South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Announces 2024-25 Season
Featuring the greatly anticipated revival of Pulitzer Prize winning opera Giants in the Earth set in 1873 Dakota Territory.
By: A.A. Cristi Feb. 15, 2024
The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra has announced details of the 2024-25 season, its 103rd, which will feature the greatly anticipated revival of Giants in the Earth – the Pulitzer Prize winning opera by American composer Douglas Moore (The Ballad of Baby Doe) based on Ole Edvart Rølvaag's epic novel about Norwegian settlers of the Dakota Territory in 1873. The SDSO's production will be the first ever fully professional staging of Moore's opera. More details on Giants in the Earth can be found at the bottom of this release.
The new season opens October 5th in the Washington Pavilion with a program featuring Symphonie fantastique of Hector Berlioz and acclaimed American violinist Rachel Barton Pine as soloist for Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy and Wynton Marsalis' “The Fiddler and the Dancin' Witch.” Other highlights include SDSO principal cellist Robert Erhard as soloist for Dvorak's Cello Concerto (Nov. 16, 2024), the world premiere of Theodore Wiprud's Violin Concerto No. 2 on the brink (Jan. 25, 2025), Tchaikovsky's fantasy overture from Romeo & Juliet alongside a trio of works by influential women composers (Feb. 15, 2024), and a multi-media program with music of Ravel and Stravinsky created by Joseph Horowitz that explores the impact of “New World” creative icons including George Gershwin, Josephine Baker, and Woody Herman on “Old World” Europe and Russia (Mar. 1, 2025). The South Dakota Symphony Chorus will be featured in Handel's Messiah (December 6 & 7, 2024) and Mozart's “Great” Mass in C Minor (Apr. 5, 2025). On Sunday, February 16, the SDSO will offer a 60-minute concert specifically tailored to young listeners illustrating how classical music expresses our emotions.
Popular presentations include vocal powerhouse Capathia Jenkins in songs made famous by the great ladies of soul, the annual celebration of the holidays – ‘Tis the Season – and a tribute to the music and culture of Ireland.
“With the help of some extremely generous funders, we are able to bring to life some very exciting projects that have been in the planning stages for some time,” said SDSO Music Director Delta David Gier about the new season. “One of the most exciting is Giants in the Earth-an opera based on the iconic novel by Ole Rølvaag, which tells the story of Norwegian homesteaders coming right here to eastern South Dakota during the 1870s. Of course, this new season is filled with wonderful symphonic masterworks and prestigious soloists, along with two exciting world premieres by important contemporary American composers.”
Subscription packages for the new season go on sale tomorrow, February 16th at 10am through 3e Encore Guest Services at (605) 367-6000. Open 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday – Saturday, and 11:30a.m – 5:00p.m Sunday. A variety of options are available, including the Imperial package which features a discount equivalent to three free concerts.
2024-2025 Season
All performances begin at 7:30pm in the Washington Pavilion unless otherwise noted.
SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE
Saturday, October 5
Delta David Gier, conductor
Rachel Barton Pine, violin
SARASATE Carmen Fantasy
MARSALIS “The Fiddler and the Dancin' Witch”
BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique
SHE'S GOT SOUL
featuring Capathia Jenkins
Saturday, October 19
Vocal powerhouse Capathia Jenkins brought the legacy of Aretha Franklin to life in 2021. She returns to Sioux Falls to perform R&B and Soul hits by superstars Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Adele and more.
ROBERT ERHARD PLAYS DVORAK
Saturday, November 16
Delta David Gier, conductor
Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano
Robert Erhard, cello
SMETANA The Moldau from Ma Vlast
MORAVEC A New Country (World Premiere of Orchestra Version)
COPLAND Old American Songs
Simple Gifts
Long Time Ago
I Bought Me a Cat
At the River
DVORAK Cello Concerto
HANDEL'S “MESSIAH”
Friday, December 6, 7:00pm
Saturday, December 7, 7:00pm
First Lutheran Church
Delta David Gier, conductor
South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Chorus
‘TIS THE SEASON
Saturday, December 14
Sunday, December 15, 2:30pm
South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Chorus
BEATS & BEETHOVEN
Saturday, January 25
Delta David Gier, conductor
Elissa Cassini, violin
Camilla Tassi, projection designer
VIET CUONG Re(new)al: Percussion Quartet Concerto
WIPRUD Concerto for Violin No. 2, on the brink (World Premiere)
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 4
VALENTINE'S ROMANCE
Saturday, February 15
Delta David Gier, conductor
TCHAIKOVSKY Fantasy Overture from Romeo & Juliet
RAVEL Pavane for a Dead Princess
MASSENET Meditation from Thais
BEACH Bal Masque
CLYNE Masquerade
PROKOFIEV The Love for Three Oranges
MASCAGNI Cavalleria rusticana: Intermezzo
ELGAR Salut d'amour
BOULANGER D'un matins de Printemps
SAINT SAENS Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah
CONCERT FOR KIDS & FAMILIES
Sunday, February 16, 4:00pm
A special addition to this season, the Concert for Kids & Families will delight audiences of all ages. Designed to ignite your imagination, this 60-minute concert is an introduction to the orchestra and how classical music expresses our emotions.
NEW WORLD ENCOUNTERS: American mavericks shake up the Old World
Saturday, March 1
Joseph Horowitz, cultural historian
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano
Doosook Kim, violin
Joseph Horowitz, who expertly set the stage for the SDSO's triumphant performance of Shostakovich's Seventh Symphony in February of 2023, returns to Sioux Falls with a multi-media extravaganza on how the popular culture of the New World - and icons such as George Gershwin and Josephine Baker - influenced the Old World.
HINDEMITH Scherzo from Symphonic Metamorphoses (with jazz fugue)
RAVEL “Blues” from Sonata for violin and piano
RAVEL Piano Concerto in G Major
STRAVINSKY The Soldier's Tale (excerpts)
STRAVINSKY Symphony in Three Movements
A CELTIC CELEBRATION
Saturday, March 15
The South Dakota Symphony celebrates the magic and music of the Emerald Isle. Featuring highlights from epic scores to Far and Away (John Williams) and Titanic (James Horner), and the most beloved of all Irish ballads, Danny Boy.
MOZART'S GREAT MASS
Saturday, April 5
Delta David Gier, conductor
South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Dr. Timothy J. Cambell, conductor
BACH Sehet, wir gehn hunauf gen Jerusalem
MENDELSSOHN O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
MOZART Great Mass in C Minor
GIANTS IN THE EARTH
The Norwegians in the Dakota Territory
Saturday, April 26
Sunday, April 27, 2:30pm
Delta David Gier, conductor
South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Chorus
MOORE
Giants in the Earth (in 3 acts, staged with imagery, costumes, and sung in English)
About the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra
The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (SDSO) is based in the vibrant and growing city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The SDSO is the state's premier performing arts organization with the Washington Pavilion as its home. Led by Maestro Delta David Gier, the SDSO has garnered a national reputation for innovative programming and statewide outreach. The core of SDSO is comprised of nine full-time professional musicians who make up the Dakota String Quartet and the Dakota Wind Quintet.
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