Palm Beach Symphony's Opening Concert of the 2024-2025 Season Will Come to Life with Added Visually Artistic Elements

In true artistic expression, Palm Beach Symphony’s first concert of the 2024-2025 Masterworks Season will blend beautiful symphonic music with artistic visual elements from some of the world’s most renowned artists.

Palm Beach Symphony Music Director Gerard Schwarz, who was instrumental in connecting the artwork to the music, leads the orchestra and welcomes his son, acclaimed cellist Julian Schwarz, in the season-opening concert in the Masterworks Series on Sunday, November 10 at 3 p.m. in Dreyfoos Concert Hall at Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.  

Before Julian takes the stage, the program begins with Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s lively “Celebration for Orchestra” delivering the energy of a fanfare and proper launch of the season. The program builds to Maurice Ravel’s orchestration of Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” with projected images of more than 40 artworks, including an array of art forms by artists from the 1700s through today. Many are historically significant, and all were chosen especially for this concert.

“Mussorgsky was inspired by a memorial retrospective of paintings by his good friend Viktor Hartmann,” said Maestro Schwarz. “Composed as a suite for solo piano, he used a novel musical form in which a recurring Promenade represents the composer strolling through the exhibit, linking the movements inspired by specific images.”

Instead of the original artworks by Hartmann, Palm Beach Symphony’s performance will highlight works of art specifically curated for the concert by Jill Deupi, Director and Chief Curator of the Lowe Art Museum at the University of Miami. With access to great art, Deupi crafted and created something new for this performance of “Pictures” – walking through the art gallery of new, contemporary and older art projected behind the orchestra during the performance. The artworks perfectly fit the Promenades and movements in this magnificent work by Mussorgsky.  

“There are not so many artworks that it’s distracting,” Maestro Schwarz added. “The music is at the forefront, and at the same time, the art, we believe, as it was conceived, enhances your appreciation of the music.”

Many of these renowned artists, whose works will come to life with the music, have ties to Miami and South Florida including the husband-and-wife duo of Claudia DeMonte (Tuileries Gardens) and Edwin McGowin (BABA YAGA HUT), Carlos Quintana (Amaneciendo Bull/La alegria de vivir); Harmony Hammond (Chicken Ladies with Spirits); and Michele Oka Doner (Cosmic, {detail, A Walk on the Beach}), many of whom will be attending the performance.

“This is truly a celebration of the power of the performing and visual arts,” said Palm Beach Symphony CEO David McClymont. “The audience will see, hear and feel the energy radiating from the stage with every movement and every image. We are thrilled to support these artists by bringing their work to life onstage, particularly those in Florida who are navigating the state’s budget cuts.”

A free pre-concert performance will be held outside of the Dreyfoos Hall Lobby from 2 to 2:45 p.m. provided by Park Vista Community High School Marching Band under the direction of Co-Band Directors Amrutha Murthy and Christopher Rodriguez from Lake Worth. They performed in the 2024 London New Year’s Day Parade and Concert Series, were just named 12th Place Finalists in the Bands of America Regional Championship held in Orlando and placed second overall at the 2024 Boca Raton Cavalcade of Bands. They consistently earn superior ratings at district marching band performance assessments.   

Palm Beach Symphony Masterworks concerts continue at the Kravis Center with Leonidas Kavakos, violin (Dec. 10); Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano (Jan. 13); Gil Shaham, violin (Feb. 6); Garrick Ohlsson, piano (March 2); Anne-Marie McDermott, piano (April 8) and a bonus seventh “Encore” concert featuring Kevin Kenner, piano (May 19).

The complete 2024-2025 Season schedule is available at palmbeachsymphony.org. Individual tickets for the concerts are on sale now. Concert tickets range in price from $25 to $95. Season subscribers will have the option to add the seventh show to their package for a nominal fee. The concert can also be included in a build-your-own mini flex package. Tickets may be purchased online at PalmBeachSymphony.org, by phone at (561) 281-0145 and at the Palm Beach Symphony Box Office weekdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 700 South Dixie Highway, Suite 100, West Palm Beach.

As of October 31, proud sponsors of Palm Beach Symphony include Cindy Anderson and Jerome Canty, Mrs. James N. Bay, Carol and Harold Baxter, C. Kenneth and Laura Baxter Foundation, Inc., JoAnne Berkow, Kathy Lee Bickham and John Bickham, Leslie Rogers Blum, Yvonne S. Boice Trust and Alfred Zucaro, Jeffrey and Tina Bolton, James R. Borynack and Adolfo Zaralegui / FINDLAY Galleries, Braman Motorcars, Jerome J. Claeys, Thomas and Carol Bruce, CIBC Private Wealth, Amy and John Collins, The Colony Hotel, CORPGOV, Suzanne Mott Dansby, The David Minkin Foundation, Jacqueline and Ray K. Farris, Mary and Will Demory, Willard H. Dow and Kelly Winter, Dr. Richard and Diane Farber, Bill and Kem Frick/The Frick Foundation, Inc., Gerry Gibian and Marjorie Yashar, Paul and Sandra Goldner, Douglas and Jo Gressette, Irwin and Janet Gusman, Walter Harper, Thomas E. Harvey & Cathleen P. Black Foundation, Doris Hastings Foundation, Carol S. and Joseph Andrew Hays, John Herrick, Addison Hines Charitable Trust, George Hines, HSS Florida, IPO Edge, Charles and Ann Johnson/The C and A Johnson Family Foundation, Elaine Kay, Aban and Percy Kavasmaneck, Leonard and Norma Klorfine Foundation, The Kovner Foundation, Gary and Linda Lachman/The Lachman Family Foundation, Patricia Lambrecht/The Lambrecht Family Foundation, Lugano Diamonds, Donald C. McGraw Foundation, The Honorable Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, The McNulty Charitable Foundation, Tish Messinger, David Moscow, Palm Beach Design Masters, Patrick and Milly Park/Park Foundation, Nancy and Ellis J. Parker, III, PNC Private Bank, Lois Pope, Provident Jewelry, Ari Rifkin/The Len-Ari Foundation, Dr. Martha Rodriguez and Dr. Jesus Perez-Mendez, Annette Urso Rickel Foundation, Karen Hunt Rogers, The Honorable Ronald A. Rosenfeld, David Schafer, Seth Sprague Foundation, Robin B. Smith, Kimberly V. Strauss, Dodie and Manley Thaler and the Thaler/Howell Foundation, Don and Mary Thompson, Jerome and Carol Trautschold, Sieglinde Wikstrom/The Wikstrom Foundation, and The Ann Eden Woodward Foundation/James and Judy Woods.

ABOUT Palm Beach SYMPHONY

Palm Beach Symphony is South Florida’s premier orchestra known for its diverse repertoire and commitment to community. Founded in 1974, this 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization adheres to a mission of engaging, educating, and entertaining the greater community of the Palm Beaches through live performances of inspiring orchestral music. The orchestra is celebrated for delivering spirited performances by first-rate musicians and distinguished guest artists. Recognized by The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County with a 2020 Muse Award for Outstanding Community Engagement, Palm Beach Symphony continues to expand its education and community outreach programs with children’s concerts, student coaching sessions and master classes, instrument donations and free public concerts that have reached more than 56,000 students in recent years.  For more information, visit www.palmbeachsymphony.org.

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