Experience the Magic, Passion, and Drama of Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s 95th Season

From Beethoven to the Beatles, Haydn to Harry Potter, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s coming season will delight classical and contemporary music lovers alike. The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s 95th season starts with a special performance by violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman in September and ends in June with The Classical Mystery Tour (tribute to The Beatles) and a performance of Schumann’s Fourth.

We have an incredible season planned, with drama, romance, passion, and power as central themes, presented in many different forms throughout the year,” says RPO Music Director Ward Stare. “As always, audiences will experience music they know and love while hearing many new sounds along the way. There truly is something for everyone in our dynamic season ahead.”

Highlights of the season include breathtaking feats by PUSH Physical Theatre and illusionist Michael Grandinetti. Magic fans will also enjoy hearing the scores of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and E.T. The Extraterrestrial played live while watching the movies. The Planets: An HD Oddysey will pair space-themed music with NASA footage. The tunes of video games will come to life at RePlay: Symphony of Heroes – with arrangements from Halo, Kingdom Harts, BioShock, Final Fantasy, and more.

rochester philharmonic 95th season
Michael Christie

This season also includes tributes to some of the greatest musicians of the past century. A cELLAbration: The Music of Ella & More showcases the powerful vocals of Carmen Bradford. Homage will be paid to the Beatles in celebration of the anniversary of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The White Album at the two nights of The Classical Mystery Tour. The Night of Symphonic Rock will feature classic rock favorites including songs by Foreigner, Aerosmith, Queen, and Led Zepplin.

World-renown vocalists will accompany the orchestra. Award-winning superstar Audra McDonald will return for one night only to sing hits from Broadway, as well as some of her personal favorites. Ashley Brown makes her RPO debut with a selection of show tunes and Disney classics. Irish American folk singer Cathie Ryan is engaged for a celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. In a celebration of Spanish music, Ravel’s Bolero will be sung by Isabel Leonard and folk songs will be sung by Enrique Granados and Manuel de Falla.

Classical music abounds with several nights dedicated to the music of composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Haydn, Vivaldi, Mahler, Brahms, Tchaikovsky and Schumann. An annual tradition, The Nutcracker ballet returns to Rochester on Thanksgiving weekend. The RPO partners with the Rochester City Ballet again on February 8 and 10, performing Slavonic Dances by Dvorak. OrKIDstra returns, introducing children to the joy of classical music. The series includes Peter and the Wolf and Beethoven Lives Upstairs.

Tickets for individual shows are on sale Friday, July 28. Tickets for series have been on sale since February. The Itzhak Perlman performance on September 12 is nearly sold out. Through August 2, a “Buy One, Get One at 50% Off” special is being offered for Grieg’s Piano Concerto & Cinderella and A cELLAbration: The music of Ella and more. The offer is good on seats in zones 1 and 2 with promo code “RPOBOGO50.”

RPO 2017-2018 Season:

Sept. 12 – Itzhak Perlman – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Ward Stare, conductor; Itzhak Perlman, violin.

Sept. 15 & 16 – A cELLAbration: The Music of Ella & More – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Jeff Tyzik, conductor; Carmen Bradford, vocals; Herb Smith, trumpet; Joe Locke, vibes; Brian Scanlon, saxophone.

Sept. 21 & 23 – Season Opener: Grieg’s Piano Concerto + Cinderella – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Ward Stare, conductor; Inon Barnatan, piano.

Oct. 5 & 7 – Ravel’s Bolero – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Ward Stare, conductor; Isabel Leonard, mezzo-soprano.

Oct. 8, 2017 – Iolanthe: Opera for Kids 2 – Hochstein Performance Hall – Michael Butterman, conductor; Eastman School of Music vocal and opera students.

Oct. 19 & 21 – Seaman Conducts Mozare & Sibelius – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Christopher Seaman, Conductor Laureate; Joyce Yang, piano.

Oct. 26 – rePLAY: Symphony of Heroes – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Amy Andersson, guest conductor.

Oct. 29 – RPO Section Spotlight: Dvorak & More – Hochstein Performance Hall – Ward Stare, conductor.

Nov. 3 & 4 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (TM) – In Concert – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.

Nov. 5 – A Tour of World Flutes with Orchestra – Hochstein Performance Hall – Matthew Kraemer, guest conductor; Tereasa Payne, flute.

Nov. 9 & 11 – Olga Kern Plays Beethoven’s “Emperor” – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Ward Stare, conductor; Olga Kern, piano.

Nov. 16 & 18 – Beethoven’s Ninth – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Ward Stare, conductor; Eastman-Rochester Chorus.

Nov. 19 – Mendelssohn’s “Reformation” – Hochstein Performance Hall – Michael Butterman, conductor; Nazareth College Chamber Singers & Concert Choir.

Nov. 22, 24-26 – The Nutcracker – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Michael Butterman, conductor; Rochester City Ballet; Bach Children’s Chorus.

Dec. 10 – OrKIDstra Holiday Special: The Snowman and The Bear – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre

Dec. 14 & 16 – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Michael Christie, guest conductor; Juliana Athayde, violin.

Dec. 21-23 – Gala Holiday Pops – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Jeff Tyzik, conductor; Festival High School Chorale.

Jan. 12 & 13 – E.T. the Extra Terrestrial in Concert – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.

Jan. 14 – Bach & Brahms – Hochstein Performance Hall – Matthew Kraemer, guest conductor.

Jan. 18 & 20 – Night on Bald Mountain – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Marcelo Lehninger, guest conductor; Andrei Ionita, cello.

Jan. 25 – Audra McDonald – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre

Jan. 28 – Peter and the Wolf – Hochstein Performance Hall – Nazareth College Dance Ensemble.

Feb. 2 & 3 – Broadway’s Ashley Brown – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Jeff Tyzik, conductor; Ashley Brown, vocals.

Feb. 8 & 10 – Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Ward Stare, conductor; Rochester City Ballet; David Halen, violin.

Feb. 23 & 24 – Latin Heat with the Mambo Kings – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Jeff Tyzik, conductor; The Mambo Kings; Camille Zamora, vocals.

Feb. 25 – Mozart & Haydn – Hochstein Performance Hall – Ward Stare, conductor; Yevgeny Kutik, violin.

March 1 & 3 – Bernstein Centennial Celebration – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Ward Stare, conductor; Misha Dichter, piano.

March 8 & 10 – Mahler 4 – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Ward Stare, conductor; Emily Birsan, soprano.

March 16 & 17 – Celtic Celebration with Cathie Ryan – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Ward Stare, conductor; Cathie Ryan, vocals.

March 22 & 24 – Tchaikovsky 5 + World Premiere – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Ward Stare, conductor; Erik Behr, oboe.

April 13 & 14 – Breaking Boundaries with PUSH Physical Theatre – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Jeff Tyzik, conductor; PUSH Physical Theatre.

April 15 – Anderson & Roe Play Mozart – Hochstein Performance Hall – Michael Butterman, conductor & pianist; Anderson & Roe, pianists

April 19 & 21 – The Planets: An HD Odyssey – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Hans Graf, guest conductor.

April 28 – A Night of Symphonic Rock – Kodak Center for the Performing Arts

May 10 & 12 – Brahms 2 + World Premiere -Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Ward Stare, conductor; Yolanda Kondonassis, harp.

May 11 – Michael Grandinetti – Illusionist – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre

May 20 – Classical Kids: Beethoven Lives Upstairs – Hochstein Performance Hall

May 24 & 26 – Carmen in Concert – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Ward Stare, conductor.

June 1 & 2 – Classical Mystery Tour: 50th Anniversary of Sgt. Pepper and The White Album – Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre – Jeff Tyzik, conductor; Classical Mystery Tour.

June 3 – Schumann’s Fourth – Hochstein Performance Hall – Michael Butterman, conductor; Juliana Athayde, violin; W. Peter Kurau, horn.

For more information, visit the RPO website.

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