N E W S R E L E A S E FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 15, 2018 The Philadelphia Orchestra Gives the Gift of Music this Holiday Season Festive highlights include the Glorious Sound of Christmas, Yannick conducting Messiah, and concerts for the whole family (Philadelphia, November 15, 2018) ʼTis the season to be musical! The holiday spirit will come alive in Verizon Hall beginning this November as The Philadelphia Orchestra presents a fun-filled lineup of holiday programming. The most wonderful time of the year begins with Copland Appalachian Spring (November 23 & 24), an all- American program for the whole family this Thanksgiving weekend, featuring a newly finished version of the complete Appalachian Spring for large orchestra. December will kick off with Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting an Orchestra tradition, Yannick Conducts Messiah (December 6, 8, and 9), followed by Bramwell Tovey leading Amahl and the Night Visitors (December 13 & 15). The festivities continue with Organ and Brass Christmas (December 14) and the annual Christmas Kids Spectacular Family Concert (December 15), with special appearances by Santa Claus and the new mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers, Gritty! It wouldn t be the holidays without The Glorious Sound of Christmas (December 20-23) led by Father Christmas himself, Bramwell Tovey. Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Fabulous Philadelphians will then ring in 2019 with the annual New Year s Eve (December 31) concert. But the holiday fun doesn t have to end once the ball drops! Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II (January 4-6) is the perfect concert to bring the kids to as the beloved Looney Tunes delightfully close the holiday season. Tickets can be purchased online at www.philorch.org, by phone at 215.893.1999, or at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Prices and availability vary by event. In the spirit of giving, the Orchestra is participating in the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Warmth in Winter donation drive with Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown through December 27. Guests are asked to donate hats, scarves, mittens, and gloves to help the youth in Philadelphia s shelter system. Donations can be dropped off at designated donation boxes in the Kimmel Center lobby. Warmth in Winter is a Program Partner of Urban Affairs Coalition.
Fans are also reminded that the best gift this holiday season is the gift of music! Concert tickets and gift certificates make great gifts for loved ones. The Orchestra will hold a Cyber Monday sale on November 26, during which most individual concert tickets will be available for $49 with no additional fees. For more details, visit www.philorch.org. 2018 Philadelphia Orchestra Holiday Programming Copland Appalachian Spring November 23 at 8:00 PM Friday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts November 24 at 8:00 PM Saturday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Cristian Măcelaru Conductor Garrick Ohlsson Piano Heggie Barber Copland Moby-Dick, Orchestral Suite Piano Concerto Appalachian Spring (complete, large orchestra version) You may think you know Appalachian Spring, but the newly completed version performed here is the complete chamber ballet score orchestrated for a large ensemble (Eugene Ormandy himself asked Copland to expand the orchestration a half century ago). Consider it our simple gift to you! Our good friend, Cristian Măcelaru leads this all-american program. He s arranged a suite from Jake Heggie s opera Moby-Dick ( a masterpiece of clarity and intensity San Francisco Chronicle). Garrick Ohlsson brings his impressive talent to the Barber Piano Concerto, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1963. Yannick Conducts Messiah December 6 at 7:30 PM Thursday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts December 8 at 8:00 PM Saturday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts December 9 at 2:00 PM Sunday afternoon Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Carolyn Sampson Soprano Christophe Dumaux Countertenor Jonas Hacker Tenor Philippe Sly Bass-baritone Westminster Symphonic Choir Joe Miller Director Handel Messiah Handel s immortal oratorio as you ve never experienced it! One of music s greatest Christmas traditions comes to life, with Yannick leading a brilliant array of singers and musicians. Our soloists include the exciting Baroque specialist Carolyn Sampson, lyrical countertenor Christophe Dumaux, the versatile Jonas Hacker, and the brilliant Philippe Sly, beautifully supported by the Westminster Symphonic Choir. Hallelujah! Amahl and the Night Visitors December 13 at 7:30 PM Thursday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts December 15 at 8:00 PM Saturday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Bramwell Tovey Conductor and Narrator Dante Michael DiMaio Boy Soprano (Amahl) Renée Tatum Mezzo-soprano (Mother)
Andrew Stenson Tenor (King Caspar) Brandon Cedel Bass-baritone (King Melchoir) David Leigh Bass (King Balthazar) Philadelphia Symphonic Choir Amanda Quist Director Omer Ben Seadia Stage director Walton Britten Menotti Crown Imperial (Coronation March) The Young Person s Guide to the Orchestra Amahl and the Night Visitors Bramwell Tovey brings his delightful spirit to this charming program that s just right for kids of all ages. Britten s Young Person s Guide is surely the most enjoyable music-appreciation class ever, especially under Tovey s enchanted baton (he also delivers the captivating narration). Once an annual staple on network television, Amahl tells the story of Christmas through a shepherd boy s encounter with the Magi, as they journey to meet a miraculous newborn child. You ll never forget this mystical encounter with the three Night Visitors. The program kicks off with the royally inspired Crown Imperial for orchestra and organ. The December 15 concert is sponsored by Medcomp. Organ and Brass Christmas December 14 at 7:00 PM Friday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Members of The Philadelphia Orchestra s Brass Section Kensho Watanabe Conductor Peter Richard Conte Organ Gabrieli J.S. Bach St. Thomas Aquinas Redner Gabrieli Mendelssohn Scheidt Lauridsen Herbert Various O magnum mysterium Jesu, Joy of Man s Desiring Tantum ergo Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella Gloucestershire Wassail O Little Town of Bethlehem Ding Dong Merrily on High The Wexford Carol Canzon duodecimi toni I Saw Three Ships Hark! the Herald Angels Sing In dulci jubilo The First Nowell O magnum mysterium March of the Toys, from Babes in Toyland Angels We Have Heard on High What Child Is This / Coventry Carol The Holly and the Ivy Suite of Carols The virtuosity of our amazing Philadelphia brass section joins forces with the magnificent Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ to celebrate the holidays. This incredible combination of sounds will feature music spanning hundreds of years, from the Renaissance to today s beloved carols. Enjoy the infinite combinations of colors and textures of this ensemble and sing along with your favorite holiday melodies. Christmas Kids Spectacular Family Concert December 15 at 11:30 AM Saturday morning Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Kensho Watanabe Conductor Charlotte Blake Alston Storyteller Rock School for Dance Education New Jersey Boychoir and Garden State Girlchoir Steven Fisher Director Mason Tchaikovsky Various Joy to the World Selections from The Nutcracker A Holly and Jolly Sing-Along Sleigh Ride It s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, so deck the halls and dash through the snow to Verizon Hall for a festive celebration! The Philadelphia Orchestra s annual Christmas Kids Spectacular will fill your stockings with the favorite sounds of the season, including Sleigh Ride, A Holly and Jolly Sing-Along, and excerpts from Tchaikovsky s The Nutcracker. The Glorious Sound of Christmas December 20 at 7:00 PM Thursday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts December 21 at 7:00 PM Friday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts December 22 at 7:00 PM Saturday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts December 23 at 2:00 PM Sunday afternoon Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Bramwell Tovey Conductor and Piano John Viscardi Baritone Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia Paul Rardin Artistic Director Vaughan Williams Mendelssohn Tchaikovsky Holst Hairston Moore Rimsky-Korsakov Pierpont Gruber Tovey Tormé Wade Fantasia on Christmas Carols, for baritone, chorus, and orchestra Hark! the Herald Angels Sing Good King Wenceslas March, from The Nutcracker In the Bleak Midwinter The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy Mary s Boy Child The Night Before Christmas, a poem with music Polonaise, from Christmas Eve Jingle Bells Overture Silent Night The Rittenhouse Carol Sleigh Ride The Christmas Song God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen O Come, All Ye Faithful This is the holiday concert, combining treasured yuletide favorites with the brilliant virtuosity of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Many people look forward to this festive season highlight all year. (Maybe Bramwell Tovey isn t really Father Christmas, but are they ever seen in the same room together?) Make it your family tradition! These concerts are presented by Wells Fargo with additional support from Delta Airlines. New Year s Eve December 31 at 7:30 PM Monday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Kimberly Fisher Violin J. Strauss, Jr. Overture to Die Fledermaus
Bernstein Paris Waltz, from Candide Sibelius Valse triste J. Strauss, Jr. Voices of Spring Waltz The Waltzing Cat Brahms Selections from Liebeslieder Waltzes J. Strauss, Jr. Champagne Polka Liebesfreud, for violin and orchestra Schön Rosmarin, for violin and orchestra Liebesleid, for violin and orchestra Rodgers The Carousel Waltz, from Carousel Tchaikovsky Waltz, from Swan Lake J. Strauss, Jr. On the Beautiful Blue Danube Waltz J. Strauss, Jr. Radetzky March We can t think of a better way to ring in 2019. Join Yannick and the Fabulous Philadelphians for an evening of waltzing around the world. From the shimmering grandeur of Vienna to the bright lights of Broadway to the serene beauty of Helsinki, get your New Year off to the perfect start! Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II January 4 at 7:00 PM Friday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts January 5 at 7:00 PM Saturday evening Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts January 6 at 2:00 PM Sunday afternoon Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts George Daugherty Conductor Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II celebrates the world s most beloved Looney Tunes and their legendary stars projected on the big screen Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, Pepe Le Pew, Tweety, Sylvester, Wile E. Coyote, and Road Runner while their extraordinary original scores are played LIVE by The Philadelphia Orchestra. Conducted by George Daugherty and created by Daugherty and David Ka Llk Wong, this new concert (and its predecessors Bugs Bunny on Broadway and Bugs Bunny at the Symphony) have delighted millions of concertgoers around the world, and spotlights acclaimed classics like What s Opera, Doc?, The Rabbit of Seville, and Rhapsody Rabbit, alongside eye-popping brand new Warner Bros. 3D theatrical shorts Rabid Rider and Coyote Falls. Plus special guest stars Tom and Jerry! LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. TOM AND JERRY and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and Turner Entertainment Co.(s18) About The Philadelphia Orchestra CONTACTS: # # # Ashley Berke 215.893.1939 aberke@philorch.org Alexa Vecchione 215.893.3142 avecchione@philorch.org