Symphony announces 2008-09 plans, with more magical music than ever!

Mar 12, 2008

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 326-3136

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Spokane— Spokane Symphony Music Director Eckart Preu today announced another season of spellbinding music. At the top of the list is the Symphony's participation in the nationwide celebration of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth. In honor of this event, the Spokane Symphony, along with internationally renown baritone Thomas Hampson, will give the world premiere performance of Letters from Lincoln, by American composer Michael Daugherty, commissioned by the Spokane Symphony.

The Classics series will continue to be at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox with performances on Saturday evenings at 8 pm and at 3 pm the following Sunday. The concerts in this series will be conducted by Music Director Maestro Eckart Preu, unless otherwise indicated

The season opens on Sept. 13 and 14 with an exciting program featuring Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio Overture, Alpensinfonie by Richard Strauss, and Bruch's Concerto No. 1, played by Finnish-American violinist Elina Vahala. On Oct. 4 and 5 violinist Stefan Jackiw will play Stravinsky's Violin Concerto in an all-Russian program that will also include Prokofiev's The Love of the Three Oranges and Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2. Brilliant young cellist Julie Albers will collaborate with Morihiko Nakahara to perform F.J. Haydn's Cello Concerto on Nov. 8 and 9, in a program that will also include J. Sibelius' Symphony No. 2. Pianist Norman Krieger returns to give an electrifying performance of L. van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 (Nov. 21-22); the symphony will also play music by Romantic genius F. Schubert, including his Symphony No. 9 The Great and an arrangement of Schubert's notes for an unfinished 10th symphony by Luciano Berio entitled Rendering.

Classic 5 opens the new year (Jan. 15-16) with an extraordinary rendition of F. Liszt's Concerto No. 2 in A Major by pianist Gabriela Montero, on a program that includes Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta by B. Bartok, and Dvorak's Symphony No. 8. On Feb. 28 and March 1, the Spokane Symphony and baritone Thomas Hampson with give a world premiere performance of Daugherty's Commission based on Lincoln Letters. The concert will also feature Czech Rhapsody by J. Weinberger, Langsamer Satz and Im Sommerwind by A. Webern and D. Ellington's Night Creature (arr. Schuller). On March 7 and 8, the Spokane Symphony Chorale will appear with the symphony in a program that includes Holst's The Planets illustrated by an stunning multimedia presentation featuring photos by NASA. Cellist Alisa Weilerstein plays Die Gezeichneten (The Branded) by F. Schreker in a program that includes A. Dvorák's Cello Concerto in B minor (April 4-5). Guest conductor Michal Nesterowicz will explore the Polish Soul with Concertmaster Mateusz Wolski performing the solo part in M. Karlowicz's Violin Concerto in A Minor. The concert will end with P. Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5. The classics season will conclude with a stirring performance of L. van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, sometimes called the Ultimate Symphony, featuring performances by the Spokane Symphony Chorale and four soloists.

The SuperPops Series promises to be extraordinarily exciting in the 2008-2009 Season. Held at the INB Performing Arts Center, these concerts will be conducted by Morihiko Nakahara except when otherwise noted. The Series kicks off with an exciting performance by Grammy Award Winning Singer/Songwriter Peter Cetera, the former lead singer and bassist for the legendary rock group Chicago (Sept. 27). On Nov. 15, Grammy-Award winning (8 Grammys in 5 different catagories) Bela Fleck and the Flecktones will bring their unique musical style, mixing virtuosic musicianship with experimental, bluegrass, jazz, and pop influences. Of course, December (20 -21) wouldn't be complete without the festive sounds of the Holiday Pops, this year featuring Eckart and Santa. ON Feb. 7, 2009, the stage of the INB will explode with the powerful voices of three of Broadway's brightest lights (Debbie Gravitte, Jan Horvath and Christane Noll) singing signature songs from Broadway hits in The Broadway Divas. On April 25, Eckart Preu will conduct music by the incomparable Henry Mancini, nominated for 72 Grammy Awards (he won 20) and 19 Academy Awards (he garnered 4). This year, SuperPops season saves the best for last, with the spellbinding magic of Cirque de la Symphonie, bringing the best cirque artists in the world, including aerial flyers, acrobats, dancers, jugglers and balancers performing to exciting symphonic music.

Casual Classics, where the musicians leave their tuxes at home and the conductor informally tells the stories that make the music come alive, will be held on Friday nights at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. The series, subtitled An Anatomy of a Composer the Good, the Bad and the Jealous will examine three of classical music's biggest stars and what was going on while they were composing. The Oct. 17 concert studies the anatomy of Beethoven's Second Symphony, complete with snapshots of the works of the mentors and contemporaries that influenced Beethoven's revolutionary style. Chip Phillips, principal clarinet for the Spokane Symphony, will be the featured soloist. On Dec. 12, Eckart Preu will examine the work of F. Mendelssohn, in with Dawn Wolski, soprano and the Spokane Symphony Chorale. An examination of Mozart and his friends and foes (May 1) includes a solo by principal bassist Patrick McNally. Casual Classics subscribers get a free T-shirt, specially designed for this series. There will be a Happy Hour one hour before the concert; subscribers who wear their t-shirt get a $1 off the first glass of their favorite beverage.

Spring 2009 will bring spellbinding performances by some of Great Britain's most extraordinary performers. Flutists Sir James and Lady Jean Galway and percussionist extraordinaire Dame Evelyn Glennie will thrill Spokane audiences as they play with the Spokane Symphony. Glennie, a captivating improviser and composer, will return to play with the Spokane Symphony on Feb 13 at the INB Performing Arts Center as part of a conference for music educators. On March 14, Spokane audiences have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear Sir James Galway, called the world's only flute personality, and his wife, Lady Jean, transport listeners through a spectrum of amazing music in the fabulous Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox.

Music and children are a magical combination! From Spooktacular to Nutcracker to Holst's The Planets, the Spokane Symphony brings a variety of spellbinding performances for families. In addition to Symphony YES! 4 classics concerts with pre-concert activities at family friendly prices, there will be two Family concerts: Spooktacular on Nov. 1 and The World Comes West, (Jan. 24) which launches the Symphony celebration of the Lincoln bicentennial.

Chamber Soirees in the Marie Antoinette Room have sold out for the last four years. The tradition of exciting chamber music in an up close and personal atmosphere continues with contemporary music interwoven with music of the Masters. Tables for four with wine, fruit and cheese make this a very special musical experience. The Tuesday and Wednesday evening concerts are scheduled for Sept. 23-24; Feb. 3-4, and March 24-25.

Symphony on the Edge In its fourth year, Symphony on the Edge rocks the Big Easy once again! Join Music Director Eckart Preu, Associate Conductor Morihiko Nakahara, and the SSO at Spokane's popular night club on. With a t-shirt on your back, a drink in one hand, and a Symphony program in the other, get ready to experience the invigorating collision of progressive symphonic music, special lighting effects, and big-screen close-ups. To audiences of all ages, expect a fresh, unique, and daring performance! These two concerts are certain to live up to their regional and national acclaim!

The Spokane Symphony and the Alberta Ballet will present the US premiere of Edmund Stripe's The Nutcracker (Dec. 5, 6 and 7), the grandest and most opulent production in the Alberta Ballet history. Buy early and receive a discount on all adult tickets purchased before Aug. 1.

The Spokane Symphony has been playing great music in the Inland Northwest for 63 years. As a key regional arts and cultural attraction, the Symphony provides fine entertainment in 60 different concerts to more than 150,000 listeners annually -- in venues as diverse as neighborhood parks, the Davenport Hotel, places of worship, area colleges, the INB and the jewel of Spokane, the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox. This year will be the first full season in the newly restored art deco theater, where the symphony will continue to make history with the world premiere of Letters from Lincoln. A season ticket to one of the Spokane Symphony's outstanding series provides the best entertainment value in the region. Season tickets are available for each series.

For a Season Brochure or more information call 624-1200, or visit www.spokanesymphony.org.