Roberto Plano, Piano | READ
Patrice Tiedemann, Soprano
Beethoven: Concerto for Piano No. 5, Op. 73 “Emperor”
Mahler: Symphony No. 4 in G

Pre-concert Prelude at the Z - 6:45 - 7:15 pm
(free with evening ticket purchase)

Internationally acclaimed pianist, Roberto Plano, First Prize Winner of the 2001 Cleveland International Piano Competition, will present the first installment of “The Year of the Piano,” the NBSO’s year-long exploration of some of the greatest piano concertos of all time. And where better to begin than Ludwig van Beethoven’s last piano concerto, Piano Concerto No. 5? Nicknamed “The Emperor Concerto” after Beethoven’s death, it was composed by a nearly deaf Beethoven in 1809 while his beloved Vienna was under siege by Napoleon’s armies.  He wrote: “What a destructive, unruly life around me!  Nothing but drums, cannons, human misery of all sorts!” At times majestic and robust, at other times reflective and full of tender emotion, this heroic piece is a brilliantly beautiful blend of orchestral and solo piano virtuoso.  

Gustav Mahler’s magnificent and majestic Symphony No. 4, like his first three symphonies, is based upon musical material from his own song cycle Des Knaben Wunderhorn (“The Youth’s Magic Horn”).  In this case, the source is a single song, “Das himmlische Leben” (“Heaven’s Life”) which reflects a child’s naïve and innocent vision of Heaven. The song’s themes form the basis for the musical material of the first three movements, and then is sung complete in the fourth by a soprano soloist. The NBSO will be joined by soprano Patrice Tiedemann, who performed Mozart’s Requiem with the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra in 2007 and has also performed with the Boston Pops, Boston Lyric Opera, Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Cape Cod Symphony, among others.  From its restrained opening with the unique sound of sleigh bells, to the slightly macabre scherzo of the second movement, to the solemn processional of a set of theme and variations in the third movement, to the child-like joy and soaring lyricism of its last movement, the Fourth Symphony is a masterful exploration of the beauties and ambiguities of life.

Andrea Matthews, Soprano | READ
Philip Lima, Baritone | READ
The Chatham Chorale and singers from local choruses
Poulenc: Gloria
Fauré: Requiem
St. Anthony of Padua Parish / 1359 Acushnet Avenue / New Bedford, MA 02746 / 508.993.1691

The New Bedford Symphony Orchestra will be performing two of the most-loved choral works at the spectacular St. Anthony of Padua Parish in the north end of New Bedford. Francis Poulenc’s Gloria is one of the most recognized choral works of the 20th century, with its iconic opening figure and stunning orchestration. Touching on a large range of emotions, this dramatic religious piece exemplifies Poulenc’s own beliefs and faith in human understanding. A rather short piece, it ends with “shimmering ambiguity” and leaves you aching for more.

Gabriel Fauré is best known for his magnificent Requiem, featuring the famous movement “Pie Jesu.” Having been referred to as a “lullaby of death”, it is a unique work in the repertoire of choral-orchestral works and takes a more hopeful perspective on the traditional form of the requiem, viewing death as a “release, rather than torment.”

Among noted soprano Andrea Matthews’ many operatic roles are Gilda in Rigoletto, Euridice in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Susanna in Marriage of Figaro, Marie in Bartered Bride, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, Nannetta in Falstaff, Musetta in La Bohème, and Violetta in La Traviata, which she performed during her engagement (1990-92) with the Aachen Opera in Germany, as well as on tour in Spain, Portugal, and France. She has appeared in recent seasons with the Boston Academy of Music in their productions of Arabella, Vanessa, and Il Trittico. Richard Dyer wrote in The Boston Globe: “As the elusive Mélisande, Andrea Matthews bound her expressive delivery of the words into exquisitely colored musical phrases, carried on a seamless legato.”

In concert works ranging from Bach and Mozart to Mahler, Stravinsky, and Górecki, she has appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Atlanta and Houston Symphonies, and Buffalo Philharmonic, among many others. She can be heard on Newport Classic, Polygram, Vox Cum Laude, Premier, and Naxos CDs.

In recent seasons, Philip Lima has appeared in leading baritone roles with opera companies across the United States and in Germany in a wide range of traditional and contemporary repertoire, as well as recital, concert, and oratorio performances domestically and in Italy, Ukraine, and South Korea. The Boston Globe has called his singing “glorious”, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer praised him as possessing “a vibrant baritone and commanding presence.”

About St. Anthony's
One of the largest and most beautiful Catholic Churches in New England, St. Anthony of Padua Parish was built between 1902-1912. Designed by the Montreal architect Joseph Venne (the architect of the famous St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal) and decorated by two famous Italian artists, Giovanni Castagnoli and Guido Nincheri, the Church would be fitting as the cathedral of any major European City. Among its many features are its renowned 1912 Casavant Frères Organ, its 5,500 decorative lights and its 256-foot steeple. Originally built by French Canadian immigrants to New Bedford, it now serves both English-speaking and Portuguese-speaking Catholics. A full history of the parish is found at www.saintanthonynewbedford.com. Please note that St. Anthony’s is not handicap accessible.

Diana McVey, Soprano | READ
Fred Scheff, Tenor | READ

We are again planning the merriest Holiday celebration in town as the NBSO brings its Family Holiday Pops concerts to fill your heart with holiday cheer! Two family-friendly performances will make the Holiday season sparkle with traditional Holiday favorite songs and carols, plus an audience sing-a-long, stunning Holiday decorations, enchanting stories, stirring singers, and even an appearance by Santa Claus!

Our special guest artists will be two dynamic vocalists familiar to NBSO audiences, soprano Diana McVey, and tenor Fred Scheff. Diana McVey is a versatile artist whose consummate skills as both a singer and an actress have made her highly visible in opera, oratorio and as soloist with symphony orchestras across the country. The beauty of her voice and intelligent artistry were heard in the NBSO’s recent performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Fred Scheff’s soaring lyric tenor voice was also heard in the NBSO Beethoven performance, and he has appeared in numerous productions with Opera Providence, has toured the country appearing as Ubaldo Piangi in Sir Andrew LLoyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, and worked with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for seven seasons. In addition to performing with the NBSO last October, Scheff has appeared as soloist with Rhode Island Civic Choral, South County Chamber Singers, University of Rhode Island, Trinity Repertory Company, and many others.  

These festive, family-friendly concerts are shorter in length (about 1 hour) and without intermission, and have something for all ages, making them a splendid way for the whole family to celebrate “the most wonderful time of the year”!

Be sure to reserve your seats now for this very special time that will warm every heart of family and friends!

Marina Lomazov, Piano | READ
John Adams: The Chairman Dances
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 23
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5

Pre-concert Prelude at the Z - 6:45 - 7:15 pm
(free with evening ticket purchase)

The NBSO’s February Concert will begin with a tantalizing piece by one of the most-performed and influential (and also local) living composers of the 20th century, John Adams. The Chairman Dances is based on a scene from Adams’ three-act opera, Nixon in China. The delightfully seductive music sets the scene of Chinese Chairman Mao and Madame Mao as they dance the foxtrot, evoking memories of “1930’s Shanghai” when the once young couple wistfully danced to gramophone recordings.

The NBSO is thrilled to have award-winning and internationally acclaimed Ukrainian-American pianist Marina Lomazov performing with the NBSO for the next installment of “The Year of the Piano.” Praised by critics as “a diva of the piano” by the Salt Lake City Tribune and “simply spectacular” by the International Music Foundation in Chicago, Ms. Lomazov has established herself as one of the most passionate and charismatic performers on the concert scene today. She will perform Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s demanding Concerto for Piano No. 1. Recognized as one of the greatest piano concertos in the repertoire, it is hugely symphonic in scope and is famous for the dramatic tension between soloist and orchestra.

The evening will conclude with the one classical orchestral work that is immediately recognized in almost every culture around the world, Beethoven’s heroic and triumphant Symphony No. 5 with its famous four-note opening motif. Since shortly after its first performance in Vienna in 1808, the Fifth has become one of the most popular and often played symphonies, and was hailed by noted music critic E.T.A. Hoffmann as “one of the most important works of the age”. It is certainly one of the great symphonies of all time and has inspired works by such composers as Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Bruckner, Mahler, and Hector Berlioz.

Alexander Ghindin, Piano | READ
John Corigliano: Gazebo Dances
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3
Brahms: Symphony No. 1

Pre-concert Prelude at the Z - 6:45 - 7:15 pm
(free with evening ticket purchase)

Our concert opens with American composer John Corigliano’s charming Gazebo Dances. In the composer’s own words: “The title, Gazebo Dances, was suggested by the pavilions often seen on village greens in towns throughout the countryside, where public band concerts are given on summer evenings. The delights of that sort of entertainment are portrayed in this set of dances, which begins with a Rossini-like Overture, followed by a rather peg-legged Waltz, a long-lined Adagio and a bouncy Tarantella.”

2007 Cleveland International Piano Competition winner, Alexander Ghindin, who gave a breathtaking performance at the NBSO’s Opening Night concert last season, returns for the NBSO’s continuing exploration of “The Year of the Piano.” He will perform Prokofiev’s critically acclaimed Piano Concerto No. 3. Often described as a “study in contrasts,” the work punctuates lyrical passages with humorous dissonances and possesses a sense of barely restrained vitality that has made it a staple of the concert repertoire for the pianist.

The NBSO will conclude the evening with Brahms’ lush and powerful Symphony No. 1 in C Minor. Feeling the pressure to create a symphony with the genius and magnitude of Beethoven’s symphonies, Brahms spent many years of preparation before composing his highly successful First Symphony, which is often referred to as “Beethoven’s Tenth” due to an intentional use of Beethoven’s idiom by Brahms throughout this work as an act of conscious homage to the Master. A work 21 years in the making, the First Symphony both honors the greatness of Beethoven and expresses a completely unique, personal and masterful statement of Brahms’ own genius.

Norman Krieger, Piano | READ
Christopher Theofanidis: Rainbow Body
George Gershwin: Concerto in F
Dvorák’s: Symphony No. 9, “New World”

Pre-concert Prelude at the Z - 6:45 - 7:15 pm
(free with evening ticket purchase)

The NBSO’s Season Finale begins with a wonderfully creative and unique modern composition. Christopher Theofanidis won the 2003 Masterprize for tonight’s first piece. Rainbow Body is the world’s most-performed orchestral work by a living composer. A lovely, mysterious, and sensual piece, it is based on the medieval Hildegard von Bingen’s chant “Ave Maria, o auctrix vite” (Hail Mary, source of life). Theofanidis describes the piece as “the coming together of two ideas”: Hildegard’s chant and the Tibetan Buddhist idea of the ‘Rainbow Body’.

Norman Krieger, one of the most acclaimed pianists of his generation and who has also previously performed with the NBSO, will join us for the final installment of our exploration of “The Year of the Piano,” performing George Gershwin’s jazzy and sultry Concerto in F. Another 20th century masterpiece, this jazz-flavored composition has been very popular with audiences since its very first performance. Despite Gershwin’s reputation as a master of the popular song, there is tightness of structural integrity within the work that rivals that of any classical or romantic composer’s efforts. Indeed, the noted English composer William Walton stated that he “adored” the work, and another enthusiastic fan was no less than Igor Stravinsky!

The final piece of the evening is Antonin Dvorák’s captivating Symphony No. 9 in E minor (“From the New World”). During his stay in the United States from 1892-1895, Dvorák was immensely impressed by the sounds and rhythms of Native-American music and African American spirituals, even stating that they could form the basis for an entire new school of composition. The Ninth Symphony, while quoting no specific tunes from either music, does capture the essence and flavor of both while infusing them with the sound-world of his native Bohemia to create a scintillating multi-cultural ambiance that has made the New World Symphony one of the most popular symphonic works in the modern repertoire.