Spokane Symphony announces lineup for 73rd season
SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane Symphony announced its 2018-2019 concert season Monday.
The 73rd season will be major turning point for the Symphony as it says goodbye to longtime Music Director Eckart Preu and searches for a new director.
Preu will conclude his 15-year tenure and will conduct 5 of the season’s 10 Classic concerts including his farewell performance. Five guest conductors who are finalists in the music director search will conduct the other five Classic concerts.
A new music director will be announced at the end of the season in May 2019.
Tickets are on sale now for current subscribers of Spokane Symphony packages, who have a priority time period in which to renew their series and save up to 25% off individual ticket prices.
Subscriptions are available to the general public starting March 30.
On March 30, the general public may subscribe to Spokane Symphony classics, pops and other series for up to 25% savings.
On August 17, individual concert tickets go on sale to the general public.
The ten classics concerts and six pops concerts in the 73rd season of the Spokane Symphony are listed below, followed by special events.
CLASSICS:
1. The Bohemian Spirit
Saturday September 8, 2018 8pm — Sunday September 9, 2018 3pm
Eckart Preu, conductor — Guest soloist Charlie Albright, piano
Classics 1: THE BOHEMIAN SPIRIT (continued)
Smetana’s ode to the Moldau River and Dvořák’s “tragic” Seventh Symphony express the longing for Czech independence. Washington State native Charlie Albright performs Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto, an intricate work of triumph, beauty, and light-heartedness written in the face of personal tragedy.
Bedřich Smetana — Ma Vlast (The Moldau)
Ludwig van Beethoven — Piano Concerto No. 3
Antonin Dvořák — Symphony No. 7
2. The Red Violin
Saturday October 6, 2018 8pm — Sunday October 7, 2018 3pm
Morihiko Nakahara, conductor and finalist — Guest soloist Elizabeth Pitcairn, violin
Celebrated violin virtuoso Elizabeth Pitcairn, owner of the legendary 1720 Red Mendelssohn Stradivarius, or Red Violin, will perform a work from the film, The Red Violin. Tchaikovsky’s spectacular Fifth Symphony masterfully blends beautiful melodies and poignant emotions.
Tan Dun — Symphonic Poem of 3 Notes (2011)
John Corigliano — Chaconne for violin and orchestra (1997)
Pyotr Tchaikovsky — Symphony No. 5
3. The Heroic
Saturday October 20, 2018 8pm — Sunday October 21, 2018 3pm
Eckart Preu, conductor — Guest soloist Alon Goldstein, piano
Beethoven’s technically challenging Third Symphony, “Eroica,” is regarded as a turning point in musical history, forcing contemporaries to experience a symphony as more than entertainment. Pianist Alon Goldstein returns to perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, one of his greatest and most melodic concertos.
Lilian Elkington — Out of the Mist
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Piano Concerto No. 21
Ludwig van Beethoven — Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”
4. Sibelius and Brahms
Saturday November 3, 2018 8pm — Sunday November 4, 2018 3pm
Eckart Preu, conductor — Guest soloists Silver-Garburg Piano Duo
The returning Silver-Garburg Piano Duo of Sivan Silver and Gil Garburg, perform an arrangement of Brahms’ famous Opus 25, the lyrical and passionate First Piano Quartet. Experience the world of Sibelius, from his joyful tone poem, Finlandia, to his cheerful and concise Third Symphony that creates his signature austere soundscape inspired by his Nordic homeland.
Jean Sibelius — Finlandia
Johannes Brahms — Opus 25 (Arr. for piano, four hands and strings)
Jean Sibelius — Symphony No. 3
5. Dvořák and Rachmaninoff
Saturday January 19, 2019 8pm — Sunday January 20, 2019 3pm
Eckart Preu, conductor — Mateusz Wolski, violin — Spokane Symphony Chorale
Spokane Symphony Concertmaster Mateusz Wolski will perform another great work from the violin repertoire: Dvořák Violin Concerto. Rachmaninoff’s choral symphony, The Bells, loosely based on a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, is considered by many to be one of his great masterpieces.
Miguel del Aguila — Chautauquan Summer
Antonin Dvořák — Violin Concerto
Sergei Rachmaninoff — The Bells (Kolokola)
6. Passion’s Pursuit
Saturday February 16, 2019 8pm — Sunday February 17, 2019 3pm
James Lowe, guest conductor and finalist — Guest soloist Haochen Zhang, piano
Experience the genius of Liszt. His gorgeous Hungarian Rhapsody is followed by his Second Piano Concerto, full of emotion, virtuosity and passion. Brahms’ Fourth Symphony, beautiful, impassioned and tragic, is the culmination of the composer’s symphonic ideals, resulting in music that is masterful and durable. Zhou Tian’s Rise is a Spokane Symphony co-commission with the Allentown Symphony and Erie Philharmonic.
Zhou Tian — Rise (2018) West Coast Premiere
Franz Liszt — Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
Franz Liszt — Concerto No. 2 in A Major
Johannes Brahms — Symphony No. 4
7. Korngold and Shostakovich
Saturday March 9, 2019 8pm — Sunday March 10, 2019 3pm
Rei Hotoda, guest conductor and finalist — Guest soloist Angelo Xiang Yu, violin
Korngold’s captivating Violin Concerto is an intoxicating combination of Hollywood accessibility, rigorous virtuosity and unabashed romanticism. Shostakovich’s Eighth Symphony, considered one of the composer’s finest, is a requiem for the millions who suffered and died during WWII and under the Stalinist regime.
Aaron Jay Kernis — “Musica Celestis” (1990)
Erich Korngold — Violin Concerto
Dmitri Shostakovich — Symphony No. 8
8. French Mystique
Saturday March 23, 2019 8pm — Sunday March 24, 2019 3pm
Arthur Arnold, guest conductor and finalist — Guest soloist Simone Porter, violin
Classics 8 : FRENCH MYSTIQUE (continued)
Saint-Saëns’ elegant Violin Concerto showcases the virtuosity of emerging star Simone Porter. Bartók’s popular Concerto for Orchestra, filled with memorable melodies, vibrant rhythms, and orchestral color, allows each instrumental section to shine as virtuoso “soloists.”
Francis Poulenc — Les biches, Suite for Orchestra
Camille Saint-Saëns — Violin Concerto No. 3
Bela Bartók — Concerto for Orchestra
9. Russian Virtuosity
Saturday April 13, 2019 8pm — Sunday April 14, 2019 3pm
Jayce Ogren, guest conductor and finalist — Guest soloist István Várdai, cello
Cellist István Várdai takes on Prokofiev’s breathtaking Symphony Concerto, once considered ‘unplayable’ and one of the most challenging works in the cello repertoire. The Russian drama continues as you explore a gallery of primitive paintings and march through the Gates of Kiev in Mussorgsky’s colorful Pictures at an Exhibition.
Samuel Barber — Second Essay, for Orchestra
Sergei Prokofiev — Symphony Concerto
Modest Mussorgsky (Arr. Maurice Ravel) — Pictures at an Exhibition
10. Eckart’s Farewell CONCERT
Saturday May 4, 2019 8pm — Sunday May 5, 2019 3pm
Eckart Preu, conductor — Guest soloist Nebojša Jovan Živković, percussion
Experience the unforgettable Concerto of the Mad Queen, at times pulsing and high-energy and at others soft and lyrical, performed by composer Živković. Alpine Symphony by Strauss is the ultimate tone poem — stunning, soaring, majestic — a gorgeous musical extravaganza depicting a dawn-to-dusk hike in the Alps.
Joseph Boulogne — Overture to L’amant anonyme
Nebojša Jovan Živković — Concerto of the Mad Queen
Richard Strauss — Alpine Symphony
POPS: The Spokane Symphony performs in all six of the pops concerts.
1. Cirque de la Symphonie
Saturday October 13, 2018 8PM
Morihiko Nakahara, conductor
Gravity-defying cirque feats are set to classical masterpieces performed by the Spokane Symphony. Enjoy the amazing, acrobatic feats and strong men, along with dancers and jugglers. This jaw-dropping fusion of two art forms will wow symphony audiences of all ages as the award-winning artists of Cirque de la Symphonie push themselves to the limit on and above the stage!
2. ABBA The Concert
Saturday November 10, 2018 8PM
Jorge Luis Uzcátegui, conductor
ABBA The Concert, a tribute to ABBA, brings one of the greatest pop successes in the history of music back to life. A visually and musically stunning tribute to Sweden’s pop superstars, ABBA: The Concert is a remarkable recreation of the group that brought you “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “SOS,” “Fernando,” “Take a Chance on Me,” “Waterloo,” and more. Audiences agree that “this is the closest to ABBA you’ll ever get.”
3. Holiday Pops
Saturday December 22, 2018 8pm
Sunday December 23, 2018 2pm
Morihiko Nakahara, conductor
Spokane Symphony Chorale
Spokane Area Youth Choirs
A season tradition for the whole family with holiday music and sing-along Christmas carols, and our special out-of-town guest, Santa.
4. Michael Cavanaugh -The Music of Billy Joel
Saturday February 2, 2019 8PM
Morihiko Nakahara, conductor
Michael Cavanaugh is the new voice of the American Rock & Roll Songbook. Hand-picked by Billy Joel to star in Joel’s Broadway smash hit, Movin’ Out, Cavanaugh wowed audiences for three years and over 1,200 performances, culminating in both Grammy and Tony-Award nominations. Now he’s backed by the Spokane Symphony performing Billy Joel’s greatest hits.
5. Seamus Egan Project
Saturday march 2, 2019 8PM
Morihiko Nakahara, conductor
From his beginnings as a teen prodigy, to his founding of the Irish-American powerhouse band Solas, to his current project touring with friends and musical guests, Seamus Egan has helped define the sound of Irish music today. Music comes naturally to this master of the Irish flute, tenor banjo, guitar, mandolin and tin whistle, among others. As a composer, he was behind the soundtrack for the award-winning film, The Brothers McMullen, and co-wrote Sarah McLachlan’s breakout hit, “Weep Not for the Memories.” Explore the vast beauty of the Irish tradition.
6. Pink Martini
Saturday April 27, 2019 8PM
Jorge Luis Uzcátegui, conductor
With repertoire that spans the globe and an irresistible, chic musical flair, Portland-based Pink Martini returns for a dazzling tour through classical, jazz and golden-era pop music – all accompanied by our orchestra. Lighthearted yet refined, the self-proclaimed “little orchestra” performs sultry originals and sophisticated interpretations of blockbuster hits and classics from all genres.
SERIES:
In addition to the classics and pops concerts, the Spokane Symphony offers these series: Chamber Soiree at The Historic Davenport Hotel; Baroque Series in local churches; The M Show; and Soiree on the Edge at Arbor Crest Wine Cellars:
Chamber Soirees at The Historic Davenport Hotel’s Marie Antoinette Ballroom
This three-concert series is offered on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, with a choice of gallery seating ($54 for three concerts) or table seating with wine and light bites ($150 for three concerts).
Chamber Soiree evenings are a mix of baroque, classical and contemporary music, introduced and performed by various ensembles from the Spokane Symphony.
Tuesday September 25, 2018 7:30PM
Wednesday September 26, 2018 7:30PM
Tuesday January 29, 2019 7:30PM
Wednesday January 30, 2019 7:30PM
Tuesday Mar 26, 2019 7:30PM
Wednesday Mar 27, 2019 7:30PM
BAROQUE SERIES:
This two-concert series ($45 for two concerts) takes place in the splendor of Spokane área churches. The same one-hour concert is performed in two different churches on different days.
Baroque 1: Winter Baroque Celebration – The best-loved works of the Baroque period kick-off the Christmas spirit. It’s a festive program of Bach, Vivaldi and more.
Saturday, December 8, 2018 – 7PM
Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ, 411 S. Washington Street, Spokane
Sunday December 9, 2018 – 3PM
Spokane Valley Church of the Nazarene, 15515 East 20th Avenue, Spokane Valley
Baroque 2: Handel’s Journey – Take a journey in the Baroque tradition with Handel, Corelli and more, from Germany to England via Italy.
Saturday February 23, 2019 7PM
Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ, 411 S. Washington Street, Spokane
Baroque 2: Handel’s Journey (continued)
Sunday February 24, 2019 3PM
Spokane Valley Church of the Nazarene, 15515 East 20th Avenue, Spokane Valley
THE M SHOW: MUSIC, MAYHEM & MYSTERY
Mateusz Wolski, Spokane Symphony concertmaster, creator and lead performer
Two-concert series: VIP table: $90, chair seating $54, standing $37.50 at the Washington Cracker Co. Building, 304 W. Pacific Avenue, Spokane
Classical virtuoso meets late night comedy when Concertmaster Mateusz Wolski and an ensemble of Spokane Symphony musicians get together in the informal setting of the Washington Cracker Co. Building. Wolski presents familiar works from classical and pop music, along with video segments and comedy as he shares his passion for music and science.
Friday November 16, 201, 8PM
Saturday November 17, 2018, 8PM
Thursday May 23, 2019, 8PM
Friday May 24, 2019, 8PM
Soiree ON THE EDGE AT ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS
Two-concert series: table seating: $75 — Lawn seating: $30
The Spokane Symphony’s Soiree on the Edge concerts take place at the Cliff House grounds at Arbor Crest Wine Cellars at sunset. Wines and food are available for purchase, or concertgoers may bring their own picnics. Ages 21 and over.
Wednesday, August 15, 2018, 7PM
Wednesday, August 22, 2018, 7PM
SPECIALS:
The Spokane Symphony adds specials throughout the year that are not included in packages.
Current subscribers get the first chance to buy seats for specials before they go on sale to the general public on March 30. Note: The Pink Martini performance on Friday, April 26 goes on sale to current subscribers on August 10, and to the general public on August 17.
Other specials during the 73rd season of the Spokane Symphony include: Haunted Hallows: The Music of Harry Potter; The Nutcracker Ballet; and New Year’s Eve with Beethoven’s Ninth:
Haunted Hallows: The Music of Harry Potter
This is the third annual concert featuring the music of Harry Potter, performed by the Spokane Symphony with pre-concert activities. Concertgoers are encouraged to dress in costume like the orchestra members!
Saturday October 27, 2018 – 2PM and 8PM
(Pre-concert activities begin 90 minutes before each concert.)
The Nutcracker
Jorge Luis Uzcátegui, conductor
Rodney Gustafson, artistic director, State Street Ballet
Five performances:
Thursday November 29, 2018 7:30PM
Friday November 30, 2018 7:30PM
Saturday December 1, 2018 2PM
Saturday December 1, 2018 7:30PM
Sunday December 2, 2018 2:00PM
E.T.A. Hoffman’s story of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince is brought to life by the Santa Barbara- based State Street Ballet and more than 75 local ballet dancers. Tchaikovsky’s score is performed live by the Spokane Symphony in Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, which is decked out for the holiday season.
New Year’s Eve
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
Eckart Preu, conductor
Spokane Symphony Chorale
Monday, December 31, 2018 — 7:30PM
Hail the new year in all its glory and end 2018 with triumph and jubilation. Beethoven’s Ninth is an exhilarating testament to the human spirit. (Note: This is a one-hour concert, over at 8:30PM, leaving plenty of time to ring in 2019.)
PINK MARTINI
(Note: There are two Pink Martini concerts: Saturday, April 27 is part of the pops series, and this one is a special.)
Friday April 26, 2019 8PM
Jorge Luis Uzcátegui, conductor
(Note: This special goes on sale to subscribers beginning August 10, 2018, and to the general public on August 17.)
With repertoire that spans the globe and an irresistible, chic musical flair, Portland-based Pink Martini returns for a concert of classical, jazz and golden-era pop music – all accompanied by the Spokane Symphony. Lighthearted yet refined, the self-proclaimed “little orchestra” performs sultry originals and sophisticated interpretations of blockbuster hits and classics from all genres.
FOX FAMILY SERIES:
Finally, in addition to the classics, pops, series and specials, Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, owned by the Spokane Symphony, presents the Fox Family Series for the second year. The series is three touring shows designed to appeal to all ages, with a start time of 7:00 p.m. Tickets for the three-concert series range from $59 to $137.
2018-19 FOX FAMILY SERIES:
Recycled Percussion
Saturday September 29, 2018 — 7pm
Recycled Percussion performs high-energy music made with pots, pans, power tools, car parts, ladders — everything including the kitchen sink. The four-man team delivers an exciting all-ages show featuring percussion instruments made from stuff you’re more likely to find at a junkyard than a band room. Combining heavy metal, punk, pop and hip-hop, Recycled Percussion delivers a fun interactive music experience.
Cirque Zuma Zuma
Friday February 1, 2019 — 7PM
Cirque Zuma Zuma combines the mystique of Africa with the excitement of a theatrical cirque performance. With live music and percussionists, this action-packed show includes aerial acts, Egyptian limbo dances, South African gumboot dances, Gabonese tumbling, and South African contortionist feats. Known as the “ultimate African circus,” performers bring talents and skills crafted from Kenya and Tanzania.
That Physics Show
Saturday April 6, 2019 — 7pm
What damage can a ping pong ball do as it hurtles at 700 miles an hour through a vacuum tube? Can you see the shape of sound in a dancing flame? It looks like that bowling ball is going to smash him in the face, but it didn’t! Lifetime professional physics demonstrator David Maiullo brings his scientific “magic” from the world of physics to the stage. No need for glitz or glamour, this eye-popping performance lets the laws of motion, momentum, vacuum, friction, energy, density, fluid motion, sound waves/vibrations, light waves, and temperature do all the tricks. It’s all controlled by the world of physics.
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