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The Phoenix Symphony Announces Its 75th Anniversary Season

The Phoenix Symphony has announced its 2021-22 season in celebration of its 75th Anniversary including a dynamic mix of performances.  

The 2021-22 season of performances will kick off on Friday, October 22 at Symphony Hall in Phoenix with performances featuring violinist Giora Schmidt. The orchestra will perform Verdi’s Overture to La  Forza del Destino and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and Sympony No. 5 under the direction of Virginia G. Piper Music Director Tito Muñoz.

It will be the first performance of the full orchestra since the onset of the pandemic. And it will be a celebration not only of the 75th Anniversary, but of the organization’s perseverance during the biggest crisis in its history.

“We are thrilled to return to Symphony Hall and perform for our community once again,” said Suzanne Wilson, President & CEO of The Phoenix Symphony. “Opening Night will be very emotional for all of us as we reunite and take part in this triumphant homecoming. We are looking forward to celebrating The Symphony’s return and our 75th Anniversary together with so many people who have supported The Orchestra as music lovers and friends.”

The 75th Anniversary includes a robust mix of classics, pops and special performances, with some truly innovative and attention-grabbing programs scheduled. Highlights of the season include:

• Classics performances with guest artists including violinist Midori (making her first performance with the Orchestra since 2007); pianists Jon Kimura Parker, Joyce Yang and Stewart Goodyear; cellist Gabriel Martins; Principal Clarinet Alex Laing; and spoken-word artist Aaron Dworkin. The performances will feature works by Stravinsky, Gershwin, Brahms, Beethoven, Dvořák and several other noteworthy composers. The Classics Series will wrap up in May with performances of Beethoven’s Ninth with The Phoenix Symphony Chorus.

• A diverse schedule of pops performances featuring Renée Elise Goldsberry, Mambo Kings, Holiday Pops, Music of Frank Sinatra, Broadway Showstoppers, Music of The Beatles and much more.

• Performances from the hit movies Coco and Jurassic Park.

• Special performances including “Steve Hackman’s Brahms v. Radiohead at ASU Gammage Auditorium, Handel’s Messiah at Mesa Arts Center and Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, and a New Year’s Eve performance with a special guest artist.

“We wanted to put together a truly dynamic and engaging schedule of performances to celebrate this 75th Anniversary season,” Muñoz said. “After all the challenges of the last year, we wanted to bring to life performances that will stir the soul and truly connect with our audiences. It will be wonderful to take the stage once again and perform such a diverse season of music.”

The Phoenix Symphony’s complete 2021/22 season includes:

An Evening with the Romantics: October 22-24

An Evening with Renée Elise Goldsberry: October 29-31

Coco In Concert Live to Film: November 5-7

The Jazz Effect: Gershwin and Stravinsky: November 12-14

Midori Returns!: November 19-21

Music of the Knights®: November 26-28

Holiday Pops: December 3-5

Handel’s Messiah:
December 16-17 (Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, Scottsdale)
December 18 (Mesa Arts Center)

New Year’s Eve Concert: December 31

Hot Latin Nights with the Mambo Kings: January 7-9

Beethoven and Rachmaninoff: Genius meets Passion: January 14-16

Masterpieces of Elgar and Mendelssohn: January 21-23 (Orpheum Theater)

Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong and the Queen of Jazz: February 4-5

Music of Frank Sinatra and Beyond with Tony DeSare: February 18-20

“Steve Hackman’s Brahms v. Radiohead”: March 4-5 (ASU Gammage Auditorium)

Broadway Showstoppers: March 11-13

Music’s Master Architects: Beethoven and Shostakovich: March 18-20

Revolution: Music of The Beatles. A Symphonic Experience.: March 25-27

The American Rhapsody: April 22-24

Spotlight on Clarinetist Alexander Laing: April 29-May 1

Jurassic Park in Concert: May 13-15

Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony: May 20-22

Guest Conductors
All performances in the 2021/22 season of The Phoenix Symphony will be conducted by Virginia G. Piper Music Director Tito Muñoz, with the following exceptions: Resident Conductor Matthew Kasper will conduct Coco In Concert Live to Film (Nov. 5-7), Music of the Knights® (Nov. 26-28), Broadway Showstoppers (March 11-13), and Revolution: Music of The Beatles. A Symphonic Experience (March 25-27). Katharina Wincor makes her Phoenix Symphony debut when she conducts Masterpieces of Elgar and Mendelssohn at the Orpheum Theater (Jan. 21-23). Michael Krajewski conducts the Symphony in five performances of Holiday Pops (Dec. 3-5), Stuart Chafetz takes the podium to conduct the annual New Year’s Eve concert (Dec. 31), Hot Latin Nights with the Mambo Kings (Jan. 7-9), and Music of Frank Sinatra and Beyond with Tony DeSare (Feb. 18-20). Case Scaglione will conduct Handel’s Messiah at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church and Mesa Arts Center (Dec. 16-18), and trumpeter Byron Stripling will  conduct the Orchestra in Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong and the Queen of Jazz (Feb. 4-5).

Debuts
Cellist Gabriel Martins and conductor Katharina Wincor both make their Phoenix Symphony debuts in three performances of Masterpieces of Elgar and Mendelssohn, January 21-23 at the Orpheum Theater. Spoken word performer Aaron Dworkin makes his Phoenix Symphony debut with The American Rhapsody, April 22-24.

Venues
The Phoenix Sympony will perform all concerts in Symphony Hall with the following exceptions: the December 16 & 17 performances of Handel’s Messiah will be performed at Pinnacle Prebyterian Church in Scottsdale. The December 18 performance of Messiah will be in Mesa Arts Center’s Ikeda Theater. Masterpieces of Elgar and Mendelssohn, conducted by Katharina Wincor with cellist Gabriel Martins will be performed January 21-23 at the Orpheum Theater in Phoenix. The Phoenix Symphony will perform “Steve Hackman’s Brahms v. Radiohead,” conducted by Steve Hackman March 4 & 5 at ASU Gammage Auditorium.

“We are very much looking forward to not only taking the stage at Symphony Hall, but to reaching out and performing throughout our community, as well,” Wilson said. “We anticipate having lots of surprises in store for the upcoming year, and we especially want to show our gratitude to those who helped us bridge the gap over the past 18 months. We would not be here without the support of our community, and we look forward to celebrating this incredible milestone.”

Season ticket packages will be available to the general public on September 15. Tickets for individual performances will be available September 22.

The Phoenix Symphony was founded in 1947, and has grown over the years to become one of the state’s largest performing arts organizations. Its 75th Anniversary season comes on the heels of the cancellation of the 2020-21 season, and provides a unique opportunity to not only celebrate the organization’s history, but to celebrate its return as well.

About The Phoenix Symphony
Founded in 1947 as a part-time orchestra in Phoenix, a city of less than 100,000 people, and run by passionate volunteers, The Phoenix Symphony has grown alongside the capital city to become Arizona’s only full time orchestra. In addition to performing traditional and modern repertoire in the fall and spring in Symphony Hall, year round our world class musicians are actively engaged in the community. Through generous foundation, corporation, and individual support, TPS is strengthened by collaborating with the best guest conductors and artists across the nation and internationally. The core mission of The Phoenix Symphony is to provide the joy of music as a catalyst for discovery, knowledge, compassion, and connection. Annually, our orchestra members empower more than 120,000 students through education and outreach partnerships and create opportunities for healing and deeper connection for tens of thousands of adults experiencing homelessness, in Alzheimer’s care facilities, in hospitals, and in hospice. To learn more, please visit  phoenixsymphony.org

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