Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Announces Diverse and Dynamic November Lineup

Your Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) presents a diverse and dynamic month of music this November, beginning with Wynton Marsalis & Sibelius on Thursday, November 3 at 7:30 PM and Saturday, November 5 at 8 PM (a Pre-Concert Chat begins an hour prior to each performance) in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.

The Cleveland Orchestra's Vinay Parameswaran returns to conduct the Rochester premiere of jazz legend Wynton Marsalis' Violin Concerto in D Major. The composer's own choice of violin soloists, Tai Murray - called "superb" by The New York Times - will make her RPO debut. The piece combines elements of jazz, blues, and classical music to create something that is uniquely American. The program then concludes with Sibelius' Fifth Symphony, first premiered in 1915, which underwent extensive revisions by the self-critical composer before it became the beloved masterpiece it is today.

Next up, on Friday and Saturday, November 11 & 12 at 8 PM at Kodak Performing Arts Center (200 West Ridge Rd. 14615, PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE FROM ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED KODAK HALL, current ticket holders will receive new tickets) is Troupe Vertigo Featuring the Music of Jeff Tyzik (preceded by a Pre-Concert chat in the theatre one hour prior to each performance).

The Los Angeles-based company creates an eclectic and refreshing mix of circus, dance, and theatre that ignites audiences' imaginations with spellbinding performances. Troupe Vertigo has performed with many symphonies across the U.S. - including the RPO and Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik several times in the past - but this concert is unique.

"The group's co-founder - former Cirque du Soleil featured aerialist Aloysia Gavre - had taken one of my pieces and choreographed a routine to it. Then she said, 'Why don't we do a whole concert just with your music?' So that's what we're doing and it's pretty exciting," says Tyzik. "Another thing about these concerts is that they get the widest age range of pretty much any concert we do - grandparents bringing their grandkids and such. They're really a great family experience."

The concert will also spotlight some RPO players: Rebecca Gilbert, Principal Flute (the Charlotte Whitney Allen Chair, funded in perpetuity) in Danza Cubano; Erik Behr, Principal Oboe (the Dr. Jacques M. Lipson Chair, funded in perpetuity) in both Bolero and Tango from Dance Suite for Oboe; and Percussionist Eric Metzgar in RIFFS.

Brahms Requiem follows on Thursday, November 17 at 7:30 PM and Saturday, November 19 at 8 PM (a Pre-Concert Chat begins an hour prior to each performance) in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. The program, conducted by Music Director Andreas Delfs, begins with the World Premiere of A Rage of Peace. The work was commissioned by the RPO from Los Angeles-based composer Derrick Skye specifically as a companion piece to the monumental Brahms Requiem.

"The central connecting idea behind (the two) is the experience of navigating pain with guidance and the struggle to reach and maintain an internal peace," explains Skye. "Personally, what resonates for me most is Brahms's insistence that the human experience he articulates throughout the Requiem is unifying and universal. This is something I hope my work can achieve over its lifetime."

Featured on Skye's piece will be American soprano Jasmine Habersham, whose cover story just appeared in the Fall 2022 issue of Classical Singer Magazine. She'll be joined by world-renowned English baritone Christopher Maltman as well as the Eastman-Rochester Chorus (under the direction of William Weinert, Eastman School of Music Professor of Conducting & Ensembles) for Johannes Brahms' A German Requiem, called a "Human Requiem" by the composer himself.

"What I love especially about the Brahms Requiem is that it's a very personal one. Brahms wrote it upon reflecting on the death of his own mother, which happened about the same time that his best friend and mentor, Robert Schumann, died," adds Maestro Delfs. "This very personal piece has the blueprint of a requiem but really is unique among the requiems of the world."

November ends with the annual kick-off to Rochester's holiday season, The Nutcracker, in conjunction with Rochester City Ballet (Artistic Director Robert Gardner) for six performances: Wednesday, November 23 at 7 PM; Friday, November 25 at 2 & 7 PM; Saturday, November 26 at 2 & 7 PM; and Sunday, November 27 at 2 PM in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Led by returning guest conductor Tara Simoncic, the RPO will perform Tchaikovsky's beloved score while the timeless tale of wonder and imagination whisks audiences away to a magical land of sparkling snow and delectable sweets. Tickets start at $24 for adults/$15 for children.

All other tickets start at $24/$12 for children ages 3-17 and are available online anytime at rpo.org, by phone at 585-454-2100 (Monday-Friday,10 AM-5 PM), and in person at RPO Patron Services at 225 East Avenue (Monday -Friday, 10 AM-5 PM) and one hour prior to curtain at the Eastman Theatre Box Office (433 East Main St.). Incentivized subscription packages for the 2022-23 Season are also available via the locations above.

COVID protocols have been updated: Vaccinations are no longer required to attend concerts at Kodak Hall. Following the University of Rochester masking protocols and guidelines, masking is currently optional at Eastman Theatre. In an effort to accommodate those patrons who prefer to mask, the RPO is pleased to offer a masks-only section designated in a portion of the balcony.

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