23 Season 2018-2019 Thursday, June 13, at 7:00 Friday, June 14, at 7:00 The Philadelphia Orchestra Cirque de la Symphonie Kensho Watanabe Conductor Falla “Final Dance (Jota),” from Suite No. 2 (Three Dances) from The Three-Cornered Hat Piazzolla “Libertango” Bizet/arr. Hoffmann “Bohemian Dance,” from Suite No. 2 from Carmen Falla Spanish Dance No. 1, from La vida breve Chabrier España Márquez Danzón No. 2 Giménez Intermezzo, from The Wedding of Luis Alonso Intermission 24 Abreu/arr. Dragon “Tico-Tico no Fubá” Ginastera “Final Dance: Malambo,” from Suite from Estancia, Op. 8a Frank “Tarquecada,” from Walkabout: Concerto for Orchestra First Philadelphia Orchestra performance Falla “Ritual Fire Dance,” from El amor brujo Rimsky-Korsakov “Scene and Gypsy Song” and “Asturian Fandango,” from Capriccio espagnol, Op. 34 Bizet/arr. Hoffmann “The Toreadors,” from Suite No. 1 from Carmen Benzecry from Symphony No. 1 (“El compendio de la vida”): IV. El compendio de las culturas First Philadelphia Orchestra performance This program runs approximately 2 hours. Philadelphia Orchestra concerts are broadcast on WRTI 90.1 FM on Sunday afternoons at 1 PM, and are repeated on Monday evenings at 7 PM on WRTI HD 2. Visit www.wrti.org to listen live or for more details. 25 The Philadelphia Orchestra Jessica Griffin The Philadelphia Orchestra Philadelphia is home and orchestra, and maximizes is one of the preeminent the Orchestra continues impact through Research. orchestras in the world, to discover new and The Orchestra’s award- renowned for its distinctive inventive ways to nurture winning Collaborative sound, desired for its its relationship with its Learning programs engage keen ability to capture the loyal patrons at its home over 50,000 students, hearts and imaginations of in the Kimmel Center, families, and community audiences, and admired for and also with those who members through programs a legacy of imagination and enjoy the Orchestra’s area such as PlayINs, side-by- innovation on and off the performances at the Mann sides, PopUP concerts, concert stage. The Orchestra Center, Penn’s Landing, free Neighborhood is inspiring the future and and other cultural, civic, Concerts, School Concerts, transforming its rich tradition and learning venues. The and residency work in of achievement, sustaining Orchestra maintains a Philadelphia and abroad. the highest level of artistic strong commitment to Through concerts, tours, quality, but also challenging— collaborations with cultural residencies, presentations, and exceeding—that level, and community organizations and recordings, the on a regional and national by creating powerful musical Orchestra is a global cultural level, all of which create experiences for audiences at ambassador for Philadelphia greater access and home and around the world. and for the US. Having engagement with classical been the first American Music Director Yannick music as an art form. orchestra to perform in the Nézet-Séguin’s connection The Philadelphia Orchestra People’s Republic of China, to the Orchestra’s musicians serves as a catalyst for in 1973 at the request has been praised by cultural activity across of President Nixon, the both concertgoers and Philadelphia’s many ensemble today boasts critics since his inaugural communities, building an five-year partnerships with season in 2012. Under his offstage presence as strong Beijing’s National Centre for leadership the Orchestra as its onstage one. With the Performing Arts and the returned to recording, with Nézet-Séguin, a dedicated Shanghai Media Group. In four celebrated CDs on body of musicians, and one 2018 the Orchestra traveled the prestigious Deutsche of the nation’s richest arts to Europe and Israel. The Grammophon label, ecosystems, the Orchestra Orchestra annually performs continuing its history of has launched its HEAR at Carnegie Hall while also recording success. The initiative, a portfolio of enjoying summer residencies Orchestra also reaches integrated initiatives that in Saratoga Springs and Vail. thousands of listeners on the promotes Health, champions For more information on radio with weekly broadcasts music Education, eliminates The Philadelphia Orchestra, on WRTI-FM and SiriusXM. barriers to Accessing the please visit www.philorch.org. 26 Conductor Andrew Bogard Kensho Watanabe has been assistant conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra since the 2016-17 season and was the inaugural conducting fellow of the Curtis Institute of Music from 2013 to 2015, under the mentorship of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. In April 2017 he made his critically acclaimed subscription debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra and pianist Daniil Trifonov, and recently he conducted the Orchestra for his debut at the Bravo! Vail Music Festival and concerts at the Mann Center and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. His 2018-19 season with the Orchestra included subscription concerts, the annual Free College Concert, three Family Concerts, and numerous School Concerts. Mr. Watanabe’s recent highlights have included debuts with the Houston Symphony and the Rotterdam Philharmonic, and his Japanese debut at the Matsumoto Festival. Highlights of the 2018-19 season included debuts with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, in addition to a return visit to the Orchestre Métropolitain in Montreal. Equally at home in both symphonic and operatic repertoire, Mr. Watanabe has led numerous operas with the Curtis Opera Theatre, most recently Puccini’s La rondine in 2017 and La bohème in 2015. Additionally, he served as assistant conductor to Mr. Nézet-Séguin on a new production of Strauss’s Elektra at Montreal Opera. An accomplished violinist, Mr. Watanabe received his Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music and served as a substitute violinist in The Philadelphia Orchestra from 2012 to 2016. Cognizant of the importance of the training and development of young musicians, he has served on the staff of the Greenwood Music Camp since 2007, currently serving as the orchestra conductor. Mr. Watanabe is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with distinguished conducting pedagogue Otto-Werner Mueller. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Yale College, where he studied molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. 27 Artists Cirque de la Symphonie is an exciting production designed to bring the magic of cirque to the music hall. For more than 10 years, it has thrilled and bedazzled veteran concert goers and new patrons as they see accomplished aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers, and strongmen perform to live symphonic music. They include world record holders, gold-medal winners of international competitions, Olympians, and some of the most experienced cirque talent ever seen. Their performances are uniquely adapted to stage accommodations shared with the orchestra, and each artist’s performance is choreographed to the music arranged in collaboration with the conductor. When the artists of Cirque de la Symphonie perform in front of the full orchestra, an incredible fusion of these two great art forms takes place. The aerialists and acrobats turn the concert into a three-dimensional entertainment extravaganza. 28 Artists Christine Van Loo is a seven-time consecutive National Champion, Female Olympic Athlete of the Year, and Athlete of the Decade in acrobatic gymnastics. She was inducted into the USSA (acro-gymnastics) Hall of Fame and the World Acrobatics Society Gallery of Honor. As a professional aerialist and acrobat, she has performed in the 2002 Winter Olympics, at the Grammy Awards (with both No Doubt and Ricky Martin), at the American Music Awards (with Aerosmith), at the Miss Universe pageant, and on Paul McCartney’s European tour. She was a trainer and performer with NBC’s Celebrity Circus, and she choreographed the aerials for Britney Spears’s World Tour and the Stars on Ice US tour. Elena Tsarkova, the “Lady in White,” is a graduate of the famed Moscow Circus School and first-place winner of the prestigious National Russian Circus Festival. From “Master of Sports” in gymnastics, she developed into a unique and graceful performer with the Big Apple Circus, Switzerland’s Circus Knie, and Germany’s Circus Roncalli. Her combination of contortion, balance, and graceful dance moves made her a major star with Cirque de la Mur in Florida and Circus Circus in Las Vegas. Vladimir Tsarkov provides a spell-binding performance with combinations of mime and juggling feats. A favorite of audience members of all ages, his Red Harlequin act features rings, balls, and electric batons. He is a veteran of Circus Circus, Cirque Ingenieux, and various entertainment productions globally. He graduated from Russia’s prestigious State College of Circus and Theater Arts and won the gold medal at the Cirque de Demain International Festival in France. 29 Artists Vitalii Buza began his gymnastic training in the Republic of Moldova and soon competed as an elite gymnast with the Russian national team. At age 16, he joined the Moscow State Circus as a professional acrobat and toured throughout Europe. After a move to the US, he starred in productions at Sea World, Universal Studios, and Walt Disney World. He has been featured in numerous TV ads and in the Disney movie Enchanted. He also performed at the 2006 Latin Grammy Awards, the 2007 NFL Pro Bowl, the 2010 Academy Awards, and the 2011 Latin Billboard Awards. He has performed for celebrities and at corporate events for major companies. The amazing strength and balancing act of Acro Duo consists of Vitaliy Prikhodko and Pavel Korshunov. Mr. Prikhodko is a native of Ukraine, where he graduated from the Kiev State Circus College. He began his career with the National Circus of Ukraine, winning first place at the New Ukrainian Circus Festival. He has appeared worldwide with Nikulin’s Moscow Circus. Mr. Korshunov, a native of Voronezh, Russia, is a three-time national champion, two-time world champion and two-time champion of the World Cup in acrobatic sport.