Philadelphia Orchestra Announces Fall 2021 Season: FORWARD

Following more than a year of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the closing of concert halls internationally, The Philadelphia Orchestra will return to its home, Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, in October 2021 to resume live concerts with in-person audiences. Today, Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and President and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky announced the Orchestra's concerts, programs, and activities for the Fall 2021 Season: Forward, informed and transformed by the impact of the pandemic, the social justice movement in America, and the drive toward creative equity and inclusion in the world of orchestral music. A full digital press kit and chronological calendar can be found at www.philorch.org/press-room. Details regarding the January-June season will be announced in early September.

"As we look forward to a very joyful reunion with our beloved audiences, we invite old friends and new to be part of a transformed Philadelphia Orchestra," said Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. "As we continue to create musical friendships and collaborations with the extraordinary communities of Philadelphia, and offer unique concert experiences to audiences everywhere on our Digital Stage, we hope all will join us at our home at the Kimmel Center. We want everyone to experience the depth and beauty of Florence Price's music in our ongoing exploration of her work, to be present as Nathalie Stutzmann officially joins us as principal guest conductor, and to enjoy the talents of four Philadelphia Orchestra principal musicians as they take center stage. We've seen firsthand how music can help us better understand each other and our world amidst profound social change. This fall, we will honor the losses of the past year with a renewed commitment to the music we make, to musical citizenry, and to the bright future of The Philadelphia Orchestra. It's time to move forward. We can't wait to be together again!"

The Philadelphia Orchestra will adhere to city, state, and federal health and safety protocols, and will keep the well-being of all as a top priority as it reunites with audiences. Verizon Hall will be adapted to a limited capacity with socially distant parameters for both the audience and the Orchestra.

A Verizon Hall Create-Your-Own five-subscription package will go on sale today at 12 PM for existing subscribers and on May 26, 2021, to the general public at www.philorch.org/forward or 215.893.1955. As a fall 2021 subscriber benefit, Digital Stage programs can be added to any Verizon Hall Create-Your-Own subscription package for $10 each. Subscribers to Verizon Hall concerts can also enjoy increased flexibility in ticketing with fee-free exchanges.

Celebrating his tenth season with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin will lead four subscription weeks this fall, opening the season on October 5 with a special gala program featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma. More details about this event will be announced at a later date. Fall subscribers will be able to add the program to Create-Your-Own subscriptions at a later date. Opening Weekend performances continue the Orchestra's exploration of the music of Florence Price, as Nézet-Séguin conducts Price's Symphony No. 4 as part of a program featuring unifying American voices from across time and diverse experiences. Pianist Aaron Diehl will perform William Grant Still's Out of the Silence and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and vocalist Laurin Talese will perform James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

Nézet-Séguin will lead the world premiere of Wynton Marsalis's Tuba Concerto, a Philadelphia Orchestra co-commission featuring Principal Tuba Carol Jantsch, while three additional principals of the Orchestra will take center stage this fall-Principal Oboe Philippe Tondre will play Mozart's Oboe Concerto conducted by Susanna Mällki; Principal Clarinet Ricardo Morales will perform the world premiere of Jacob Bancks's Clarinet Concerto, a Philadelphia Orchestra co-commission, with Rafael Payare in his conducting debut; and Concertmaster David Kim will play the solo violin in Melinda Wagner's Little Moonhead. In her first official Verizon Hall concerts as principal guest conductor, Nathalie Stutzmann will lead Missy Mazzoli's Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) with Schubert's Symphony No. 9 ("Great").

Nézet-Séguin will conduct the world premiere of Robin Holcomb's Paradise, commissioned by The Philadelphia Orchestra and paired with Mahler's Fourth Symphony with South-African soprano Pretty Yende in her Orchestra debut. He will also lead concerts of profound music with opera singer and activist Davóne Tines performing Sermon, a combination of contemporary works including "Vigil," composed by Igee Dieudonné and Tines in memory of Breonna Taylor; John Adams's "Shake the Heavens" from El Niño (A Nativity Oratorio); and "You Want the Truth, but You Don't Want to Know," from Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Anthony Davis's X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X. Joshua Bell will lead the Orchestra and appear as soloist in Florence Price's Adoration, in the world premiere of an arrangement for violin and orchestra, and Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. In December Bramwell Tovey will return for the time-honored tradition of The Glorious Sound of Christmas, and Julian Wachner will conduct performances of Handel's Messiah. The Orchestra also plans to record Price's Symphonies Nos. 1, 3, and 4 on the Deutsche Grammophon label.

President and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky commented, "With the inspiring dedication and encouragement of so many-Yannick and the musicians of the Orchestra, our Board of Directors, our tireless staff, patrons, Philadelphians, and friends near and far-The Philadelphia Orchestra has persevered through a year of extraordinary hardship and challenge. We offer our deepest appreciation for your spirit and your support, which fueled our determination to invent, to collaborate, and to move forward. We are very happy to be able to open our doors and welcome all to Verizon Hall. Our commitment to the health, safety, and well-being of everyone-on stage, in the audience, and behind the scenes-will be our first priority as we emerge with a resolve forged in the pandemic, ready to welcome everyone to a bold, exciting new era of The Philadelphia Orchestra."

This fall Verizon Hall will look and feel different, but the joy and excitement of being in the concert hall will remain. Patrons returning to Verizon Hall will notice enhanced safety measures in the form of socially distant seating, as well as a reimagined concert experience. Orchestra musicians will be dressed in contemporary all-black attire. Concerts will be shorter and without intermission to accommodate for safety. Performances will also feature a greater use of video and lighting for a more enhanced, immersive experience.

In partnership with the Kimmel Center, the Orchestra will follow protocols including increased use of disinfectants, enhanced ventilation, and the enforcement of all health authority safety measures. Pod seating configurations of two seats, with a few three- and four-seat pods, will be available throughout Verizon Hall. As public health guidelines evolve, so will seating options. More information about the Orchestra's plans for safety and comfort can be found at www.philorch.org/plan-your-visit.

The Philadelphia Orchestra anticipates returning to full seating capacity both on stage and in the hall by January 2022. Details regarding the January-June season will be announced in early September.

The Orchestra will take forward the knowledge and technological innovations developed during the pandemic to inform the evolving future of the institution. Born out of necessity, and now a vital means of connecting with audiences worldwide, the Digital Stage will return this fall with eight concerts available for at-home streaming. The Digital Stage Fall 2021 season will feature new performances of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin as soloist, as well as Florence Price's Symphony No. 4 (October 13). Principal Guest Conductor Nathalie Stutzmann will lead Concertmaster David Kim and First Associate Concertmaster Juliette Kang in a performance of Bach's Concerto for Two Violins and String Orchestra as well as Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 1 (November 10). Philadelphia Orchestra soloists will continue to take center stage with Ibert's Flute Concerto featuring Principal Flute Jeffrey Khaner (September 8), Weber's Bassoon Concerto performed by Principal Bassoon Daniel Matsukawa (September 22), and Amanda Harberg's Piccolo Concerto performed by Erica Peel and paired with a new performance of Price's Symphony No. 3 (December 8).

Digital Stage listeners will have the opportunity to hear encore performances of popular programs featuring Valerie Coleman's Red Clay & Mississippi Delta for wind quintet and Mozart's Serenade in B-flat major ("Gran Partita") (September 8); Mason Bates's Undistant and Beethoven's Symphony No. 2 (September 22); Duke Ellington's "Solitude," Stravinsky's Suite from Pulcinella, and Aaron Diehl's performance of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue in its original jazz band version (October 27); and Davóne Tines's performance of Sermon paired with Mozart's Symphony No. 25 (November 24). The fall Digital Stage season will conclude with Family Christmas Favorites (December 18).

A Digital Stage Create-Your-Own three-subscription package will go on sale today at 12 PM for existing subscribers and on May 26, 2021, to the general public at www.philorch.org/forward. The high-resolution digital performances are accessible on mobile devices, computers, and TV via Chromecast and similar apps. Digital Stage performances begin with a real-time stream, after which they are available on demand for one week.

College and university students can access unlimited Digital Stage concerts for $25 with an eZseatU membership, and the Orchestra's APPLE program will continue with free Digital Stage tickets for employees of the School District of Philadelphia. Current eZseatU and APPLE subscribers can continue to access Digital Stage performances with their memberships. The eZseatU program is funded in part by the Amy P. Goldman Foundation and an anonymous donor. The APPLE program is funded in part by the Nancy and William A. Loeb Student Education Fund.

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