Lexington Philharmonic Proudly Announces the 2018/19 Season - A Decade to Celebrate
LEXINGTON, KY –The Lexington Philharmonic proudly announces the 2018/19 Season, A Decade to Celebrate. The 2018/19 Season is one of celebrations, beautifully curated by Music Director & Conductor, Scott Terrell to inspire and uplift, and delight. The 2018/19 Season, a Decade to Celebrate, is a season-long celebration of LexPhil’s achievements over the last ten years under the artistic direction of Maestro Terrell. The Lexington Philharmonic, known for identifying rising musical talent, will feature performances by renowned and emerging artists, including 19-year old wunderkind pianist Tengku Irfan, Emma Gerstein, former LexPhil principal flute and Chicago Symphony flautist, and violinist Simone Porter, a Avery Fisher Career Grant winner.
“We have grown tremendously in the last decade, as an ensemble, a city, and local arts culture. It has been some of the most rewarding work one could hope to do,” says LexPhil Music Director and Conductor, Scott Terrell. “I’ve programmed a season that includes many of my personal favorite orchestral works, many I have been wanting to program for years. Every concert celebrates our commitment to diversity of programing, artistic excellence and presenting the voices of today, while honoring the masterworks that came before. This season is a celebration of how far we have come.”
The 2018/19 season is highlighted with bold new voices, including works by three female composers, emerging artists, and repertoire to engage the community at every level. Highlights including a semi-staged presentation of Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, and a collaboration with regional college choirs to take on Verdi’s massive and moving Requiem.
The ambitious 2018/19 season represents an important milestone in Scott Terrell’s tenure as Music Director & Conductor for the Lexington Philharmonic.
"Ten years ago, Scott came to Lexington with a bold artistic vision for the organization -- to build a new audience and culture surrounding orchestral music, to raise the profile of the orchestra, and uplift the ensemble to tackle more and more artistically ambitious works," says LexPhil Board President, Carol McLeod. "We've achieved all of this, and more, over the last decade under Scott's artistic leadership.”
The season opens with Bernstein & Gershwin, on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at the Lexington Opera House for the second installment of LexPhil’s centennial celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s genius. The evening opens with Bernstein’s Suite from Candide, followed by Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with Lexington-based Ryan Shirar as the soloist. LexPhil closes with a semi-staged presentation of Bernstein’s opera Trouble in Tahiti, about the trappings of suburban domesticity, featuring direction from John de los Santos who expertly staged LexPhil’s 2013 presentation of Maria de Buenos Aires to rave reviews.
LexPhil celebrates the works and legacy of American composers at Made in America, on Friday, November 16, 2018 at the Singletary Center for the Arts. Works by American master Joan Tower and Aaron Copland are paired with Mozart's Symphony No. 31, "Paris" and Ravel’s jazz-inspired Piano Concerto in G Major, performed by 19-year old pianist Tengku Irfan for an evening dedicated to celebrating and exploring America’s bold and imaginative classical music traditions.
For the fifth year, LexPhil will provide premiere entertainment for ringing in the New Year in Lexington at New Year’s Eve: Tango Caliente! on December 31st, 2018 at the Lexington Opera House. Featuring the music of Argentina, LexPhil will be joined by star soprano Camille Zamora, award-winning Argentinian dancers Patricio Touceda and Eva Lucero and internationally-acclaimed bandoneón artist Hector Del Curto for a night of fiery Tango classics.
LexPhil heats up February with Brahms’ First on Friday, February 8, 2019 at the Singletary Center for the Arts with a joyful performance pairing Latin American-inspired works by composers Gabriela Lena Frank and Paquito D’Rivera with Brahms’ passionate Symphony No. 1, the work that solidified him as a classical giant. LexPhil is thrilled to welcome former principal flautist Emma Gerstein back to the Singletary Center as soloist for D’Rivera’s Gran Danzón (concerto for flute and orchestra).
“When Emma won the principal flute position with LexPhil, I knew she was going places,” says Music Director & Conductor Scott Terrell. “Since Emma’s season with LexPhil, she has gone on to win principal flute of New Zealand’s Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, and joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as its second flute last fall. We are very proud of Emma’s achievements, and we are very pleased to welcome her back to Lexington as a soloist for D’Rivera’s beautiful concerto.”
A highlight of the season, LexPhil unites the choral forces from four central Kentucky colleges for the epic masterpiece Verdi’s Requiem on Friday, March 29, 2019. The combined voices of Asbury University, Berea College, Centre College, and Eastern Kentucky University will fill the Singletary Center for the Arts with the powerful brilliance and emotional impact of Verdi’s choral masterpiece. “We have been collaborating with the rich talent from regional college choir programs for several seasons, and this presentation of Verdi’s Requiem represents a huge milestone in these collaborative relationships,” says Music Director & Conductor Scott Terrell. “I’m thrilled to present this deeply moving work to our community.”
Friday, April 12th, 2019 LexPhil presents Saint-Saëns & Shostakovich, an evening highlighting emerging female voices and talent. LexPhil opens with innovative female composer Missy Mazzoli's expansive Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres), followed by Saint-Saëns’ masterful Violin Concerto No. 3 featuring violinist Simone Porter, a 2015 Avery Fisher Career Grant winner. Shostakovich’s passionate Symphony No. 5 closes the evening.
The 2018-19 finale concert will be Saturday, May 18, 2019 at the Singletary Center for the Arts, and will be announced in May 2018.
All concerts begin at 7:30 PM. unless otherwise noted, and are presented at the Singletary Center for the Arts, with the exception of Opening Night: Bernstein & Gershwin and New Year’s Eve: Tango Caliente! at the Lexington Opera House. Effective for the 2018/19 Season, concert nights are Friday and/or Saturday, depending on the program and concert venue.
LexPhil is currently accepting renewals for Full Series Subscribers. Subscriptions will be available to the public for purchase beginning Tuesday, May 1, 2018. Full Series Subscriptions include six Season Series concerts plus one Special Concert. Single concert tickets go on sale July 2018. To renew or order subscriptions, or for more information, please contact the Lexington Philharmonic at 859.233.4226, or visit lexphil.org.
2018/19 Season Series Concerts:
OPENING NIGHT: Bernstein & Gershwin
Saturday, October 20, 2018 | 7:30 PM
Lexington Opera House
Bernstein
Suite from Candide
Gershwin
Rhapsody in Blue
Ryan Shirar, piano
Bernstein
Trouble in Tahiti - semi-staged opera
John de los Santos, director
Made in America
Friday, November 16, 2018 | 7:30 PM
Singletary Center for the Arts
Joan Tower
Made in America
Mozart
Symphony No. 31, "Paris"
Ravel
Piano Concerto in G major
Tengku Irfan, piano
Copland
Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes
NEW YEAR’S EVE: Tango Caliente!
The Music of Argentina
Monday, December 31, 2018 | 7:30 PM
Lexington Opera House
Camille Zamora, soprano
Hector Del Curto, bandoneón
Patricio Touceda & Eva Lucero, dancers
Brahms’ First
Friday, February 8, 2019 | 7:30 PM
Singletary Center for the Arts
Gabriela Lena Frank
Concertino Cusqueño
Paquito D’Rivera
Gran Danzón (concerto for flute and orchestra)
Emma Gerstein, flute
Brahms
Symphony No. 1 in C minor
Verdi Requiem
Friday, March 29, 2019 | 7:30 PM
Singletary Center for the Arts
Verdi
Requiem Mass
D'Ana Lombard, soprano
Daryl Freedman, mezzo-soprano
Cooper Nolan, tenor
Peixin Chen, bass
Featuring the college choirs from
Asbury University, Berea College, Centre College, and Eastern Kentucky University
Saint-Saëns & Shostakovich
Friday, April 12, 2019 | 7:30 PM
Singletary Center for the Arts
Missy Mazzoli
Sinfonia for Orbiting Spheres
Saint-Saëns
Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor
Simone Porter, violin
Shostakovich
Symphony No. 5 in D minor
STAR WARS: A New Hope in Concert
Film with live orchestra
Saturday, May 18, 2019 | 7:30 PM
Singletary Center for the Arts
Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts in association with 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm Ltd., and Warner / Chappell Music.
© 2018 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
The mission of the Lexington Philharmonic is to foster excellence and innovation in the performance and presentation of great music; to enrich the lives of our diverse citizenry; to educate current and future audiences and to bring distinction to our community through the orchestra’s presence and standing. Through LexPhil’s four core values of artistic excellence, innovation, collaboration and accessibility, LexPhil will continue to move forward, artistically and purposefully, providing world-class musical experiences and impactful educational opportunities for the Bluegrass Region and beyond.
Now in his ninth season with the Lexington Philharmonic, Music Director and Conductor Scott Terrell has led the orchestra in a significant transformation to align with the organizational values of artistic excellence, collaboration, innovation and accessibility. Scott is passionate about engaging the broadest possible community in music as listeners, musicians, composers and advocates. Through LexPhil collaborations with high schools, colleges and youth performing arts groups, Scott dedicates time and energy to educating emerging musical artists. His programming has expanded the orchestra’s repertoire and enhanced the national reputation of the organization through commissioning of new music, multi-media and interdisciplinary projects and international guest conducting.
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All Lexington Philharmonic programs are made possible through the generous support of LexArts. In 2017-2018, the Lexington Philharmonic will receive a total of $170,000 in unrestricted support.
LexPhil’s 2018-2019 Season is presented by the Dupree Initiative for Innovation, funded by the tremendous generosity of Thomas and Ann Todd Dupree.
The Kentucky Arts Council, the state arts agency, provides operating support to the Lexington Philharmonic with state tax dollars and federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Saykaly Garbulinska Foundation, funds LexPhil’s commitment to continued artistic growth and brings world-renowned artist to perform with LexPhil and participate in outreach for the Lexington community.
Special thanks to the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government for its continued partnership in ensuring a flourishing future for the arts in Lexington and central Kentucky.