Upcoming Concert

March 24, 2012
Sat 8pm; Conductor’s talk 7pm

Featuring David Deveau, piano

Beethoven –
Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor”

Dvořák – Symphony No. 7

Lexington Symphony’s March concert features internationally-acclaimed pianist David Deveau performing Beethoven’s final piano concerto, the “Emperor.” This concerto had audiences on their feet when it was first performed in November 1811, and has been thrilling audiences ever since with its majestic and heroic grandeur. The program also includes Dvořák’s sublimely passionate Symphony No.7, which was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society in London in 1884.

The 2011-2012 Lexington Symphony Season

All concerts at Cary Hall, Lexington Center

**Pre-concert Conductor’s Talks are back! Starting March 24 at 7pm, Maestro McPhee will deliver a talk before each concert.**

Join us for an outstanding new season of music:

September 17: Opening Night, Holst’s The Planets and Debussy’s Nocturnes with the New World Chorale
November 5: Sibelius Symphony No. 1 and Berlioz Les Nuits d’Ete featuring Matthew Truss, counter-tenor with guest conductor Bruce Hangen
December 2: Celebrate the Season with Holiday Pops!
February 4: The Nielsen Clarinet Concerto featuring our very own Bill Kirkley plus Haydn Symphony No. 43 “Mercury”
March 24: Dvorak’s Seventh Symphony and Beethoven’s Emperor Piano Concerto with soloist David Deveau
March 25: Kids’ Workshop and Concert
June 2: “Concert in the Round” including Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3

All concerts conducted by Music Director Jonathan McPhee (except where noted).

September 17, 2011

Saturday 8pm

featuring New World Chorale

Debussy – Nocturnes

Holst – The Planets

Lexington Symphony’s season opens on Saturday, September 17 with a program featuring the women of the New World Chorale in two lush, impressionist pieces. Debussy’s Nocturnes, which were inspired by a series of impressionist paintings by James McNeill Whistler and features a women’s chorus, have been described as creating a “gorgeous tapestry of sound.” And Holst’s most popular work, orchestral suite The Planets, he himself described as a “series of mood pictures.” This concert is sponsored by the Lexington Symphony Concert Fund Partners.

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November 5, 2011

Saturday 8pm

With Bruce Hangen, guest conductor

Featuring Matthew Truss, counter-tenor

Respighi – Gli Uccelli (The Birds)

Berlioz – Les Nuits d’Été

Sibelius – Symphony No. 1

Boston Conservatory’s Bruce Hangen leads the symphony in a performance of Sibelius’ first symphony. First performed in 1899 by the young Jean Sibelius, it was influenced by Tchaikovsky and Borodin, but was clearly the work of a young composer who had already developed a distinct musical voice. Les Nuits d’Été (Summer Nights) is a setting of six French love poems by Hector Berlioz and will feature counter-tenor Matthew Truss, whose voice the Boston Globe has described as “boasting both beauty and volume.” Respighi’s The Birds isbased on music from 18th-century and represents a vibrant attempt to transcribe birdsong into musical notation.

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December 2, 2011

Holiday Pops!

Friday, 4pm – Kids’ Holiday Pops

Friday, 8pm – Evening Holiday Pops

Celebrate the holiday season with our annual joyous Holiday Pops concerts! Both concerts feature a program that includes popular holiday favorites, a rousing sing-along, and an appearance by Santa. Kids’ Pops, at 4pm, is specially designed for the whole family; children will particularly enjoy the costumes, the singing, and our special guest!

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February 4, 2012

Saturday 8pm

Featuring William Kirkley, clarinet

Nielsen – The Artist’s Bier

Respighi – Trittico Botticelliano

Nielsen – Clarinet Concerto

Haydn – Symphony No. 43 “Mercury”

Haydn’s light and lyrical “Mercury” symphony has been called “one of Haydn’s wittiest works.” Conceived in the spring of 1927, Respighi’s Trittico Botticelliano is based on three famous Botticelli paintings that hang in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The final composer on the program, Carl Nielsen, was Denmark’s greatest composer. In particular, Carl Nielsen’s clarinet concerto, which is presented in one, continuous movement, has become a staple of the clarinet repertoire. Lexington Symphony’s own principal clarinet player, Bill Kirkley, who has been hailed by the Boston Globe as having playing that is “emotional, committed, and intensely exciting,” will be the featured soloist.

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March 24, 2012

Saturday 8pm; Conductor’s talk 7pm

Featuring David Deveau, piano

Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor”

Dvořák – Symphony No. 7

Internationally-acclaimed pianist David Deveau performs Beethoven’s final piano concerto, the “Emperor.” This concerto had audiences on their feet when it was first performed in November 1811, and has been thrilling audiences ever since with its majestic and heroic grandeur. The program also includes Dvořák’s sublimely passionate Symphony No.7, which was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society in London in 1884.

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March 25, 2012

Kids’ Workshop and Concert

Sunday Workshop 2pm Concert 3pm

This March, Lexington Symphony offers its bi-annual Kids’ Workshop and Concert – a kid-friendly version of an orchestral concert. This event brings music to kids in an up-close, hands-on way. Kids can try out the instruments of the orchestra and conduct their own group of players! The concert will feature Peter and the Wolf, plus music by Nielsen, Dvořák, and more.

This concert is designed for children ages 4 and up.

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June 2, 2012

Concert in the Round

Saturday 7pm; Q&A with orchestra musicians 6pm

Gounod – Petite Symphony

Bach – “Brandenburg” Concerto No. 3

Bartok – Romanian Folk Dances

Experience an informal summer evening concert “in the round.” Meet and mingle with the players, and gain a new perspective on the orchestra – which will be placed in the middle of Cary Hall. Enjoy some beloved classical favorites, including Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, one of the finest compositions of the Baroque era.

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