NOTE: THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE OF REPERTOIRE

 

Eckart Preu, conductor

Spokane Symphony Chorale

Bruce Bodden, flute

Earecka Tregenza, harp

Esther Heideman, soprano

Mary Ann McCormick, mezzo

Marcus Shelton, tenor

John Packard, baritone

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Concerto for Flute and Harp

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Requiem

Valentine's Day Special

Complete your Valentine date at the Symphony with the Wine and Chocolate Special which includes two souvenir glasses of wine and two scrumptious chocolate desserts for $20. A package of Wine and Chocolate Special and tickets for the Feb. 13 or 14 Classics concert may be purchased online (click here) or by calling 624-1200. If you already have tickets for the concert, the Wine and Chocolate Special can be purchased separately by calling the box office at 624-1200.

 

This concert creates an adventure of exploring human emotions. Mozart's Requiem was destined to be one of his greatest compositions, and counts today as one of his most beloved works. Eine kleine Nachtmusik ("A Little Night Music"): what piece in music history is more charming, popular and soothing? Rhythmic joie de vivre is matched with a grace, gentleness and merriness. Its hit status may blind us to its gemlike perfection. There is not a note too many or few. It is perfect.

 

Hear excerpts from the Requiem

Check out our Interactive Program Notes for this concert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE: THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE OF REPERTOIRE

 

Eckart Preu, conductor

Valentina Lisitsa, piano

Anton Arensky,

    Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky

Sergei Rachmaninoff, Piano Concerto No. 2

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4 in F minor 

Rimski-Korsakov's student Anton Arensky would be forgotten if it wasn’t for this piece dedicated to Tchaikovsky. This charming, colorful and imaginative set of variations has beautiful dark moments, allusions to a Russian orthodox chant, and virtuosity. Rachmaninoff's piano concertos are famous for melodic beauty and breathtaking virtuosity, and  his Piano Concerto No. 2 is no exception.  Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony, dramatic and unorthodox in form, is among his most enduring works.

 

Listen to the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2

Check out our Interactive Program Notes for this concert.

 

Valentina Lisitsa will be offering a Master Class for piano on Friday, February 26 at 3 p.m. Click for details.

 

 

NOTE: THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE OF REPERTOIRE

 

Eckart Preu, conductor

Gautier Capuçon, cello

Georges Bizet, L’Arlesienne, Suite no. 1

Camille Saint-Saëns, Cello Concerto No. 1

Antonin Dvorák, Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"

Bizet, best known for his opera, Carman, wrote L'Arlesienne Suite based on music he composed for a play. The Dvorak was fascinated by the music of Native Americans and African Americans. He learned spirituals and plantation songs. The results are evident in his ingenious New World Symphony. It is so American that there is even a hint of John Williams' theme from Jaws in the finale. Saint-Saën's cello concerto is structured as one continuous movement, which keeps the soloist in the dramatic and musical foreground, while the orchestra offers a shimmering backdrop. The music is tremendously demanding for soloists, especially in the fast third movement, and the young firebrand cellist Gautier Capuçon is up to the challenge.

 

Check out our Interactive Program Notes for this concert.

 

Gautier Capucon will be offering a Master Class for cello on Friday, March 19 at 3 p.m. Click for details.

 

 

Larry Rachleff, guest conductor

Susan Lorette Dunn, soprano

Hector Berlioz, Overture Le Corsaire

Joseph Canteloube, Songs of the Auvergne (selections)

Johannes Brahms, Symphony No. 2

Joseph Canteloube had a passion for the music of his native region, the Auvergne, which was an ancient province in southeastern France. His finest music is a set of songs for soprano and orchestra, composed in Occitan, the language of the Auvergne from which some words cannot be translated into English. The songs are colorful, at times mournful and longing, at times lavish and brilliant.

After the two decade-long struggle over his first symphony, Brahms wrote his number two over a summer vacation in the Austrian Alps! It is probably the sunniest of his symphonies, cheerful and happy with a serene pastoral quality. Drama is there as well, of course, but it all ends with a jubilant and electrifying finale.  Berlioz's Overture was also inspired by a holiday; it was written while the composer was on vacation in Nice.

 

Check out our Interactive Program Notes for this concert.

 

 

NOTE: THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE OF REPERTOIRE

 

Eckart Preu, conductor

 

Richard Wagner, Venusberg music (Bacchanale)                                               

Richard Strauss,  Don Juan 

Cesar Franck, Symphony, D minor

 

Strauss’ music is dazzling in his great tone poem, Don Juan, an unqualified success that is both filled with passion and yet is virtuoso in its technical demands. Franck, a Belgian organist is remembered for a handful of works, wrote his Symphony late in life. It is a rare fusion of the cyclical form, common in Frnch music of the time, and the Germanic romantic symphony.

 

Check out our Interactive Program Notes for this concert.

 

 

Morihiko Nakahara, conductor

 

The Wizard of Oz was a technical marvel for the MGM studio in the late 1930s. Today, MGM has stunningly re-mastered this timeless classic. The brilliantly restored images are accompanied by full symphony orchestra playing entirely new transcriptions of Harold Arlen’s brilliant lost scores. Hearing Judy Garland’s original 1939 studio recordings, backed by lush, live orchestration, will transport children and adults alike. With this version of The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, moviegoers will be treated to the Oscar-winning film as it has never been seen before.

 

 

Oz Costume Contest

To celebrate the coming of Oz with Orchestra, a costume contest will be held on Saturday, February 13 at 2 p.m. at River Park Square. Winning entries will get free tickets to the performance and other exciting prizes. Just show up as your favorite Wizard of Oz characters at 2 p.m. on February 13 at the Atrium of River Park Square.

The grand prize is:

• a pair of tickets to a performance of Oz with Orchestra
• a $50 gift certificate to River Park Square
• a $50 gift certificate to Catacombs Pub

See the TV spot for Oz with Orchestra

 

See the movie trailor

 

 

 

 

Ben Vereen

Morihiko Nakahara, conductor

Few entertainers today are as accomplished or versatile as Ben Vereen. His legendary performances transcend time and have become woven into the fabric of this country’s artistic legacy. For over 25 years, Ben has showcased his versatility and creativity, performing countless one-man shows not only in the United States, but also Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, and making numberless appearances on stage, screen and television. The "New York Post" has acclaimed the Tony Award-winning actor as "…unquestionably one of the finest performances seen on Broadway."

 

Vereen is currently touring his one-man show, "Vereen Sings a Tribute to Sammy Davis Jr," featuring the music of Sammy Davis Jr., including "Candy Man." Davis, who was known throughout much of his career as "the world’s greatest living entertainer," was known for hits "Bojangles," "That Old Black Magic" and "The Candy Man."

 

 

 

 

See a clip of Ben Vareen in Pippen

Video of Sammy Davis, Jr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wylie Gustafson

Paul Zarziski, cowboy poet

Eckart Preu, conductor

 

In this era of prepackaged superstars - of pale imitations of country music being pushed onto the public by faceless media giants - the music of Wylie & The Wild West is a beacon of truth and honest beauty. By being himself, Wylie Gustafson has become one of the most exciting and endearing acts in contemporary music: Country, Western, Folk or otherwise. Joined by Cowboy Poet Paul Zarzyski, who has been featured at 22 consecutive annual National Cowboy Poetry Gatherings in Elko, NV, and has appeared on Garrison Keillor’s "A Prairie Home Companion", these authentic heroes of song and word will thrill symphony listeners like never before.

 

See a clip of Paul Zarziski and Wylie Gustafson

 

Founded in 1926 by dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, the Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest and most celebrated contemporary dance company in America. Its 2010 tour will bring the Company to Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, where it will appear with the Spokane Symphony.

 

Since its inception, the Martha Graham Dance Company has received international acclaim from audiences in over 50 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The Company has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Paris Opera House, Covent Garden, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as at the base of the Great Pyramids of Egypt. In addition, the Company has also produced several award-winning films broadcast on PBS and around the world.

 

“Martha Graham Dance Company was (is) made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts’ American Masterpieces: Dance initiative, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts.”

 

 

 

 

 

Dancers from the Martha Graham Dance Company will be offering a Master Class at yet to be decided time. Click for details.

 

NOTE: THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE OF REPERTOIRE

 

Eckart Preu, conductor

 

Jean-Philippe Rameau, Les Fetes d’Hebe Suite 1

Franz Josef Haydn, Symphony No. 85 “La Reine” 

Darius Milhaud, Le boeuf sur le toit 

Frank Martin, Petite Symphony Concertante

Maurice Ravel, Mother Goose Suite

 

Eckart Preu conducts the Spokane Symphony in a program of fabulous French music.

Be a part of discovering great experiences at the Symphony with your children ages 8 to 14. Symphony YES! creates exciting opportunities for young people and their parents featuring great seats, with kid-friendly sight lines to the orchestra at extremely reduced prices and opportunities to meet world-renowned guest artists. To make your musical experience more golden, each child will receive a bit of treasure – their own special program materials and hands-on activities making this a program to ignite the imagination and passion for Classical music.

 

From Golden City

Experience the fabulous New World Symphony, as well as a very talented young cellist play a rarely played concerto under the direction of Music Director Eckart Preu.

 

 

Be a part of discovering great experiences at the Symphony with your children ages 8 to 14. Symphony YES! creates exciting opportunities for young people and their parents featuring great seats, with kid-friendly sight lines to the orchestra at extremely reduced prices and opportunities to meet world-renowned guest artists. To make your musical experience more golden, each child will receive a bit of treasure – their own special program materials and hands-on activities making this a program to ignite the imagination and passion for Classical music.

 

Bursts of Nature

Hear an overture and beautiful songs by famous French composers and one of Johannes Brahms’ greatest symphonies under the direction of Guest Conductor Larry Rachleff.

Think elegance, drinks, hors d’oeuvres, chamber music, and good company. Et voila! We cordially invite you to the eighth season of the Spokane Symphony’s Soiree Series at the legendary Davenport Hotel. Relax at a table, or take a seat in the gallery of the distinguished Marie Antoinette Ballroom. Join us for these very popular performances for a unique and musically intimate experience. An assortment of baroque, classical and contemporary music performed by ensembles of our Spokane Symphony musicians goes perfectly with a glass of wine and a piece of cheese!

 

Coffee and tea are available for those purchasing gallery seating.

 

Repertoire will be announced closer to concert date.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morihiko Nakahara, conductor

 

The Wizard of Oz was a technical marvel for the MGM studio in the late 1930s. Today, MGM has stunningly re-mastered this timeless classic. The brilliantly restored images are accompanied by full symphony orchestra playing entirely new transcriptions of Harold Arlen’s brilliant lost scores. Hearing Judy Garland’s original 1939 studio recordings, backed by lush, live orchestration, will transport children and adults alike. With this version of The Wizard of Oz on the big screen, moviegoers will be treated to the Oscar-winning film as it has never been seen before.

 

Oz Costume Contest

To celebrate the coming of Oz with Orchestra, a costume contest will be held on Saturday, February 13 at 2 p.m. at River Park Square. Winning entries will get free tickets to the performance and other exciting prizes. Just show up at River Park Square as one of the momorable Wizard of Oz characters at 2 p.m. on February 13.

 

See a video of Oz with Orchestra

 

See the movie trailor