2021/2022 Season Spring Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
music inspires
Greetings! So far, this has been a Season of ups and downs. We have rejoiced in the opportunities to come together for live performances, but we have also experienced the disappointment of cancellations and postponements. Through it all, music has been along for the ride — expressing our joy and sorrow, bringing us comfort and hope, and above all, providing the inspiration we need to keep moving forward. I’m looking ahead to our Spring Concerts with a spirit of optimism and the belief that things will get better. This is a time for rejuvenation and renewal — and we have so much to look forward to! One of the highlights is an evening with Broadway sensation Bernadette Peters, who will join our musicians for two performances showcasing songs from her hit Broadway shows and award-winning albums. This concert is presented in partnership with the Taylor Family Foundation, and we are incredibly grateful for their support. Some of the other guest artists joining our musicians onstage include: two former members of the acclaimed Silk Road Ensemble — clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and composer and conductor Dinuk Wijeratne; Indigenous artist, musician, and creator iskwē, who is known for her powerful and expressive performances; Canadian singer Sarah Slean in a tribute to icon Joni Mitchell; and pianist and ‘born Chopin interpreter’ Janina Fialkowska, among others. We also have music that will appeal to all our audiences — from Strauss’s virtuosic Oboe Concerto performed by our Grammy Award-winning Principal Oboist Alex Klein, and Mozart’s Requiem with Associate Conductor Karl Hirzer, to the Best of Billy Joel + Elton John, and the beloved children’s work Peter and the Wolf. Music has the power to connect us, to move us, to inspire us — and if we’ve learned anything during the rollercoaster ride we’ve been on, we need it now more than ever.
Rune Bergmann Music Director
Dances Across Borders 11 + 12 Mar 2022 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall Taste the future of classical music as we dance across borders. Clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, a former member of the acclaimed Silk Road Ensemble, performs the concerto written for him by composer Dinuk Wijeratne and co-commissioned by the Calgary Philharmonic. This concert also features Luis Ramirez’s award-winning Chido and orchestral dances by Johannes Brahms and Antonín Dvořák. KARL HIRZER conductor KINAN AZMEH clarinet Ramirez Chido Wijeratne Clarinet Concerto Brahms Selections from Hungarian Dances Dvořák Selections from Slavonic Dances
Kinan Azmeh © Connie Tsang
Beethoven 5 + 5 18 + 19 Mar 2022 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall Ludwig van Beethoven etched his own fate through music — not even hearing loss could hold him back. This epic concert features his blockbuster Symphony No. 5, opening with the most famous four notes in history, and innovative Emperor Concerto, performed by prize-winning pianist Krzysztof Jabłoński, Laureate of the Chopin International Piano Competition in Warsaw. The concert opens with the debut of Skizzen, a Calgary Phil commission by Canadian composer Dorothy Chang, inspired by the fifth symphony. RUNE BERGMANN conductor KRZYSZTOF JABŁOŃSKI piano
Rune Bergmann
Chang Skizzen (World Premiere) Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor) Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Walker, Strauss + Sibelius 25 + 26 Mar 2022 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall Experience the power of Jean Sibelius’s fifth symphony, with its soaring horns and famous finale. This is paired with Richard Strauss’s virtuosic Oboe Concerto performed by Principal Oboist Alex Klein — a work that won him a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Solo with Orchestra. The concert begins with American composer George Walker’s Lyric for Strings, an emotional work dedicated to his grandmother. RUNE BERGMANN conductor ALEX KLEIN oboe Walker Lyric for Strings Strauss Oboe Concerto Sibelius Symphony No. 5
Alex Klein
iskwē in Concert 1 Apr 2022 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall Indigenous artist, musician, and creator iskwē joins the Calgary Phil for a one-of-a-kind concert experience. Known for her powerful and expressive vocals, iskwē finds inspiration in everything from poetry to postrock influences and blends it with the borrowed sounds of her Cree and Métis ancestors to create a compelling and innovative style that is hers alone. KARL HIRZER conductor iskwē vocals
iskwē
The Music of Joni Mitchell with Sarah Slean 9 Apr 2022 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall Canadian icon Joni Mitchell has been winning fans with her blend of blues, rock, and jazz since she started singing in small clubs in Saskatchewan in the 1960s. She has been called “one of the greatest songwriters ever” by Rolling Stone. At this concert, Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Slean lends her own incredible voice to the best of Mitchell’s songbook, complete with the rich sound of a full orchestra. KARL HIRZER conductor SARAH SLEAN vocals Sarah Slean
Symphony Sundays for Kids: Peter and the Wolf 24 Apr 2022 / 3PM Jack Singer Concert Hall In Sergei Prokofiev’s imaginative masterpiece, Peter and his animal friends try to capture a wolf lurking near the village. A delightful introduction to the orchestra, the instruments are characters in this narrated story. Modest Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain and Barbara Assiginaak’s Innenohr/Biinjii'ii Tawgaang (a Calgary Phil commission) round out this program. RUNE BERGMANN conductor GUEST NARRATOR Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain Assiginaak Innenohr/Biinjii'ii Tawgaang (Inner Ear/Inside Ear) Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf
Janina Fialkowska performs Chopin 29 + 30 Apr 2022 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall Pianist Janina Fialkowska has enchanted audiences and critics around the world for more than 40 years — legendary pianist Arthur Rubinstein described her as a “born Chopin interpreter.” Her performance of Frédéric Chopin’s expressive Piano Concerto No. 2 headlines this concert, which also features Polish composer Witold Lutosławski’s Symphonic Variations and Symphony No. 4. RUNE BERGMANN conductor JANINA FIALKOWSKA piano Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 Lutosławski Symphony No. 4 Lutosławski Symphonic Variations
Janina Fialkowska © Julien Faugère/ATMA
Best of Billy Joel + Elton John 6 + 7 May 2022 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall You May Be Right — this doubleheader is an absolute win! The era-defining music of Piano Man Billy Joel and Rocket Man Sir Elton John comes to life in orchestral glory and classic rock character. This thrilling tribute to two of the most celebrated, bestselling, and world-renowned artists in history is brought to you by Jeans 'n Classics with the Calgary Phil. JANNA SAILOR conductor JEANS ‘N CLASSICS band
Mozart’s Requiem 13 + 14 May 2022 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall Associate Conductor Karl Hirzer explores life’s journey with Gustav Mahler and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mahler’s sublime Rückert Songs grapple with themes of love and nature, while Mozart’s Requiem became his feverishly written final testament. The concert opens with a new work by Alberta composer Sonny-Ray Day Rider, commissioned by the Calgary Phil. KARL HIRZER conductor HÉLÈNE BRUNET soprano ALLYSON McHARDY mezzo-soprano LAWRENCE WILIFORD tenor JESSE BLUMBERG baritone Day Rider The Blood Alchemist Wateraga: Matriakii of Magic Mahler Rückert-Lieder Mozart Requiem (completion by Robert Levin) Karl Hirzer
An Evening with Bernadette Peters 18 May 2022 / 7:30PM Bella Concert Hall 19 May 2022 / 7:30PM Jubilee Auditorium The Orchestra sets the stage for this special performance, then Bernadette Peters steps into the spotlight. Hear songs from the Broadway shows she’s received accolades for, as well as from all her Grammy Award-winning and nominated albums, including standards, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Jerry Herman, among others. A glamorous evening as only Broadway’s brightest star can deliver. The first concert at the intimate Bella Concert Hall features a smaller Orchestra, joined by Bernadette Peters and a trio. The second concert at the Jubilee Auditorium features the full Orchestra, joined by Bernadette Peters and her band. This concert is presented in partnership with the Taylor Family Foundation to bring the gift of great music to Calgary. MARVIN LAIRD conductor KARL HIRZER conductor BERNADETTE PETERS vocals
Bernadette Peters © Andrew Eccles
Chamber Music at the Bella 26 + 27 May 2022 / 7:30PM Bella Concert Hall Calgary Phil musicians are front and centre in two different concerts of chamber music at the intimate Bella Concert Hall. Several small ensembles of musicians will perform music showcasing their unique talents.
Kevin Chen performs Tchaikovsky 3 + 4 Jun 2022 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall Calgary pianist Kevin Chen, a MacLachlan/Ridge Emerging Artist, is the youngest musician ever to win the prestigious Franz Liszt International Piano Competition. Chen performs Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, one of classical music’s most popular works. This is paired with Antonín Dvořák’s dramatic Symphony No. 7. RUNE BERGMANN conductor KEVIN CHEN piano Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 Dvořák Symphony No. 7
Kevin Chen
Classical Dance Party 5 June 2022 / 2:30PM Online at calgaryphil.com Are your kids ready for a new adventure? Just in time for summer break, children and families will enjoy this engaging and accessible online concert hosted by puppets DJ Bunny and Mitchy. Created in partnership with Inside Out Theatre, this performance will appeal to everyone who loves music and is designed to accommodate people with sensory concerns and autism spectrum disorders. You can watch Classical Dance Party for free online — no registration required — starting 5 June 2022.
tickets + information Buy your tickets at calgaryphil.com Presale: 17 February Tickets on sale to the public: 1 March Tickets for concerts at the Jubilee Auditorium are sold through ticketmaster.ca. Tickets for Ragtime are sold through artscommons.ca.
Book more and save! Choose three concerts and save 15% or choose four or more concerts and save 20% off the regular single ticket price*. * Excludes An Evening with Bernadette Peters, Ragtime, and Section E seating
Health + Safety We continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 situation and have measures in place to ensure your experience is as safe and comfortable as possible, including a no-questions-asked refund or exchange policy. For the most up-to-date protocols visit calgaryphil.com/covid.
Questions? Website: calgaryphil.com/FAQ Phone: 403.571.0849 (Monday to Friday, 9AM to 5PM) Email: info@calgaryphil.com
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