The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin
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CONTACT: Katherine Blodgett phone: 215.893.1939 e-mail: [email protected] Alyssa Porambo FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE phone: 215.893.3136 DATE: September 23, 2015 e-mail: [email protected] The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin Welcome World to Philadelphia, Performing for Pope Francis, Visiting Pilgrims, and a Global Audience for Festival of Families and Papal Mass, September 26 and 27 (Philadelphia, September 23, 2015)—The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin welcome the world to Philadelphia just days prior to the opening of Orchestra’s 116th season, the fourth under Nézet-Séguin, when His Holiness Pope Francis makes a historic journey to Philadelphia for the conclusion of the World Meeting of Families. As part of this significant weekend, Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestra perform with a 500-member Papal Choir on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway for its culminating event: the Papal Mass on Sunday, September 27, where an expected million-and-a-half pilgrims will gather. The Papal Choir is comprised of singers from throughout Philadelphia’s diverse communities, including an Expanded Archdiocesan Choir, a Black-Catholic Community choir, a Spanish choir, a Vietnamese choir, an Archdiocesan Children’s Choir, and an All-Catholic High School Choir. In addition to performing the liturgical music for the celebration, the Orchestra performs a prelude prior to the start of the 4 PM Mass, and a postlude following its conclusion. This follows the Orchestra’s Saturday, September 26, performance for the Holy Father at the Festival of Families, when the ensemble joins legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli, Latin-American superstar Juanes, “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin, and the Philadelphia Heritage Chorale, led by J. Donald Dumpson. Academy Award-nominated actor Mark Wahlberg hosts the evening. “As a global ambassador, The Philadelphia Orchestra has shared our music in many cities and countries. This week, we welcome one of the world’s great emissaries, His Holiness Pope Francis, and a global audience to our home,” said Orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore. “It is indeed a great honor to play a critical role, both for the Saturday evening Festival Concert and at Sunday’s Mass, performing almost three hours of music with a diverse set of artists and community members. Along with superstars Aretha Franklin, Juanes, and Andrea Bocelli, singers from throughout the city’s parishes join together onstage for this momentous occasion. We open our arms musically and embrace the many people who are coming to Philadelphia, creating world fellowship through the power of music. We are deeply grateful to the World Meeting of Families for selecting and welcoming us, and to our many supporters who have made our participation possible.” -more- The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin Perform for His Holiness Pope Francis 2 “When we first began planning the Festival of Families, we wanted to ensure that we brought together performers that represented the world,” said Donna Crilley Farrell, executive director for the World Meeting of Families—Philadelphia 2015. “To have Andrea Bocelli and Aretha Franklin, two of the world’s great vocalists, and Juanes, one of the most popular performers in all of Latin America, as well as the Fray and Marie Miller come to Philadelphia for the Festival of Families is an extraordinary gift. And to be able to have these incredible individuals perform with our hometown jewel, The Philadelphia Orchestra, brings this event together in spectacular fashion. Without a doubt, these performances will not only capture the hearts and imaginations of the thousands who will watch them live on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway but also the millions around the world who will watch on television and online. This will be a shared moment and we are deeply grateful to all performers, including The Philadelphia Orchestra, led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, for being part of this once-in-a- lifetime moment.” The Orchestra’s participation in the Festival of Families concert on September 26 and the Papal Mass on September 27 has been made possible through the generous support of the Maguire Foundation, Harry and Kay Halloran, Chris Donahue/Federated, the Connelly Foundation, Andrew Lesko, Thomas Ajamie, Christian and Adrianna Henkels Fund/Schwab Charitable, Jeremiah and Kathleen O’Grady, and Ed Kicak, in addition to an extraordinary partnership with Senator Robert P. Casey and the advocacy of Senator Pat Toomey and Congressman Brendan Boyle. For more information regarding the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, visit WorldMeeting2015.org. Festival of Families September 26 at 7:30 PM — Saturday evening — Benjamin Franklin Parkway The Philadelphia Orchestra Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Mark Wahlberg Host Andrea Bocelli Vocalist Juanes Vocalist Aretha Franklin Vocalist Philadelphia Heritage Chorale (J. Donand Dumpson, director) The Festival of Families, held on Saturday, September 26, is an international celebration of family, community, and faith. This joyful, global celebration of support and love features high-level performers, musical and visual, entertaining and educating participants from around the world, as well as His Holiness Pope Francis. The Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin joins Andrea Bocelli, Juanes, Aretha Franklin, and the Philadelphia Heritage Chorale under director J. Donald Dumpson. The Orchestra’s participation in the Festival of Families concert on September 26 and the Papal Mass on September 27 has been made possible through the generous support of the Maguire Foundation, Harry and Kay Halloran, Chris Donahue/Federated, the Connelly Foundation, Andrew Lesko, Thomas Ajamie, Christian and Adrianna Henkels Fund/Schwab Charitable, Jeremiah and Kathleen O’Grady, and Ed Kicak, in addition to an extraordinary partnership with Senator Robert P. Casey and the advocacy of Senator Pat Toomey and Congressman Brendan Boyle. This concert will be streamed live around the world. For more information, please visit worldmeeting2015.org. -more- The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin Perform for His Holiness Pope Francis 3 Papal Mass September 27 at 4 PM — Sunday afternoon — Benjamin Franklin Parkway The Philadelphia Orchestra Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor Papal Choir Musical selections to be performed include*: Beethoven “Welten singen Dank und Ehre,” from Christ on the Mount of Olives Brahms Third movement from Symphony No. 3 Mendelssohn “Verleih’ uns Frieden” Dvořák Second movement from Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”) Latona “Look Up and Count the Stars” Duruflé “Sanctus,” from Requiem Beethoven Fourth movement from Symphony No. 7 Lam “A Gift of Love” Parry “I Was Glad” Stopford “The Spirit of the Lord” Joncas “Exultate, Justi” Chepponis Festival Alleluia Gouin “Sound the Bell of Holy Freedom” DeBruyn “Great Amen,” from Mass of the Resurrection Revie “The Love of God” Kreutz “Gift of Finest Wheat” Jacob “I Received the Living God” Mozart Ave verum corpus Bach “Sheep May Safely Graze” Chepponis “To Jesus Christ Our Sovereign King” Saint-Saëns Finale from Symphony No. 3 (“Organ”) Saint-Saëns “Tollite hostias,” from Christmas Oratorio Rutter “O Clap Your Hands” *Program subject to change The Philadelphia Orchestra, under the direction of Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, performs the liturgical music for the World Meeting of Families’ mass celebrated by His Holiness Pope Francis, on Sunday, September 27, on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Orchestra’s participation in the Festival of Families concert on September 26 and the Papal Mass on September 27 has been made possible through the generous support of the Maguire Foundation, Harry and Kay Halloran, Chris Donahue/Federated, the Connelly Foundation, Andrew Lesko, Thomas Ajamie, Christian and Adrianna Henkels Fund/Schwab Charitable, Jeremiah and Kathleen O’Grady, and Ed Kicak, in addition to an extraordinary partnership with Senator Robert P. Casey and the advocacy of Senator Pat Toomey and Congressman Brendan Boyle. The Papal Mass will be streamed live around the world. For more information, please visit worldmeeting2015.org. The Philadelphia Orchestra Prior to the occasion of performing for His Holiness Pope Francis during the World Meeting of Families— Philadelphia 2015, The Philadelphia Orchestra has regularly been called upon to perform on the world’s stage. In 1973, at the request of President Richard Nixon, the Philadelphians became the first American orchestra to perform in China, representing a bridge for cultural, education, and diplomatic exchange between the People’s Republic and the United States; in September 2014, the Orchestra and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin performed on the Occasion of the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York; and -more- The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin Perform for His Holiness Pope Francis 4 throughout moments of great triumph and tragedy, has supported the people of Philadelphia with the gift of music. As an institution that brings communities together through forging partnerships across the Delaware Valley, The Philadelphia Orchestra joined the Dialogue Institute at Temple University to present a series of interfaith dialogues in April 2015, as a means of exploring the nature of Bernstein’s MASS and the questions it raises about religion, faith, and peace. The performances of the massive theater piece, led by Nézet-Séguin, were