Spokane Symphony announces powerful 2009-10 season

Mar 26, 2009

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 326-3136

The Spokane Symphony with Music Director Eckart Preu today announced a power-packed 2009-10 season of exciting music built appropriately around the Power of Music theme.

In his opening comments, Preu said, “Providing you with joy and magic is a privilege. In particularly challenging times – I feel that the need and the importance of music rises. In those times the demand for valuable entertainment, for things that matter to the soul, for uplifting art is one of the basic needs.  The orchestra sounds better than ever!  And we are there for you.”

Following its commitment to providing the highest level of customer service, the Symphony now offers season ticket buyers the opportunity to pay for their season tickets in four payments. For the first time, subscribers in the Classics, Casual Classics and Chamber Soirees now have the opportunity to renew online.

This year, Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox will become the official home of the Spokane Symphony when the six SuperPops concerts move to that venue. There will be one concert on Saturday evenings, except three performances of Holiday Pops, Dec. 4-6, and two of Oz with Orchestra on Jan. 20 and 21. The exciting series will begin on Oct. 3 with the highly lauded Canadian Brass. Other popular acts to be featured are is the Grammy-nominated Cherryholmes family bluegrass band, famed Irish tenor Ronan Tynan as the featured artist for the Holiday Pops, Tony-award-winning Ben Vereen presenting a Tribute to Sammy Davis Junior and The Cowboy Show starring singer Wylie Gustafson and  poet Paul Zariski. Oz with Orchestra, will have the live orchestra playing the score accompaniment to the showing of the re-mastered Academy Award-winning film Wizard of Oz.

The 10-concert Classics series opens on Sept. 26-27 with a reprise concert by pianist Pascal Roge playing the Gershwin Piano concerto. The opening night will also feature Ravel Bolero and Rimski-Korsakov’s Scherazade.  A Beethoven weekend (Oct. 10-11) features two Beethoven Symphonies, No.1 on Saturday night and No. 5 on Sunday, and two different overtures. Violinist Philip Quint will play the Beethoven Concerto for each of the performances. Season ticket holders who want to experience the whole Beethoven weekend can add the second concert for just $10.

The series continues with a salute to 100 Years of the Ballet Russes featuring Manuel Barrueco, a concert spotlighting Ginastera’s Harp Concerto by Yolando Kondonassis and Resident Conductor Morihiko Nakahara,  Vadim Gluzman playing Barber’s Violin Concerto, a Mozart program with favorites Eine Kleine Nachtmusik and Requiem, Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 4 with pianist Valentina Lisitsa. The final three concerts of the season feature Gautier Capucon playing Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No. 1 and the Symphony playing Dvorak’s New World Symphony, Guest Conductor Larry Rachleff presenting Brahms’ Symphony No. 2, and the Spokane Symphony Chorale with music by Palestrina and others influenced by Palestrina as well as Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben.  

All of the Classics concerts are held on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

Casual Classics showcases the music of three very different cities: Venice, New York and Paris. All three concerts will be held on Friday nights at Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox – Nov. 6, Jan. 15 and May 21. Preu conducts two of the concerts and Resident Conductor Morihiko Nakahara will conduct the New York concert.

The Symphony will present two outstanding dance companies this year. The nationally-acclaimed Ballet Memphis will join the Spokane Symphony for an all-new performance of the family favoriteNutcracker  that will unveil plenty of delightful treats and surprises, including the return of Mother Ginger on Dec. 18-20 in the INB Performing Arts Center. The Martha Graham Dance Company’s 2010 tour will include an appearance at Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox with the Spokane Symphony on March 27, 2010. Tickets for the Martha Graham performance are on sale to season ticket holders only until individual concerts go on sale in August. Nutcracker tickets are on sale now at the Spokane Symphony ticket office as well as at www.spokanesymphony.org.

Two performances of Symphony on the Edge are planned at the Knitting Factory on Oct. 16 and May 7. The Chamber Soiree series continues at the Davenport Hotel’s Marie Antoinette Ballroom on Dec. 1 and 2, Jan. 26 and 27 and March 23 and 24. This year, two Soirees will be presented at Jacklin Arts and Culture Center at the Old Church in Post Falls on Jan. 28 and March 25.

For season tickets, call 509-624-1200.