First Beethoven. Then, Mendelssohn. And soon, Nielsen.
Utah audiences will learn who composer Carl Nielsen is during the Utah Symphony’s 2013-2014 season, which was announced at a press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Symphony’s home, Abravanel Hall.
Music director Thierry Fischer will lead the orchestra through a Nielsen symphony cycle that will include all six of the late Denmark composer’s symphonies next year after prior seasons including symphony cycles for Beethoven (in 2011-2012) and Mendelssohn (in the current season, which wraps up in May).
In an interview before the announcement, Fischer acknowledged that Nielsen is not as well-known as the composers who have had their symphony cycles performed during his tenure as head of the orchestra.
"Our mission as programmers is to open up that pleasure is in discovering, not just recognition," Fischer said a day after flying in from his native Switzerland. "For people excited by unconventional concerts, there will be Nielsen ... After the Beethoven and Mendelssoh cycles, I think that our audience and orchestra are ready for Nielsen.
Fischer’s choice of Nielsen (1865-1931) was made because the maestro believes that Nielsen’s uniquely different symphones will "represent all of the sides of the Utah Symphony." Nielsen’s six symphonies show that he was a progressive, risk-taking composer, who began as an admirer of Brahms but then metamorphised into a forward-thinking believer in experimentation, Fischer said. "Each symphony shows an evolution."
Fischer, Utah Symphony Principal Pops Conductor Jerry Steichen, Utah Symphony Associate Conductor Vladimir Kulenovic and President and CEO Melia Tourangeau unveiled the tightly guarded schedule for the public that included subscribers and long-time supporters.
Other highlights of the 2013-2014 season include:
• World-premiere commission by Andrew Norman of a percussion concerto that will be debuted by the young Scottish percussionist Colin Currie. Fischer said one of his mandates when he agreed to become the music director was to be able to commission pieces that would further cement Utah as a place that not merely performed at a high level, but premiered new works. The commission will be performed the weekend of April 18, 2014.
• Beethoven’s Triple Concerto will open the season the weekend of Sept. 13, with guests Philip Setzer on violin, David Finckel on cello and Wu Han on piano. Finckel and Han are married, and at the end of the 2012-13 concert season, Finckel will leave the Emerson String Quartet (which includes Setzer), the acclaimed string quartet in residence at the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
• Performances of Berlioz’s "The Damnation of Faust" on Sept. 27-28; Vivaldi’s "Four Seasons"on Nov. 8-9; Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 on April 18-19; and Dvorak’s "New World Symphony" on March 8-9.
• British conductor Mark Wigglesworth will conduct the orchestra on two successive weekends that begin February 28. Fischer said that he hopes Wigglesworth will be part of a special pool of conductors he especially admires that will be regular guests in Utah.
• Cellist Matthew Zalkind, who was raised in Utah and is the son of Utah Symphony trombonist Larry Zalkind and Symphony violist Roberta Zalkind, will perform on the season’s closing weekend of May 23-24, 2014. "It’s a fabulous story," Fischer said. "It’s a community story ... We want to promote talents that are Utah-grown."
• Guests will include singer Brian Stokes Mitchell (Nov. 1-2), fiddler Natalie MacMaster (Feb. 21-22), and conductors Yan Pascal Tortelier (Oct. 25-26), Hans Graf (Dec. 6-7), Nicholas McGegan (Jan. 4-5) and Andrey Borekyko (April 18-19), as well as the aforementioned Wigglesworth.
• Pops concerts including include "Disney’s Pixar in Concert" (Jan. 3-4) The Magic of Harry Potter (Feb. 18) and "The Beat Goes On! The Music of the Baby Boomers" (May 2-3).
• "Remembering JFK" the weekend of Nov. 22 that will commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John. F Kennedy’s assassination. Fischer will lead the orchestra though a program that includes Britten’s "An American Overture" The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra," Stavinsky’s "Elegy to JFK," Liberson’s "Remembering JFK" and Nielsen’s Symphony No. 4 (known as "The Inextinguishable").
FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Masterworks 1
Beethoven’s Triple Concerto
September 13-14, 2013 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Thierry Fischer, Conductor
Philip Setzer, Violin
David Finckel, Cello
Wu Han, Piano
BEETHOVEN: Egmont Overture
WAGNER: "Forest Murmurs" from Siegfried
NIELSON: Symphony No. 1
BEETHOVEN: Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano
Masterworks 2
Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture
September 20-21, 2013 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Thierry Fischer, Conductor
Emmanuel Pahud, Flute
TCHAIKOVSKY: 1812 Overture
Elliott Carter: Flute Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY: "Lenski’s Aria" from Eugene Onegin
MOZART: Flute Concerto No. 2
R. STRAUSS: Suite from Der Rosenkavalier
Masterworks 3
The Damnation of Faust
September 27-28| 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Thierry Fischer, Conductor
Michael Spyres, Faust
Kate Lindsey, Marguerite
Roderick Williams, Mephistophles
Utah Symphony Chorus
BERLIOZ: The Damnation of Faust
Family 1
54th Annual Salute to Youth
October 1, 2013 | 7 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Vladimir Kulenovic, Conductor
Masterworks 4
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25
October 25-26, 2013 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Yan Pascal Tortelier, Guest Conductor
Orion Weiss, Piano
DUKAS: "Fanfare" from La Peri
DUKAS: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 25
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 5
Family 2
A Superhero Halloween
October 29, 2013 | 7 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Vladimir Kulenovic, Conductor
Entertainment 1
Brian Stokes Mitchell with the Utah Symphony
November 1-2, 2013 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Jerry Steichen, Conductor
Brian Stokes Mitchell, Vocalist
Masterworks 5
Vivalidi’s Four Seasons
November 8-9, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Thierry Fischer, Conductor
Nicola Benedetti, Violin
VIVALDI: The Four Seasons
NIELSEN: Symphony No. 2 "The Four Temperaments"
Special 1
Katheen Cahill’s Fatal Song
November14-16, 2013 | 7:30 p.m. | Jeanne Wagner Theatre
November 17, 2013 | 4:00 PM | Jeanne Wagner Theatre
A witty cabaret opera with some of opera’s favorite divas like Violetta and Mimi who beg the question, "Must the diva always die?"
Masterworks 6
Beethoven, Mozart & Nielsen
November 15-16, 2013 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Thierry Fischer, Conductor
Ronald Brautigam, Piano
HAYDN: Symphony No. 4
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3
MOZART: The Magic Flute Overture
NIELSEN: Symphony No. 3 "Sinfonia Espansiva"
Masterworks 7
Remembering JFK
November 22-23, 2013 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Thierry Fischer, Conductor
BRITTEN: An American Overture
NIELSEN: Symphony No. 4 "The Inextinguishable"
STRAVINSKY: Elegy to JFK
LIBERSON: Remembering JFK
BRITTEN: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
Special 2
35th Annual Messiah Sing-in
November 30 & December 1, 2013 | 7 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Susanne Sheston, Conductor
Utah Symphony Chorus
Masterworks 8
Schubert & Tchaikovsky
December 6-7, 2013 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Hans Graf, Guest Conductor
HENRI DUTILLEEUX: The Starry Night
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished"
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 3 "Polish"
Entertainment 2
Holiday Swing
December 13-14, 2013 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Jerry Steichen, Conductor
Byron Stripling, Trumpet/Vocals
Joy to the World, Blue Christmas, White Christmas are just a few holiday tunes Byron Stripling and the Utah Symphony will be swinging to with you.
Lollipops 1
Here Comes Santa Claus!
December 14, 2013 | 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Vladimir Kulenovic, Conductor
Special 3
Disney’s Pixar in Concert
January 3-4, 2014 | 7 p.m.| Abravanel Hall
Vladimir Kulenovic, Conductor
Masterworks 9
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4
January 10-11, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Matthias Pintscher, Guest Conductor
Inon Barnatan, Piano
MATTHIAS PINTSCHER: Towards Osiris
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 4
DVORAK: Symphony No. 8
Masterworks 10
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4
January 31-Feb. 1 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Thierry Fischer, Conductor
Conrad Tao, Piano
QIGANG CHEN: Wu Xing (The Five Elements)
PROKOFIEV: Piano Concerto No. 3
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4
Masterworks 11
Mozart & Shostakovich
February 7-8, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Thierry Fischer, Conductor
Utah Symphony Chorus
MOZART: Mass in C "Trinity:
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 7 "Leningrad"
Masterworks 12
Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto
February 14-15, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Thierry Fischer, Conductor
Itamar Zorman, Violin
TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto
MOZART: The Marriage of Figaro Overture
JOHN CAGE: Amores
MAHLER: "Bouquet of Flowers"
BIZET: Carmen Suite
TCHAIKOVSKY: "Waltz of the Flowers" from The Nutcracker
PIAZZOLLA: Libertango
MENDELSSOHN: "Wedding March" from A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Family 3
The Magic of Harry Potter
February 18 | 7 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Vladimir Kulenovic, Conductor
Entertainment 3
Natalie MacMaster with the Utah Symphony
February 21-22, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Jerry Steichen, Conductor
Natalie MacMaster, Fiddle
Masterworks 13
Grieg’s Piano Concerto
February 28-March 1 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Mark Wiggleworth, Guest Conductor
Alexander Melrikov, Piano
ALBERT SCHNELZER: A Freak in Burbank (U.S. Premiere)
GRIEG: Piano Concerto
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2
Masterworks 14
Dvorak’s "New World" Symphony
March7-8, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Mark Wiggleworth, Conductor
MOZART: Symphony No. 35 "Haffner"
LUTOSLAWSKI: Symphony No. 4
DVORAK: Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"
Lollipops 2
Tyrannosaurus Sue: A Cretaceous Concerto
March 15, 2014 | 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Vladimir Kulenovic, Conductor
Entertainment 4
A Rodgers & Hammerstein Celebration
March 28-29, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Jerry Steichen, Conductor
Utah Symphony Chorus
Bravo Broadway Vocal Stars will perform selections from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s famous musicals such as Showboat, The Sound of Music, The King and I, South Pacific, and Oklahoma.
Masterworks 15
Mozart, Bernstein & Nielsen
April 11-12, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Thierry Fischer, Conductor
Kathryn Eberle, Violin
MOZART: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
BERNSTEIN: Serenade after Piato’s Symposium
BERNSTEIN: Candide Overture
NIELSEN: Symphony No. 5
Masterworks 16
Mahler’s Symphony No. 5
April 18-19, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Thierry Fischer, Conductor
Colin Currie, Percussion
PACHELBEL: Canon
ANDREW NORMAN: Percussion Concerto (World Premiere)
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5
Masterworks 17
Tchaikovsky’s Suite No. 3
April 25-26, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Andrey Boreyko, Guest Conductor
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Russian Easter Overture
MESESIAEN: L’Ascension
TCHAIKOVSKY: Suite No. 3
Entertainment 5
The Beat Goes On! The Music of the Baby Boomers
May 2-3, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Jack Everly, Guest Conductor
Six vocalists, guest conductor Jack Everly and the Utah Symphony performing favorite hits by Motown, Simon and Garfunkel, the Beach Boys and more
Family 4
All-Star Evening
May 20, 2014 | 7 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Vladimir Kulenovic, Conductor
Masterworks 18
Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances
May23-24, 2014 | 8 p.m. | Abravanel Hall
Thierry Fischer, Conductor
Matthew Zalkind, Cello
TCHAIKOVSKY: Variations on a Rococo Theme
NIELSEN: Symphony No. 6 "Sinfonia Semplice"
RACHMANINOFF: Symphonic Dances
