For Immediate Release
September 9, 2013
Contact
Gillian Britt, 207-775-2126
gBritt PR
Portland Symphony Orchestra opens 2013-2014 season with Beethoven and Prokofiev
PORTLAND, Maine – The 2013-2014 season of the Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) will open with two performances of Beethoven, Prokofiev, and Dukas on Sunday, September 29 at 2:30pm and Tuesday, October 1 at 7:30pm at Merrill Auditorium in Portland. Music Director Robert Moody will conduct the performances with special guest pianist Orli Shaham.
The show will open with the energetic Dukas’ Fanfare from La Peri, featuring the entire brass section in a non-traditional position at the front of the stage. Though the Fanfare has no thematic relationship to La Peri, its grandeur and liveliness have allowed it to stand on its own, and it is often performed as a separate piece. Following Fanfare, guest pianist Orli Shaham will join the orchestra to perform Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto. Known for its unique structure, the concerto is full of surprises for listeners, starting with a slow and gentle piano solo before the orchestra enters in an entirely different key. The orchestra will then move into Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony. After gathering ideas for the Fifth for several years, Prokofiev took only a month to write it and the result was a piece less dissonant than his earlier works and largely lyrical in focus.
Isreali-born Orli Shaham has received international recognition for her skills as a pianist and is widely admired for her interpretations of both standard and modern repertoire. She has given recitals in North America, Europe and Asia and founded the highly acclaimed New York-based classical concert series for young children, Baby Got Bach. Shaham strives to bring classical music to new audiences and works regularly as a broadcaster, music writer, and lecturer in addition to performing as a pianist.
Both performances are preceded by a Concert Conversation in the Rehearsal Hall at Merrill Auditorium with Robert Moody and Orli Shaham an hour and 15 minutes prior to the concert’s starting time, and are followed by a PostConcert Q&A on stage with Robert Moody and Orli Shaham.
The concert is sponsored by James Crowley Portraits by Commission, who will unveil a portrait of Maestro Moody at the concert.
The opening concert can be heard on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MPBN) on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 8pm.
Tickets range from $25 – $75 and are available through PortTIX at (207) 842-0800 or www.porttix.com. Phone and internet orders are subject to per-ticket handling fees. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the box office at 20 Myrtle St., Monday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m. Special pricing for students, seniors, and groups may be available. Subscriptions (up to 20% off single ticket prices) and Compose Your Own packages (10% off single ticket prices) are available all season long.
About the Portland Symphony Orchestra:
Founded in 1923, the Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is the largest performing arts organization in Maine and is widely regarded as one of the top symphony orchestras of its size in the country. Made up of more than 80 professional musicians, the PSO is renowned for its critically acclaimed performances and broad community engagement. More information can be found at www.portlandsymphony.org.
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