O.C. musicians anticipate their 2018 performance date at Carnegie Hall
It’s the pinnacle of many music careers, the stuff musicians’ dreams are made of.
It is the chance to play at Carnegie Hall.
For more than 100 musicians from across Orange County, their dreams are coming true.
On April 21, 2018, members of Pacific Symphony will perform at one of the world’s most prestigious venues, and joining them will be Pacific Chorale. This will be a first for both groups.
The debut will honor composer Philip Glass, 2017-18 composer-in-residence at Carnegie Hall, where he holds the Richard and Barbara Debs Composer’s Chair.
To honor Glass’ 80th birthday, Carnegie Hall is presenting performances that feature his classics and premieres, and as part of his residency, orchestras from across the U.S. were invited to submit programs.
Pacific Symphony and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra were the two orchestras chosen to perform during Carnegie’s upcoming season.
“Anytime one is invited to Carnegie Hall, especially on the celebration of such a milestone of Philip Glass’ birthday, it’s an honor,” said Carl St.Clair, Pacific Symphony music director. “We’re very happy to celebrate his legacy.”
Glass is considered one of the most influential music makers of the late 20th century, and three of his film scores have been nominated for Academy Awards.
The 2018 concert will honor Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar, who died in 2012, for a program that spotlights “Meetings Along the Edge,” from “Passages.” Glass recorded the piece with Shankar, whom Glass first met in India in 1965.
The final work of the program will be the New York premiere of “The Passion of Ramakrishna.” The 45-minute piece was commissioned by Pacific Symphony and given its world premiere in 2006 at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.
“New York City is the capital of classical music, and this is an exciting moment in our young history,” said John Forsyte, Pacific Symphony president. “We are very much looking forward to next April and feel proud of building pride in our community.”
Pacific Symphony, which is in its 38th season, is the largest orchestra formed in the U.S. in the last 50 years. It has presented more than 100 concerts and events a year and reaches more than 300,000 residents. It often plays at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
The public is invited to hear the orchestra perform the concert in Orange County from April 12 to 14, 2018, and Pacific Symphony will announce a patron trip to cheer on the orchestra in New York later this spring.
Tickets to the Carnegie Hall performance go on sale Aug. 28 at carnegiehall.org.
Twitter: @KathleenLuppi
