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Complete Music Hall Season Schedule

September 18, 2012

Reneé Fleming – One Night Only!
Sebastian Lang-Lessing; Conductor
Reneé Fleming, soprano

Various: A selection of Arias chosen from the Gala 2012 concert

Known as “the people’s diva,” superstar soprano Renée Fleming makes her Cincinnati debut for the gala opening concert.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, January 06, 2013.

September 21 & 22, 2012

Joshua Bell: Superstar
William Eddins; Conductor
Joshua Bell, violin

Reznicek: Overture to Donna Diana
Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1
Ravel: Valses nobles et sentimentales
Ravel: Tzigane
Ravel: Rapsodie espagnole
Joshua Bell returns to the CSO for the season’s subscription series opener, featuring two works (the Bruch concerto and Ravel’s Tzigane) that are dramatic, impassioned and entirely captivating—perfect showpieces for his extraordinary talents.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, January 13, 2013.

September 28 & 29, 2012

Pines of Rome
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos; Conductor
Jorge Federico Osorio, piano

Falla: Music from El amor brujo
Falla: Nights in the Gardens of Spain for Piano and Orchestra
Respighi: Fontane di Roma (“Fountains of Rome”)
Respighi: Pini di Roma (“Pines of Rome”)

Respighi’s wildly popular Fountains and Pines of Rome are the centerpieces of this picturesque program, conducted by Creative Director Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, while Falla’s gypsy and flamenco rhythms are beautifully suited to the artistry of Mexican-American pianist Jorge Federico Osorio in his CSO debut.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, January 20, 2013.

October 4 & 6, 2012

Mahler 3: Force of Nature
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos; Conductor
Stephanie Blythe, mezzo-soprano
Women of the May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director
Cincinnati Boy Choir, Christopher Eanes, artistic director

Mahler: Symphony No. 3

A renowned Mahler interpreter, Maestro Frühbeck de Burgos brings together orchestral and choral forces for Mahler’s transcendent Symphony No. 3, featuring the dramatic mezzo Stephanie Blythe.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, January 27, 2013.

November 2 & 3, 2012

Glennie’s Rhythm and Fire
Peter Oundjian; Conductor
Evelyn Glennie, percussion

Ravel: Alborada del gracioso
Higdon: Percussion Concerto
Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol
Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini

Always one to push boundaries and thrill audiences, Dame Evelyn Glennie returns to perform Jennifer Higdon's high-octane Percussion Concerto, a huge audience hit in its last CSO performances in 2009. The always superb Peter Oundjian completes the program with the beloved Capriccio espagnol and Tchaikovksy's tale of a beautiful noblewoman immortalized in Dante's Divine Comedy.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, February 03, 2013.

November 9 & 10, 2012

French Romance
Louis Langrée; Conductor
Cédric Tiberghien, piano

Messiaen: Les Offrandes Oubliées
Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 2
Franck: Symphony in D minor

Franck’s Symphony in D Minor, a treasure-trove of rich and familiar melodies, is a highlight of this colorful, all-French program led by acclaimed conductor Louis Langrée. The ethereal splendor of Messiaen gives way to Saint-Saëns’ most popular piano concerto, a work whose technical demands, fiery passages and dramatic intensity will bring forth the artistic gifts of French pianist Cédric Tiberghien in his CSO debut.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, February 10, 2013.

November 15, 17 & 18, 2012

Beethoven 9
Louis Langrée; Conductor
Twyla Robinson, soprano
Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano
Dmitri Pittas, tenor
Morris Robinson, bass
Men of the May Festival Chorus

Schoenberg: A Survivor from Warsaw
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, Choral

Louis Langrée summons magnificent vocal and orchestral forces for the most well-loved masterpiece of all time, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, a celebration of universal brotherhood culminating in the “Ode to Joy.” Schoenberg's poignant testimonial of courage brings the program full circle, a voyage from unimaginable darkness to insurmountable joy.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, February 17, 2013.

November 10 & December 1, 2012

Beauty, Bliss and Branford
Andrey Boreyko; Conductor
Branford Marsalis, alto saxophone

Prokofiev: Lieutenant Kijé Suite
ter Veldhuis: Tallahatchie Concerto
Barber: Night Flight
Scriabin: Symphony No. 4, The Poem of Ecstasy

Prokofiev’s jaunty and popular Lieutenant Kijé Suite sets the tone for the evening’s star, Branford Marsalis, genius of the jazz and classical worlds. Andrey Boreyko marshals huge orchestral forces for the shimmering exoticism of Scriabin’s The Poem of Ecstasy.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, February 24, 2013.

December 16, 2012

Handel’s Messiah
Jane Glover; Conductor
May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director

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Messiah will sound as grand as ever this year when your Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, led by Baroque specialist Jane Glover, performs Handel’s inspiring masterpiece in Music Hall.

December 31, 2012

New Year’s Eve 2012: A Night at the Moulin Rouge
John Morris Russell; Conductor

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French tastemakers and chanteurs alike: join us in the concert-cabaret hall for a sumptuous and sultry evening of Parisian music. Spectacular singers and dancers break out their feathers and sequins for an evening of French flair that can only be delivered by JMR and your Cincinnati Symphony and Pops. Ooh la la!

January 4 & 5, 2013

Perpetual Motion
Justin Brown; Conductor
Ingrid Fliter, piano

Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem
Ravel: Piano Concerto
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances

Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, a three-movement orchestral suite, combines energetic, rhythmic sections with some of the composer’s lushest melodies. The remarkable Sinfonia da Requiem sets the stage for Ravel’s G Major Piano Concerto—fitting music for Ingrid Fliter, described by the LA Times as “a pianistic force of nature.”

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, March 03, 2013.

January 10 & 12, 2013

Paavo Returns
Paavo Järvi; Conductor
Stewart Goodyear, piano

Schumann: Overture to Genoveva
Lutoslawski: Piano Concerto
Brahms: Symphony No. 2

Paavo Järvi returns to Music Hall for the first time since receiving his final cheers as CSO Music Director. Brahms’ revered Second Symphony, often described as the happiest of the composer’s symphonies, is the perfect showcase for the energizing artistry of Järvi with the CSO.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, March 10, 2013.

January 25 & 26, 2013

Shaham Plays Brahms
Yan Pascal Tortelier; Conductor
Gil Shaham, violin

Walker: Sinfonia No. 4, Strands
Brahms: Violin Concerto
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1

Gil Shaham, one of the most sought-after violinists in the world, performs Brahms’ popular Violin Concerto, “fueled by the sort of energy and passion that lifts a performance far above the notes on the page” (Seattle Times).

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, March 17, 2013.

February 1 & 2, 2013

Pure Classics: Mozart and Haydn
Robert Porco; Conductor
Dwight Parry, oboe
Mary Wilson, soprano
Laura Thoreson, mezzo-soprano
Michael Porter, tenor
Andrew Kroes, bass-baritone
May Festival Chorus

Mozart: Overture to Don Giovanni
Mozart: Oboe Concerto
Haydn: Mass in D minor, Lord Nelson Mass

The CSO’s Principal Oboist, Dwight Parry, performs Mozart’s Oboe Concerto, beautiful and elegant music whose flights of fancy are tailored to his virtuoso abilities. Robert Porco steps up to the podium to lead Mozart’s dramatic Don Giovanni Overture, as well as Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, March 24, 2013.

February 8 & 9, 2013

Heart and Soul
Mark Wigglesworth; Conductor
Simon Trpceski, piano

Grieg: Piano Concerto
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10

From its famed opening flourish to its fiery finale, Grieg’s Piano Concerto is one of the most popular—and romantic—piano concertos of all time, performed this weekend by Simon Trpceski, described as a “national hero” in his native Macedonia. Mark Wigglesworth returns to lead Shostakovich’s soul-stirring Tenth Symphony.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, March 31, 2013.

February 22, 23 & 24, 2013

Zukerman Returns
Pinchas Zukerman; Conductor

Beethoven: Violin Romance No. 1
Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht (“Transfigured Night”)
Beethoven: Violin Romance No. 2
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4, Italian

A titan of the classical music world, Pinchas Zukerman returns for a thrilling play/conduct engagement, in which the lovely and tuneful Beethoven Romances feature him as violin soloist, while the poetic Transfigured Night and Mendelssohn’s beloved Italian Symphony complete a program that is sure to be one of the season’s highlights.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, April 07, 2013.

March 1 & 2, 2013

Schubert: The Great
Juanjo Mena; Conductor
Leila Josefowicz, violin

Ravel: Pavane pour une infant défunte (“Pavane for a Dead Princess”)
Adès: Violin Concerto, Concentric Paths
Schubert: Symphony No. 9, The Great

Schubert’s orchestral masterpiece is the mighty Symphony No. 9, whose nickname, The Great, is a testament to the music’s emotional power and enduring quality. The phenomenal violinist Leila Josefowicz returns to perform Thomas Adès’ spellbinding Concentric Paths.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, April 14, 2013.

March 14 & 16, 2013

Bronfman Plays Brahms
Robert Treviño; Conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano

Schumann: Symphony No. 2
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2

The Grammy-winning pianist Yefim Bronfman returns with his commanding technique and exceptional lyrical gifts for performances of Brahms’ beloved and radiant Second Piano Concerto, conducted by CSO Associate Conductor Robert Treviño.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, April 21, 2013.

March 22, 23 & 24, 2013

Watts Plays Beethoven’s Emperor
Mei-Ann Chen; Conductor
André Watts, piano

Zhou Tian: World Premiere Commission
Jennifer Higdon: Concerto for Orchestra
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor

Among today’s most celebrated and beloved superstars, pianist André Watts returns to perform one of the most popular concertos ever written, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, conducted by Mei-Ann Chen who impressed as a last-minute replacement for the CSO in November 2011.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, April 28, 2013.

April 4 & 6, 2013

String Fever
Jakub Hruša; Conductor

Smetana: Sárka, No. 3 from Má Vlast
Dvorák: Symphony No. 6

One of Gramophone’s top ten young conductors, Jakub Hruša, makes his CSO debut leading music of his countrymen: the tumultuous Sárka from Smetana’s beloved symphonic poem and the most nationalistic of Dvorák's symphonies, the irresistible Symphony No. 6.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, May 05, 2013.

April 12 & 13, 2013

Alpine Majesty
Roberto Abbado; Conductor
Inon Barnatan, piano

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24
Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie (“Alpine Symphony”)

Roberto Abbado leads a richly hued program including Mozart’s overtly passionate Piano Concerto No. 24, performed by Inon Barnatan.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, May 12, 2013.

April 26 & 27, 2013

Inextinguishable
Carlos Kalmar; Conductor
Simone Lamsma, violin

Beethoven: Leonore Overture
Britten: Violin Concerto No. 1
Nielsen: Symphony No. 4, The Inextinguishable

The sweeping Inextinguishable Symphony, written against the backdrop of World War I, is the perfect vehicle for the return of conductor Carlos Kalmar. This intriguing program also features Simone Lamsma, a rising star violinist with technique to burn, performing Britten’s Violin Concerto.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, May 19, 2013.

May 3 & 4, 2013

Fanfare for Music Hall
Robert Spano; Conductor
Garrick Ohlssohn, piano

Jennifer Higdon: All Things Majestic
Barber: Piano Concerto
Copland: Symphony No. 3

Robert Spano, the acclaimed Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony, brings us an all-American program opening with Jennifer Higdon’s “musical postcard,” All Things Majestic, accompanied by an incredible multimedia presentation of treasured historic images of our hall and our city. Pianist Garrick Ohlsson, acclaimed worldwide for his “magisterial interpretive and technical prowess,” performs the vibrant Barber Piano Concerto. Copland’s Symphony No. 3, featuring themes from Fanfare for the Common Man, provides the celebratory flourish for this momentous weekend.

This concert will be broadcast on Sunday, May 26, 2013.