overture to Egmont

Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5

October 27-29

Beethoven "Eroica"

Manfred Honeck, conductor

Alisa Weilerstein, cello

MacMillan: Manfred Honeck 10th Anniversary Commission (World premiere)

Schumann: Cello Concerto

Beethoven: Symphony No. 3, "Eroica"

NOVEMBER

November 3 & 5

Dohnányi Conducts Schubert's "Great"

Christoph von Dohnányi, conductor

Bartók: Music for Strings, Percussion & Celesta

Schubert: Symphony No. 9, "The Great"

November 24 & 26

Thanksgiving Weekend: Vienna & Violin Virtuosity

Manfred Honeck, conductor

Noa Wildschut, violin (debut)

Chausson: Poème

Ravel: Tzigane

Favorite Strauss family waltzes and polkas

DECEMBER

December 1 & 3

Haydn's Creation

Manfred Honeck, conductor

Sam Helfrich, stage director

Greg Emetaz, video designer

Rachele Gilmore, soprano (debut)

Werner Güra, tenor (debut)

Alexander Elliott, bass

The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (Matthew Mehaffey, director)

Haydn: The Creation

December 2

Handel's Messiah

Manfred Honeck, conductor

Rachele Gilmore, soprano

Andrey Nemzer, countertenor

Werner Güra, tenor

Alexander Elliott, bass

The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (Matthew Mehaffey, director)

Handel: Messiah

JANUARY

January 12 & 14

The New Year Begins: The Firebird!

Juanjo Mena, conductor

Lorna McGhee, flute

Debussy: Printemps (PSO premiere)

Ibert: Flute Concerto

Ravel: Valses Nobles et sentimentales

Stravinsky: Suite from The Firebird (1919)

January 26 & 28

Rachmaninoff's Second Concerto

Rafael Payare, conductor (debut)

Kirill Gerstein, piano (debut)

Carreño: Margariteña (PSO premiere)

Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2

Mahler: Symphony No. 1

FEBRUARY

February 9-11

Beethoven's Fifth

Osmo Vänskä, conductor

Vilde Frang, violin (debut)

Kabalevsky: The Comedians

Stravinsky: Violin Concerto

Rautavaara: A Requiem in Our Time for Brass and Percussion (PSO premiere)

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5

February 23-25

Bronfman Plays Beethoven

Manfred Honeck, conductor

Yefim Bronfman, piano

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9

MARCH

March 2 & 4

Beethoven Concerto Cycle: No. 2

Manfred Honeck, conductor

Benjamin Grosvenor (debut)

Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2

Janá?ek: Sinfonietta

March 16 & 18

Symphonie Fantastique

Robert Spano, conductor

Craig Knox, Tuba

Debussy: Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Higdon: Tuba Concerto (World premiere/PSO co-commission)

Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique

March 23 & 25

Regal Classics

Sir Mark Elder, conductor (debut)

Anne Martindale Williams, cello

Elgar: Symphony No. 1

Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme

Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks

APRIL

April 6 & 8

Beethoven Concerto Cycle: No. 1

Ji?í B?lohlávek, conductor

Jan Lisiecki, violin (debut)

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1

Suk: Symphony No. 2, "Asrael" (PSO premiere)

April 20-22

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto

Manfred Honeck, conductor

James Ehnes, violin

Stucky: Silent Spring

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto

Brahms: Symphony No. 4

April 27-29

Verdi's Requiem

Manfred Honeck, conductor

The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (Matthew Mehaffey, director)

Verdi: Requiem

MAY

May 18 & 20

Augustin Hadelich Returns

Cristian M?celaru, conductor (debut)

Augustin Hadelich, violin

Enescu: Rumanian Rhapsody No. 1

Dvo?ák: Violin Concerto

Copland: Symphony No. 3

JUNE

June 8 & 10

Beethoven Concerto Cycle: No. 4

Manfred Honeck, conductor

Igor Levit, piano (debut)

Mozart: Symphony No. 33

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4

Vali: Manfred Honeck 10th Anniversary Commission (World premiere)

Liszt: Les Préludes

Wagner: Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

June 15-17

Ax Plays Beethoven's "Emperor"

Manfred Honeck, conductor

Emanuel Ax, piano

Paul Appleby, tenor

The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (Matthew Mahaffey, director)

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor"

Berlioz: Te Deum (PSO premiere)

- PNC Pops -

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra swings into the 2017-2018 PNC Pops season with music from the Great American Songbook, Leonard Bernstein, rock 'n roll icons and Broadway's biggest voices, presenting another fun-filled, eclectic season of popular favorites.

The season opens with Grammy-winning artist Patti Austin (October 20-22), who brings her magnificent voice and jazzy style to classic songs from the Great American Songbook - and beyond! Together with Lawrence Loh and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Austin will enchant you with music from Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, and Duke Ellington, plus her own hit songs "Baby Come to Me," "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?" and many others.

Celebrate 100 years of an American icon with the Bernstein Centennial Celebration (November 10-12). Leonard Bernstein, a composer, conductor and educator, left an indelible mark on the cultural life of the 20th Century and beyond! Featuring guest vocalists Alli Mauzey, Hugh Panaro and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Student Chorale, directed by Christine Hestwood, this concert will feature highlights from some of Bernstein's most memorable musical treasures, including "On the Town," "West Side Story," "Wonderful Town" and more!

It's the most wonderful time of the year - Highmark Holiday Pops (December 8-10; additional performances on December 16 & 17) returns with a spectacle of holiday music for the whole family! Classic carols, seasonal orchestral pieces and cherished holiday tunes - along with some fun surprises - will be performed with an all-star cast of guest artists - including Broadway sensation Ryan Silverman, the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and Santa Claus too!

Dave Bennett, a self-taught clarinet virtuoso who plays electric guitar, piano, drums and sings, brings his signature style to Heinz Hall (February 16-18) for a musical trip through the decades, from swing era to rock 'n roll, featuring the greatest hits from Benny Goodman, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and more!

"Oh, What a Night!" when the original cast of the "Jersey Boys" - Tony Award-winner Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and Tony Award-nominee J. Robert Spencer, along with guest conductor Todd Ellison - bring the sounds of the 1960s to Heinz Hall with the Midtown Men (April 13-15). Songs from The Beatles, The Rascals, The Turtles, Motown and, of course, The Four Seasons will be on our playlist!

Storm Large - musician, actor, playwright, author and reality star - brings her sultry style to Heinz Hall (May 11-13), performing the music of Cole Porter, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, Queen and more. Conductor Michael Krajewski leads the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in a unique program, celebrating hits from the '30s to '90s, that will be beautiful, familiar, yet twisted...much like the lady herself!

The biggest voices of the Great White Way close the 2017-2018 PNC Pops season with "Broadway Divas" (June 22-24). This concert - led by popular guest conductor Jack Everly - showcases the thrilling, show-stopping power of four larger-than-life Broadway leading ladies...look forward to breathtaking performances of hits from Les Miserables, Dreamgirls, Hello Dolly!, Chicago and more!

Sponsors and Ticket Packages

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra would like to recognize and thank PNC for its 2017-2018 title sponsorship of the PNC Pops series, marking PNC's 17th consecutive year as title sponsor of this series. The Pittsburgh Symphony also would like to recognize and thank Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for its 2017 title sponsorship of Highmark Holiday Pops. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Radio station WQED-FM 89.3 and WQEJ-FM 89.7 is the official voice of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Seven-concert season ticket packages range from $131.25 to $656.25. Tickets for individual concerts will go on sale in July. Concert times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Season ticket packages can be purchased in person at the Heinz Hall Box Office at 600 Penn Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh, by phone at 412-392-4900 or online atpittsburghsymphony.org/pops.

2017-2018 PNC Pops Season at a Glance

Programs, artists and dates are subject to change

October 20-22

Patti Austin: Beyond the American Songbook

Lawrence Loh, conductor

Patti Austin, vocalist

November 10-12

Bernstein Centennial Celebration

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Student Chorale (Christine Hestwood, director)

Alli Mauzey, soprano

Hugh Panaro, tenor

December 8-10, December 16-17

Highmark Holiday Pops

Ryan Silverman, tenor

The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (Matthew Mahaffey, director)

And more special guests!

February 16-18

Swing to Rock: Benny, Elvis & Jerry Lee

Dave Bennett, clarinet, guitar, piano and vocals

April 13-15

The Midtown Men

Todd Ellison, conductor

The Midtown Men: Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer, vocals

May 11-13

Love, Lust & Rock 'n Roll

Michael Krajewski, conductor

Storm Large, vocals

June 22-24

Broadway Divas

Jack Everly, conductor

Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc., a non-profit organization, and is the year-round home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cornerstone of Pittsburgh's Cultural District, Heinz Hall also hosts many other events that do not feature its world-renowned orchestra, including Broadway shows, comedians, speakers and much more. For a full calendar of upcoming non-symphony events at the hall, visit heinzhall.org.

(Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Symphony)