2 01 9– 2 0 2 0 SEA S ON
DEAR CSO PATRONS, At the risk of sounding like a parent choosing a favorite child, I must admit that I am particularly excited for our 2019-2020 season. Classical music fans will notice many blockbuster pieces in the lineup, including Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, and Dvořák’s New World Symphony–but stellar repertoire is only one of the many things I’m looking forward to. In October the CSO will perform Pictures at an Exhibition, a thematic concert that will feature the premiere of artist Mary Whyte’s collection, We the People. Mary will present a series of 50 portraits, one veteran from each state in the U.S., while the CSO will play Copland’s Lincoln Portrait and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. In addition to excellent repertoire, we will also welcome back one of our all-time favorite guest artists, Conrad Tao. Tao performed with the CSO in 2018 to great acclaim, and in the time since has risen to a level of fame earned by few contemporary musicians or composers his age. Fresh off of performances with the New York Philharmonic (as both composer and soloist), Tao returns to perform Brahms’ First Piano Concerto with the CSO, and I for one cannot wait to collaborate with him again. Lastly, our season finale is a special concert designed to pay tribute to Charleston’s 350th anniversary. The CSO will perform Dvořák’s New World Symphony, Edmund Thornton Jenkin’s Charlestonia, and the world premiere of Edward Hart’s A Charleston Concerto. We will welcome back the world-famous Shanghai Quartet to perform A Charleston Concerto, which Edward has written in honor of our city’s past, present, and future. Please join us for the Charleston Symphony’s most exciting season of music yet. I cannot wait to share this with you. Sincerely,
Ken Lam Music Director
MASTERWORKS
SEPTEMBER MOZART IN THE LOWCOUNTRY 9/27 & 9/28 MUSIC OF THE MOVIES 10/12 PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION 10/25 & 10/26 RACH 2 11/22 & 11/23 HOLIDAY POPS 12/20
FROM RUSSIANS WITH LOVE 1/23
BACH’S BRANDENBURG 1/10 & 1/11
CONRAD TAO PLAYS BRAHMS 2/7 & 2/8
SCHEHERAZADE 2/28 & 2/29
RANKY TANKY WITH THE CSO 3/12 MENDELSSOHN’S SCOTTISH SYMPHONY 3/27 & 3/28 CHARLESTON AND THE NEW WORLD 4/17 & 4/18 MAY
MOZART IN THE LOWCOUNTRY Mozart will find himself at home in the Lowcountry for the premiere of our 2019-2020 season, as we pair his enigmatic Symphony No. 39 with Charleston composer Edward Hart’s Under an Indigo Sky. The Charleston Symphony premiered Under an Indigo Sky to a sold-out crowd at the Gaillard Center in 2012, and to date it remains one of the most popular pieces the CSO has ever played. Yuriy Bekker will reprise his role as violinist for this wonderful concerto, written by Hart as “a love letter to the state of South Carolina.” Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 is among the last he ever wrote, and remains one of his most mysterious works. What was the inspiration for this piece? For whom did he write it? Did he live to hear it performed? While we may never know the specifics surrounding this symphony, we will at least have the pleasure of hearing Mozart’s delightful masterwork for ourselves this fall.
SEPTEMBER 27 & 28, 7:30PM THE GAILLARD CENTER Yuriy Bekker, Violin Ken Lam, Conductor
GEORGE WALKER Lyric for Strings
EDWARD HART Under an Indigo Sky
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Symphony No. 39
Photo by Jack Alterman
PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION The Charleston Symphony is thrilled to announce a special collaboration with award-winning watercolorist, Mary Whyte. A Charleston-based artist with an international reputation, Whyte will debut her collection of portraits We the People alongside the Charleston Symphony’s performance of Respighi’s Trittico Botticelliano (“Three Botticelli Pictures”), Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Images of Whyte’s paintings, a portrait of one veteran from each state, will appear on stage throughout the performance. In 1942, Copland was commissioned to help create “a gallery of musical portraits” honoring exemplary Americans. Copland decided to write about Abraham Lincoln (his first choice, Mark Twain, was already taken). Copland chose to include a spoken-word narration, saying, “No composer could possibly hope to match in purely musical terms the stature of so eminent a figure.” Those chosen to narrate this piece are typically prominent members of society, ranging from prime ministers to actors to astronauts. We are excited to welcome Mayor John Tecklenburg as our Lincoln Portrait narrator.
OCTOBER 25 & 26, 7:30PM THE GAILLARD CENTER Mary Whyte, Artist The Honorable Mayor John Tecklenburg, Narrator Ken Lam, Conductor
OTTORINO RESPIGHI
Trittico Botticelliano
AARON COPLAND
Lincoln Portrait
MODEST MUSSORGSKY
Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by Maurice Ravel
RACH 2 Did you know that we may have hypnotherapy to thank for the existence of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2? Rachmaninoff was in the midst of a four-year long depression, caused by the near-universal excoriation of his first symphony and the death of his musical idol, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. When he finally decided to seek professional help in the form of hypnotherapy, he found the treatment so helpful that he wrote Piano Concerto No. 2 in only a matter of months, and even dedicated it to the doctor who treated him. Fauré began composing his requiem shortly after the death of his father and shortly before the death of his mother, although he insisted he wrote the piece simply for the pleasure of making music. Fauré premiered his requiem in 1888, but spent the next 13 years revising the piece until he felt it was absolutely perfect. This was no doubt time well spent, as the work has since gone down as one of the great works for chorus and orchestra in history. The CSO Chorus will perform.
NOVEMBER 22 & 23, 7:30PM THE GAILLARD CENTER CSO Chorus, Dr. Robert Taylor, Director Ken Lam, Conductor
SIR HUBERT PARRY
Blest Pair of Sirens
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF
Piano Concerto No. 2
GABRIEL FAURÉ
Requiem
SIR HUBERT PARRY
Jerusalem
BACH’S BRANDENBURG It is difficult to imagine that anyone would ever consider the music of Johann Sebastian Bach overwrought and exaggerated, but this is indeed how many nineteenth century music critics interpreted his work. They labeled this period’s music “baroque,” stemming from the Portuguese word barroco, or “oddly shaped pearl.” Over time, music critics and audiences alike have come to regard Bach’s work as nothing short of genius, and the word baroque has shed its pejorative connotation to simply become the title for a period in music history. After hearing Bach perform on the harpsichord in Berlin, the Margrave of Brandenburg commissioned Bach to send him original compositions to play at court. Bach in turn wrote six technically-complex, genre-bending concertos that today bear the name of their recipient, the Brandenburg Concertos. Enjoy an evening of groundbreaking and brilliant—but certainly not overwrought—baroque classics, featuring two of Bach’s six Brandenburg Concertos.
JANUARY 10 & 11, 7:30PM THE GAILLARD CENTER Ken Lam, Conductor
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
IGOR STRAVINSKY
Concerto in E-flat (“Dumbarton Oaks”)
ARCANGELO CORELLI Concerto Grosso
SIR MICHAEL TIPPETT Fantasia Concertante on a Theme of Corelli
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
CONRAD TAO PLAYS BRAHMS Conrad Tao returns to Charleston after an astounding performance with the CSO in 2018. The former child prodigy is among the greatest living piano players in the world, and has begun to establish himself as a respected composer. Last year, the New York Philharmonic commissioned and opened their season with Tao’s original composition, Everything Must Go. The performance was lauded by The New York Times as “One of the best classical music performances of 2018.” And if that’s not enough, Tao has managed to accomplish all of this by the tender age of 24. Tao returns to play Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1, written when the composer was about Tao’s age. Brahms drafted this concerto during a period of great turmoil in his life, attempting it first as a symphony then as a sonata for two pianos before finally settling on a concerto. At the time, Brahms’ mentor, Robert Schumann, had recently been institutionalized after throwing himself into the Rhine River. Brahms acted as a source of support for his friend’s distraught wife, Clara Schumann. Some say a romance may have bloomed between Clara and Johannes, although we’ll never know for sure. One thing we do know for sure: we cannot wait to hear Conrad Tao play Brahms' dynamic and introspective piano concerto next year.
FEBRUARY 7 & 8, 7:30PM THE GAILLARD CENTER Conrad Tao, Piano Ken Lam, Conductor
JOHANN STRAUSS, JR.
Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring, Waltz for Orchestra)
ROBERT SCHUMANN
Symphony No. 1
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Piano Concerto No. 1
SCHEHERAZADE East meets West as the Charleston Symphony performs Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade and John Adams' Harmonium, the former of which is based on the famous collection of middle-eastern folktales, One Thousand and One Nights. In Rimsky-Korsakov’s own words, “The Sultan Schariar, convinced that all women are false and faithless, vowed to put to death each of his wives after the first nuptial night. But the Sultana Scheherazade saved her life by entertaining her lord with fascinating tales, told seriatim, for a thousand and one nights. The Sultan, consumed with curiosity, postponed from day to day the execution of his wife, and finally repudiated his bloody vow entirely.” The evening's program also highlights the stories of another woman who "could not stop for death," Emily Dickinson. The CSO Chorus will perform John Adams' Harmonium, a choral symphony that has gained an impressive reputation in its relatively short lifespan. Composed in 1981 for the San Francisco Symphony, Harmonium features the poetry of Emily Dickinson and John Donne interpreted not by soloists, but instead by a choir. The piece begins with a meditative interpretation of Donne's "Negative Love," gains steady momentum with Dickinson's "Because I could not stop for Death" and reaches a passionate crescendo in "Wild Nights."
FEBRUARY 28 & 29, 7:30PM THE GAILLARD CENTER CSO Chorus, Dr. Robert Taylor, Director Ken Lam, Conductor
NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
Scheherazade
JOHN ADAMS
Harmonium
MENDELSSOHN’S SCOTTISH SYMPHONY The inspiration for Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3 (Scottish) was, unsurprisingly, a trip to Scotland. Mendelssohn reportedly enjoyed his time in Edinburgh immensely, touring the highlands, meeting with famous writer Sir Walter Scott, and attending bagpipe competitions. Were Mendelssohn an ordinary tourist, he may have commemorated his travels with a souvenir or two, but thankfully for us, he instead chose to write a symphony. Mendelssohn wrote the melody that would ultimately form his third symphony while in Scotland, although it was not until 13 years and two symphonies later that he finally finished what we now know as the Scottish Symphony. Also on the evening’s program is Béla Bartók’s Viola Concerto, a technically-challenging piece written by the Hungarian composer while he was in the final stages of fighting leukemia. In the 70 years since its premiere, Bartók’s final composition has arguably become the most widely-played viola concerto in the world. CSO Principal Violist Jan-Marie Joyce will perform.
MARCH 27 & 28, 7:30PM THE GAILLARD CENTER Jan-Marie Joyce, Viola Ken Lam, Conductor
FÉLIX MENDELSSOHN
Ruy Blas Overture
BÉLA BARTÓK
Viola Concerto
FÉLIX MENDELSSOHN
Symphony No. 3 (Scottish)
CHARLESTON AND THE NEW WORLD There is perhaps no better way to describe our 2019-2020 season finale than "an embarrassment of riches." Dvořák's New World Symphony hardly needs an introduction. Among the most popular symphonies of all time, From the New World debuted to "thunderous applause" at Carnegie Hall in 1893, with immediate encores around the globe. Dvořák wrote this masterpiece after studying Native American and African American spirituals in the United States, and became heavily involved in promoting the success of African American musicians and composers. He fervently believed that the future of American composition lay in the roots of spirituals and folk music, saying, "They are the folk songs of America and your composers must turn to them." True to Dvořák’s words, folk and spiritual music is the common denominator for both of the pieces accompanying the New World Symphony. Edmond Thornton Jenkins’ Charlestonia is a rhapsody for orchestra with roots in African and jazz music that predates Gershwin. Additionally, the Shanghai Quartet will perform the world premiere of Edward Hart’s A Charleston Concerto, written in three movements to examine the past, present, and future of our city. Hart takes Dvořák’s advice to heart, seamlessly weaving elements of traditional Gullah music into his concerto. Part of the City of Charleston’s 350th Anniversary Celebration, Charleston and the New World examines our city’s place in the world and its unique contributions to the genre of classical music.
APRIL 17 & 18, 7:30PM THE GAILLARD CENTER Shanghai String Quartet Ken Lam, Conductor
EDMOND THORNTON JENKINS
Charlestonia
EDWARD HART
A Charleston Concerto
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK
Symphony No. 9
POPS!
SEPTEMBER MOZART IN THE LOWCOUNTRY 9/27 & 9/28 MUSIC OF THE MOVIES 10/12 PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION 10/25 & 10/26 RACH 2 11/22 & 11/23 HOLIDAY POPS 12/20
FROM RUSSIANS WITH LOVE 1/23
BACH’S BRANDENBURG 1/10 & 1/11
CONRAD TAO PLAYS BRAHMS 2/7 & 2/8
SCHEHERAZADE 2/28 & 2/29
RANKY TANKY WITH THE CSO 3/12 MENDELSSOHN’S SCOTTISH SYMPHONY 3/27 & 3/28 CHARLESTON AND THE NEW WORLD 4/17 & 4/18 MAY
MUSIC OF THE MOVIES Lights, camera, action! The Charleston Symphony debuts the 2019-2020 Pops season with a collection of the best music ever to play on the big screen, including themes from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Rocky, Gone with the Wind, Titanic, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, and much more.
OCTOBER 12, 7:30PM THE GAILLARD CENTER Yuriy Bekker, Conductor
HOLIDAY POPS Experience one of Charleston's all-time favorite traditions. Yuriy Bekker leads the Symphony in a festive mix of symphonic and popular music that will be sure to put you in the holiday spirit. This annual sell-out event features multiple guest artists, including a very famous resident of the North Pole. Don't worry...cookies and milk not required.
DECEMBER 20, 7:30PM THE GAILLARD CENTER Yuriy Bekker, Conductor
FROM RUSSIANS WITH LOVE Who better to conduct classics by Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky than our own favorite Belarusian, Yuriy Bekker? Join us for an evening of Russian symphonic and popular music, including Flight of the Bumblebee, Firebird, Night on Bald Mountain, and of course, From Russia with Love.
JANUARY 23, 7:30PM THE GAILLARD CENTER Yuriy Bekker, Conductor
RANKY TANKY WITH THE CSO In just over one year since the release of their debut album, Ranky Tanky has taken America’s jazz scene by storm. Fresh off of performances at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, Ranky Tanky is joining forces with the Charleston Symphony to play their unique brand of Jazz-Gullah-R&B fusion—this time with an orchestral backdrop. Ranky Tanky is the Gullah term for “get funky,” which is exactly what we plan to do for this exciting Lowcountry collaboration.
MARCH 12, 7:30PM THE GAILLARD CENTER Yuriy Bekker, Conductor
SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS MASTERWORKS AND POPS SERIES SUBSCRIPTIONS • Masterworks subscriptions include tickets to all eight Masterworks performances. Masterworks performances are held on Friday and Saturday nights: you must choose between the Friday series and the Saturday series. • Pops subscriptions include tickets to all four Pops performances. Pops performance nights vary. • Reserve your seats! Masterworks and Pops subscribers are entitled to reserve the same seats for the entire season. Our Patron Services Director will work with you personally to help you find the best seats for you.
PICK 6 SUBSCRIPTIONS • Mix and match your six favorite Masterworks and Pops concerts (including Friday and Saturday Masterworks performances). Get the best of both worlds in one subscription! • Pick your price level. Please note: Pick 6 subscribers cannot reserve specific seats, but seating will be guaranteed within the price level and section chosen. • Check your calendar! Pick 6 subscribers are not eligible for free ticket exchanges.
SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS • 15% discount off the regular single ticket price • Best available seating: seats are reserved on a first come, first served basis • Free ticket exchanges (Exclusions Apply. Only Available for Masterworks and Pops Series Subscribers) • VIP ticket service: talk to a patron service specialist directly • Access to advanced ticket sales for special events • Complimentary tickets to introduce newcomers to the CSO (Limit 2 tickets per Masterworks subscription and 2 tickets per Pops subscription) • NEW! Membership to the CSO Loyalty Program: Enjoy discounted meals on concert nights at top-rated restaurants, and other special offers at participating businesses around Charleston. Learn more about our Loyalty Program on the next page!
STUDENT SUBSCRIPTIONS • Students ages 6-22 are eligible for $80 Gold Student Memberships to attend all 8 Masterworks and 4 Pops, and $35 to attend all 8 Masterworks performances. Please call 843-723-7528 for more information.
INTRODUCING A NEW SUBSCRIBER BENEFIT! THE CHARLESTON SYMPHONY LOYALTY PROGRAM Our new Loyalty Program entitles subscribers to special offers all over Charleston! Enjoy 20% off your bill at Butcher and Bee and Le Farfalle, 15% off and free champagne at Charleston Grill and The Establishment, and tailored prix fixe menus at Saffron Grill, Tu, and Leyla Fine Lebanese Cuisine. You can also pamper yourself at a discount: you’ll get 20% off at the Salt Spa and Yoga, and 20% off at Seyahan Jewelry. More offers will be added soon! All Charleston Symphony subscribers are automatically enrolled in our Loyalty Program. Please note: Most restaurant offers are for Masterworks and Pops performance evenings only. For more information about each offer, visit CharlestonSymphony.org/LoyaltyProgram.
Courtesy of Butcher and Bee. Photo Credit: Andrew Cebulka
BOX SECTION
ORCHESTRA SECTION
DRESS CIRCLE SECTION
SUBSCRIPTION PRICING: 15% DISCOUNT MASTERWORKS: 8 CONCERTS PRICE Box Before Discount $986 Your Price $838 POPS: 4 CONCERTS PRICE Box Before Discount $492 Your Price $419 PICK 6: 6 CONCERTS PRICE Box Before Discount N/A Your Price N/A
Level A $691 $588
Level B $606 $515
Level C $433 $368
Level D $216 $184
Level A $346 $294
Level B $303 $258
Level C $216 $184
Level D $108 $92
Level A $518 $441
Level B $454 $386
Level C $325 $276
Level D $162 $138
SEATING NOTES: • Current Pops and Masterworks subscribers will have until MARCH 25 to renew their seats. After this date, they will become available for general purchase. • Pick 6 subscribers are not eligible for reserved seating. Seating is guaranteed within the price level purchased. • We can’t guarantee any specific seating placement, but we will surely try our best. We know an order form doesn’t capture everything you’re looking for, so feel free to call us with any questions.
HOW TO ORDER: SCAN & EMAIL: INFO@CHARLESTONSYMPHONY.ORG MAIL:
P.O. BOX 30818 CHARLESTON, SC 29417
IN PERSON:
2133 N. HILLSIDE DR. CHARLESTON, SC 29407
ONLINE*:
SIGN UP AT CHARLESTONSYMPHONY.ORG. WE’LL CONTACT YOU ABOUT SEATING PREFERENCES ONCE WE PROCESS YOUR ORDER. *Online option available only for new subscribers.
Construction of the Gaillard Center was made possible through the combined efforts of the City of Charleston and the Gaillard Performance Hall Foundation (GPHF). The Foundation has recognized donors with a seat-naming program. Donors who give at a level to warrant seat naming have the first right of refusal to purchase season subscriptions to the CSO, a right they will be offered for two weeks before CSO subscribers will be seated. Named-seat donors must renew their series subscriptions each year, or their seats become available for sale to others. If you would like information about becoming a named-seat donor, thus guaranteeing your seating location in perpetuity, please contact the GPHF at 843-718-1578.
1
CHOOSE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION(S)∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ • MASTERWORKS:
FRIDAY SERIES
SATURDAY SERIES
RENEW SEAT(S): ROW
SEAT(S):
RENEW & REQUEST SEAT CHANGE: NEW SUBSCRIPTION: TOP SEATING CHOICES • POPS RENEW SEAT(S): ROW
SEAT(S):
RENEW & REQUEST SEAT CHANGE: NEW SUBSCRIPTION: TOP SEATING CHOICES • PICK 6:
LEVEL A: $441
LEVEL B: $386
LEVEL C: $276
LEVEL D: $138
RENEW SUBSCRIPTION: SECTION PREFERENCE PURCHASE NEW SUBSCRIPTION: SECTION PREFERENCE CHOOSE YOUR CONCERTS (PLEASE INCLUDE MASTERWORKS DATES):
2
1.
4.
2.
5.
3.
6.
TOTAL YOUR ORDER∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ MASTERWORKS PRICE
$
X QUANTITY SEATS
= $
POPS PRICE
$
X QUANTITY SEATS
= $
PICK 6 PRICE
$
X QUANTITY SEATS
= $
ADD YOUR TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TODAY = $
SERVICE FEE = $ 5.00 GRAND 3
TOTAL = $
PAYMENT INFORMATION∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙∙ NAME: ADDRESS: CITY:
STATE:
EMAIL:
ZIP:
MOBILE PHONE:
I allow the Charleston Symphony to contact me via text message with discount and seat upgrade offers. VISA
MASTERCARD
NAME: EXP. DATE:
AMEX
DISCOVER CHECK
CARD NUMBER: CCV:
SIGNATURE:
YOU ARE INSTRUMENTAL TO OUR SUCCESS ADD YOUR TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TODAY TO HELP ENSURE OUR FUTURE. Did you know that ticket sales only cover 50% of the CSO’s annual operating expenses? We rely on the generosity of donors to close this gap so we can continue to provide the highest quality musical performances and education initiatives in South Carolina. Your tax-deductible gift funds the concerts you love, as well as programs like the Charleston Symphony Youth Orchestra and CSO Music in Schools Initiative that collectively impact over 20,000 students each year. We cannot do it without you. As a valued donor, you will enjoy special benefits designed to bring you closer to the CSO. At specific giving levels, benefits include: • Access to exclusive donor events and receptions • Invitations to Tasting Notes, a lecture series featuring fine wines and in-depth repertoire discussions with Maestro Ken Lam and guest musicians • Listing in Bravo among our most valued supporters • Opportunities to meet CSO musicians and visiting guest artists • Complimentary parking Please consider adding a donation to your order form today!
Charleston Symphony P.O. Box 30818 Charleston, SC 29417
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage
PAID
Charleston, SC Permit No. 1136