23 Season 2015-2016 Thursday, March 31, at 8:00 Friday, April 1, at 2:00 The Philadelphia Orchestra Saturday, April 2, at 8:00 Pablo Heras-Casado Conductor Akiko Suwanai Violin Tchaikovsky Fantasy-Overture, The Tempest, Op. 18 ProkofievViolin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63 I. Allegro moderato II. Andante assai—Allegretto—Andante assai, come prima III. Allegro, ben marcato Intermission Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56 (“Scottish”) I. Andante con moto—Allegro un poco agitato—Assai animato—Andante come I— II. Vivace non troppo— III. Adagio— IV. Allegro vivacissimo—Allegro maestoso assai This program runs approximately 2 hours, 5 minutes. The March 31 concert is sponsored by Medcomp. The April 2 concert is sponsored in part by Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams, Jr. Philadelphia Orchestra concerts are broadcast on WRTI 90.1 FM on Sunday afternoons at 1 PM. Visit WRTI.org to listen live or for more details. 3 Story Title 25 The Philadelphia Orchestra Jessica Griffin The Philadelphia Orchestra Orchestra also reaches Carnegie Hall and the is one of the preeminent thousands of listeners on the Kennedy Center while also orchestras in the world, radio with weekly Sunday enjoying summer residencies renowned for its distinctive afternoon broadcasts on in Saratoga Springs, New sound, desired for its WRTI-FM. York, and Vail, Colorado. keen ability to capture the Philadelphia is home and The Philadelphia Orchestra hearts and imaginations the Orchestra nurtures an of audiences, and admired serves as a catalyst for important relationship with for a legacy of imagination cultural activity across patrons who support the and innovation on and off Philadelphia’s many main season at the Kimmel the concert stage. The communities, as it builds an Orchestra is transforming its Center, and also with those offstage presence as strong rich tradition of achievement, who enjoy the Orchestra’s as its onstage one. The sustaining the highest area performances at the Orchestra’s award-winning level of artistic quality, but Mann Center, Penn’s Landing, Collaborative Learning also challenging—and and other cultural, civic, initiatives engage over exceeding—that level by and learning venues. The 50,000 students, families, creating powerful musical Orchestra maintains a strong and community members experiences for audiences at commitment to collaborations through programs such as home and around the world. with cultural and community PlayINs, side-by-sides, PopUp organizations on a regional concerts, free Neighborhood Music Director Yannick and national level. Concerts, School Concerts, Nézet-Séguin’s highly collaborative style, deeply- Through concerts, tours, and residency work in rooted musical curiosity, residencies, presentations, Philadelphia and abroad. and boundless enthusiasm, and recordings, the Orchestra The Orchestra’s musicians, paired with a fresh approach is a global ambassador for in their own dedicated to orchestral programming, Philadelphia and for the roles as teachers, coaches, have been heralded by United States. Having been and mentors, serve a key critics and audiences alike the first American orchestra role in growing young since his inaugural season in to perform in China, in 1973 musician talent and a love 2012. Under his leadership at the request of President of classical music, nurturing the Orchestra returned to Nixon, The Philadelphia and celebrating the wealth recording, with two celebrated Orchestra today boasts a new of musicianship in the CDs on the prestigious partnership with the National Philadelphia region. For Deutsche Grammophon Centre for the Performing more information on The label, continuing its history Arts in Beijing. The ensemble Philadelphia Orchestra, of recording success. The annually performs at please visit www.philorch.org. 6 Music Director Chris Lee Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who holds the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Chair, is an inspired leader of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and he has renewed his commitment to the ensemble through the 2021-22 season. His highly collaborative style, deeply rooted musical curiosity, and boundless enthusiasm, paired with a fresh approach to orchestral programming, have been heralded by critics and audiences alike. The New York Times has called him “phenomenal,” adding that under his baton, “the ensemble, famous for its glowing strings and homogenous richness, has never sounded better.” Highlights of his fourth season include a year-long exploration of works that exemplify the famous Philadelphia Sound, including Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 and other pieces premiered by the Orchestra; a Music of Vienna Festival; and the continuation of a commissioning project for principal players. Yannick has established himself as a musical leader of the highest caliber and one of the most thrilling talents of his generation. He has been music director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic since 2008 and artistic director and principal conductor of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain since 2000. He also continues to enjoy a close relationship with the London Philharmonic, of which he was principal guest conductor. He has made wildly successful appearances with the world’s most revered ensembles, and he has conducted critically acclaimed performances at many of the leading opera houses. Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Deutsche Grammophon (DG) enjoy a long-term collaboration. Under his leadership The Philadelphia Orchestra returned to recording with two CDs on that label; the second, Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with pianist Daniil Trifonov, was released in August 2015. He continues fruitful recording relationships with the Rotterdam Philharmonic on DG, EMI Classics, and BIS Records; the London Philharmonic and Choir for the LPO label; and the Orchestre Métropolitain for ATMA Classique. A native of Montreal, Yannick studied at that city’s Conservatory of Music and continued lessons with renowned conductor Carlo Maria Giulini and with Joseph Flummerfelt at Westminster Choir College. Among Yannick’s honors are appointments as Companion of the Order of Canada and Officer of the National Order of Quebec, a Royal Philharmonic Society Award, Canada’s National Arts Centre Award, the Prix Denise-Pelletier, Musical America’s 2016 Artist of the Year, and honorary doctorates from the University of Quebec, the Curtis Institute of Music, and Westminster Choir College. To read Yannick’s full bio, please visit www.philorch.org/conductor. 26 Conductor Fernando Sancho Fernando Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado makes his Philadelphia Orchestra debut with these performances. Musical America’s 2014 Conductor of the Year, he enjoys an unusually varied career encompassing the great symphonic and operatic repertoire, historically informed performances, and cutting-edge contemporary scores. Principal conductor of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in New York since 2012, he was also appointed principal guest conductor of the Teatro Real in Madrid in 2014. Mr. Heras-Casado is a regular guest with the Chicago, San Francisco, and Bavarian Radio symphonies, the Los Angeles and Munich philharmonics, the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Mariinsky Orchestra, and the Metropolitan Opera. In addition to these current performances, highlights of the 2015-16 season include return visits to the Philharmonia Orchestra, the London Symphony, the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and the Rotterdam Philharmonic; debuts with the Vienna and Israel philharmonics and the Vienna Symphony; continued collaborations with the Ensemble InterContemporain, the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, and the Balthasar Neumann Chor and Ensemble; and an appearance at the Mozarteum Salzburg, where he is invited annually for Mozart Week. The season’s opera projects include Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera and I due Foscari at the Teatro Real. Mr. Heras-Casado records for Harmonia Mundi and Deutsche Grammophon’s Archiv Produktion. He has received numerous prizes for his recordings, including three ECHO Klassik awards, two Diapason d’Or awards, and a Latin Grammy. Recent releases on Harmonia Mundi include Schumann’s Violin and Piano concertos with violinist Isabelle Faust and pianist Alexander Melnikov, Schubert’s Third and Fourth symphonies with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 with the Bavarian Radio Symphony. For Archiv he has recorded a disc of works by Jacob, Hieronymus, and Michael Praetorius, and an album celebrating the legendary castrato singer Farinelli. In June 2014 he joined the Spanish charity Ayuda en Acción supporting the eradication of poverty and injustice in the world. 27 Soloist Kiyotaka Saito Violinist Akiko Suwanai made her Philadelphia Orchestra debut in 2004 in Verizon Hall and last performed with the ensemble on tour in Tokyo in 2014. The youngest-ever winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition, she now enjoys a prestigious international career. Recent performances have included concerts with the BBC and Oslo philharmonics and the Danish National and Vancouver symphonies; a tour with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia and Antonio Pappano; and an appearance at the Bergen International Festival, performing with pianist Leif Ove Andsnes. Conductors with whom she has collaborated include Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Andrew Davis, Vladimir Ashkenazy, David Robertson, Susanna Mälkki, Neeme Järvi, Sakari Oramo, and Seiji Ozawa. In addition to these current performances, highlights of Ms. Suwanai’s 2015-16 season include appearances with the Philharmonia