Planet Carlos

The New Season: Something for Everyone

The unveiling of a new concert season is always among the high points of the year for any orchestra, and the 2009/10 Oregon Symphony season we announced in early February has us especially excited. It’s a really well-planned mix of old favorites and new discoveries, stellar big-name guests and supremely talented rising stars, some of whom are sure to be among the music world’s Next Big Things.

And, of course, there’s Carlos Kalmar. Not only will he be back for his seventh season as music director, he’ll be on the podium to lead 15 of our concerts throughout the year. He’s the expert, so who better to ask for some advice on which programs are real standouts in a season chock-full of memorable afternoons and evenings?

Here’s Kalmar’s personal list of performances especially worth catching next season:

• To have Jon Kimura Parker and Yefim Bronfman with us in one season means two of the best pianists of our time will perform here next year.

• And it gets even better: Arnaldo Cohen, who was such an audience favorite when he played the Liszt Second Piano Concerto here last year, comes back for one spectacular weekend during which he’ll perform all five of the Beethoven Piano Concertos and the Triple Concerto as well.

• I’m happy to feature four of our own players as soloists in the Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for Winds. You’ll hear amazing quality right there!

• In the same concert where we’ll hear Antonin Dvorak’s famous Cello Concerto, we’ll also get to experience something new and different: Newly Drawn Sky by American composer Aaron Jay Kernis. This is an Oregon premiere, and I’m sure you will enjoy Aaron’s colors and distinctive writing.

• When we welcome Pinchas Zukerman in April, we’ll get “the whole package” from him as he conducts the orchestra and plays the violin as well.

• When we present an unusual work by Gioachino Rossini next March, his Stabat Mater, together with Portland Symphonic Choir, you’ll get to hear a piece of sacred music written by an Italian composer who is very famous for opera. We’re all in for a big surprise.

• Jeff Tyzik, who is becoming a wonderful advocate for the Oregon Symphony, is back for his second season as principal pops conductor, and he has put together four terrific shows that shouldn’t be missed.

• And, finally, do not miss out on the concerts that Resident Conductor Gregory Vajda will be leading.  It’s always a joy to have such a talented musician on the podium, and in one of his two subscription concerts he will be accompanying the great pianist Angela Hewitt, who’s performing one of the real masterpieces, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23. She is a real treasure.

Those are his picks, anyway. What about your favorites? Pick up your copy of the 2009/10 season brochure in our lobby or visit OrSymphony.org for complete details on all of next season’s stellar performances.