Brevard – The 55-piece Brevard Philharmonic Orchestra will start their 46th season on Sunday, September 25th at 3 PM. James Fellenbaum, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Brevard Philharmonic, will be leading the orchestra for his fifth season. It is time to get your season tickets for all six concerts, most of which will be held at 3:00 PM on a Sunday afternoon in 2022 and 2023 at the acoustically acclaimed Brevard College’s Porter Center. This season’s programs are beautifully balanced, sure to suit all audiences.
The season will start with the celebrated cello soloist Julie Albers. She is currently principal cellist of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and is in demand as a performer both nationally and internationally, with more than one critic calling her,”…a world-class virtuoso.” She will be presenting an all-Russian program by joining the orchestra for the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1. For filling out the rest of the afternoon, the orchestra will offer two of Peter Tchaikovsky’s best-loved compositions: Symphony No. 2, known as the “Little Russian,” and the delightful Polonaise from the opera Eugene Onegin.
Ms. Albers will join the orchestra for an intensely difficult piece, the Cello Concerto No. 1 by Dimitri Shostakovich. The composer wrote this piece in 1959 as a member of the first generation working entirely within the post-revolution Soviet system. Despite many difficulties, he never compromised his artistic integrity in spite of being officially admonished for failure to be “ideologically pure.” Considered to be Shostakovich’s finest concerto, and also one of the most difficult to play, the piece gives Ms. Albers a perfect showcase to wow the audience with her pyrotechnics and enchant them with her musicality. This concert is sponsored by the A. Stuart Fendler Family Trust.
The November 6th concert will shine the spotlight on acclaimed violinist Gabriel Lefkowitz, Concertmaster of the Louisville Civic Orchestra, performing Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major. Critics have called this powerful yet lyrical piece, “…a truly symphonic musical manifesto.” Lefkowitz is an acclaimed violinist, conductor, and composer. The opening work of the afternoon will feature the Philharmonic playing Symphony No. 4 in B minor by Emilie Mayer, who is considered one of the finest female composers of her time, which is then followed by the Brahms’ Violin Concerto.
For the Transylvania County community, December means the excitement of the holidays and the always warmly anticipated festively decorated Christmastime in Brevard. This year the concert tradition falls on Sunday, December 18th. Audience members can expect back-to-back Christmas music, an audience sing-along of past and present seasonal songs, and plenty of on-stage surprises. The orchestra will be joined by the joyful voices of the nearly 40 Transylvania Choral Society. Those who have attended Philharmonic performances have learned to expect the unexpected during holiday concerts, thanks to Maestro Fellenbaum.
The March 12th concert offers a change of venue. Music lovers can experience a more intimate setting and the up-close and personal experience of a chamber music concert at the Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church. The Brevard Philharmonic will be playing the Mozart Divertimento in D Major, Warlock’s Capriol Suite, as well as Rutter’s popular Suite for Strings. Seating in the church will be limited so be sure to order your tickets early.
Saturday Night POPS on April 1st is a tribute to the best of the American Musical Theatre represented by the glorious music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. POPS is the only evening concert of the season, beginning at 7:30 pm. What could be more memorable than a wall-to-wall evening of selections from such memorble shows as The Sound of Music, Carousel, and South Pacific, to name just a few?
The season finale on May 21st will showcase music with a Western flavor. How the West was FUN features the theme from The Magnificent Seven and Aaron Copeland’s Billy the Kid suite. The afternoon will close with celebrated violinist Holly Mulcahy taking her solo turn in The Rose of Sonora, a violin concerto in five scenes by movie music master, George S. Clinton.
Single tickets with reserved seating for Brevard Philharmonic performances are on sale now for $37; a student ticket is $10.00. There are a number of season ticket packages offered as well. Call 828-884-4221 or buy your ticket online at brevardphilharmonic.org. Masks are optional, but anyone with an underlying health condition or unvaccinated child is encouraged to wear a mask.