Join the Detroit Symphony Orchestra this 2010-2011 season for a noteworthy menu of classical, jazz, and popular music sure to appeal to every taste.
Here are just a few highlights of the schedule to whet your musical appetite as the DSO sets the scene for the season's October 1 start.
On the classical side, the new DSO season reflects a further extension of Music Director Leonard Slatkin's vision of bringing exciting new music to Orchestra Hall with multiple world and DSO premieres, along a healthy helping of work by contemporary classical composers, while including many familiar audience favorites in the schedule.
See some of the cream of Michigan's classical talent crop with special performances of Mahler's Symphony No. 8 commemorating the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth, and 100th anniversary of his death. These Symphony of a Thousand concerts, presented in collaboration with the Michigan Opera Theater, University Musical Society, University of Michigan, and Michigan State University, take place on March 18 at the Detroit Opera House and on March 19 at Ann Arbor's Hill Auditorium.
Classical music lovers are in for a real treat as the Music Director Leonard Slatkin directs DSO performances of all nine Beethoven symphonies in a series of three weekends this spring. Immerse yourself in Beethoven's masterful music starting with two concerts during the weekend of March 24-26, continuing with two more concerts during the weekend of April 8-10, and culminating the weekend of April 14-16 with performances of the Beethoven's beloved Symphony No. 9. Each of these performances includes a little lagniappe of the master's work with some favorite short selections and overtures.
This year's DSO season also offers plenty of options beyond its great classical concerts with its Jazz and Pops series that include many events especially suited for families or a special date night.
Treat your family to a Halloween weekend program featuring music from films like Ghostbusters, Harry Potter, The Dark Knight, and more. Grammy Award-winning composer Victor Vanacore conducts the October 28-31 Trick or Treat program.
Some of our favorite memories of going to the DSO came while hearing some of our favorite winter holiday music performed by the orchestra. Warm up with the DSO as they come Home for the Holidays December 16-19 with a program of favorite carols and a visit from a special red-suited, white-bearded guest (which was a highlight of the show when I saw it several years ago)!
Families should also enjoy Disney in Concert: Magical Music from the Movies, April 28-May 1. The DSO performs some of the most well loved tunes from Disney films like The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast, accompanied by animated images projected on screens above the orchestra.
Jazz shows are always among my favorite performances when I've attended shows at Orchestra Hall, and this season's Paradise Jazz Series features some concerts sure to be future favorites.
Cooler days arrive with the start of autumn, but experience the warm embrace of Caribbean rhythms and jazz riffs as Michel Camilo opens this DSO season on October 1 with an energetic Big Band-Caribe. Composer and pianist Camilo, a multiple Grammy-Award winner in jazz, classical, and Latin music, also serves as the DSO's Jazz Creative Director.
Other jazz series performances include Tony Award-winning vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater paying tribute to Billie Holiday (November 5), the Grammy Award-winning quartet Manhattan Transfer with a Christmas program (December 14), and ten-time Grammy Award winner Bobby McFerrin bringing his innovative vocal style to the Orchestra Hall stage (March 3).
Check the DSO web site for a complete season schedule, pricing, and purchasing information. Subscription and series packages are already available for purchase, and single performance tickets for the 2010-2011 season go on sale August 30.
Note: "Where I live" posts are part of a series of periodic stories about special events and people in, and around, metro Detroit. "Where I live" posts are stories I'll post in addition to my regular schedule of stories about attractions around the larger Midwestern region. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
© Dominique King 2010 All rights reserved
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