Philharmonic Society’s Season Will Draw From Far and Near

Concerts by the San Francisco Symphony led by Michael Tilson Thomas, and the Czech Philharmonic conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy, and a return recital engagement by Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel will be among the highlights of the 1999-2000 season sponsored by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.

Tilson Thomas will conduct the San Francisco Symphony on March 5 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. Ashkenazy will direct the Czech Philharmonic on March 23 at Santa Ana High School Auditorium. Terfel will sing May 16 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre.

Nicholas McGegan will also appear at the Barclay, leading his San Francisco-based Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in a period-instrument performance of Handel’s “Messiah” on Dec. 1.

These concerts will take place along with the Eclectic Orange Festival and Chamber Music programs announced last week. A World Stages series, co-sponsored with the Irvine Barclay Theatre, will be announced in May.

At the Orange County Performing Arts Center:

* Oct. 11, 8 p.m.: Moscow State Radio Orchestra; Algis Zhuraitis, conductor; Vladimir Feltsman, piano: Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Symphony No. 2. (Masterworks Series; also Series B)

* Oct. 26, 8 p.m.: “Voices of Light: The Passion of Joan of Arc”: Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra; Lucinda Carver, conductor; Anonymous 4; Zephyr Chorus; Richard Einhorn, composer. (Series C)

* Oct. 29, 30; 8 p.m.: National Symphony; Leonard Slatkin, conductor; Pacific Chorale; soloists to be announced: Stravinsky’s “Oedipus Rex.” (Series A, M on Oct. 29; Series C on Oct. 30)

* Oct. 31, 2 p.m.: National Symphony; Slatkin, conductor: Haydn’s Symphony No. 67; John Adams’ “Slonimsky’s Earbox”; Elgar-Payne’s Symphony No. 3 (West Coast premiere). (B)

* Oct. 31, 7 p.m.: New Zealand Symphony; James Judd, conductor; Michael Houstoun, piano; Members of the Maori Tainui Iwi and Queen Te Atairangikaau: Gareth Farr’s “The Spirit of the Land”; Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor; Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8. (A; M)

* Nov. 10, 8 p.m.: “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”; book by John Berendt; Johnny Mercer, composer. (C)

* Dec. 16, 8 p.m.: “Fiesta Navidad”; Nati Cano, director; Mariachi los Camperos de Nati Cano; Ballet Folklorico Ollin.

* Jan. 19, 8 p.m.: Royal Philharmonic; Daniele Gatti, conductor; Ignat Solzhenitsyn, piano: Brahms’ “Variations on a Theme by Haydn”; Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23; Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. (B; M)

* Jan. 21, 8 p.m.: Royal Philharmonic; Gatti, conductor; Solzhenitsyn, piano: Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto; Brahms’ Symphony No. 2. (A)

* Feb. 12, 2000, 8 p.m.: Los Angeles Philharmonic; Lawrence Foster, conductor: program to be announced. (A; M)

* Feb. 23, 8 p.m.: Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin: program to be announced. (C)

* March 5, 3 p.m.: San Francisco Symphony; Tilson Thomas, conductor; Chee-Yun, violin: Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor; Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 11 (“The Year 1905”). (B; M)

* April 9, 3 p.m.: Moscow Virtuosi; Vladimir Spivakov, conductor and violinist; Igor Suliga, viola; Inva Mula, soprano: Mozart program, including arias, symphonies nos. 24 and 29 and Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat for Violin and Viola, K. 364. (M)

At Founders Hall, Performing Arts Center:

* Oct. 28-Nov. 3, various times: Mikel Rouse’s multimedia opera “Dennis Cleveland.”

At the Irvine Barclay Theatre:

* Oct. 12, 8 p.m.: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; Nicholas McGegan, conductor; Elizabeth Blumenstock, violin: Overture to Schubert’s “Die Verschworenen”; Schubert’s Rondo for Violin and Strings in A; Schumann’s “Overture, Scherzo and Finale”; Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5 (“Reformation”). (Series F)

* Oct. 18, 8 p.m.: Guarneri String Quartet: program to be announced. (Series D)

* Nov. 22, 8 p.m.: Los Angeles Piano Quartet: Mozart’s Piano Quartet in E-flat, K. 493; Dvorak’s Piano Quartet in D, Opus 23; Brahms’ Piano Quartet in G minor, Opus 25. (D)

* Dec. 1, 8 p.m.: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; McGegan, conductor; Dominique Labelle, soprano; Catherine Robbin, mezzo-soprano; Jonathan Boyd, tenor; Daniel Lichti, baritone; John Alexander Singers: Handel’s “Messiah.” (F)

* Jan. 11, 8 p.m.: Takacs Quartet: Haydn’s Quartet in D, Opus 20, No. 4; Bright Sheng’s Quartet No. 3; Dvorak’s Quartet No. 10, Opus 51. (D)

* Feb. 3, 8 p.m.: Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra; Jordi Savall, conductor: Bach’s Four Orchestral Suites. (F)

* Feb. 6, 3 p.m.: Bachmann-Klibonoff-Fridman Trio: Haydn’s Piano Trio in G (“Gypsy Rondo”); Turina’s Piano Trio No. 2; Schoenfields’s “Cafe Music”; Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor. (D)

* March 21, 2000, 8 p.m.: Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival: Miami String Quartet; Daniel Phillips, violin/viola; Max Levinson, piano: a Haydn piano trio to be announced; Clara Schumann’s Three Romances; Augusta Read Thomas’ string quartet (West Coast premiere; the work was commissioned by the Santa Fe festival); Mendelssohn’s Viola Quintet No. 2, Opus 87. (D)

* May 2, 8 p.m.: Hagen Quartet: Ravel’s Quartet in F; Webern’s Five Pieces for String Quartet, Opus 5, and Six Bagatelles for String Quartet, Opus 9; Schubert’s Quartet in G, Opus 161. (D)

* May 9, 8 p.m.: Kronos Quartet; Dawn Upshaw, soprano: songs from various cultures; music by Gabriela Ortiz. (Series E)

* May 16, 8 p.m.: Bryn Terfel, baritone: program to be announced. (E)

At Santa Ana High School Auditorium:

* Nov. 16, 8 p.m.: Purcell’s “King Arthur”; Les Arts Florissants; William Christie, conductor. (B; M)

* March 23, 8 p.m.: Czech Philharmonic; Ashkenazy, conductor: Mozart’s Symphony No. 38 (“Prague”); Strauss’ “Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche”; Dvorak’s Symphony No. 7 in D minor. (A; M)

THE SERIES

A. Great Orchestras: $77-$245.

B. Great Orchestras: $77-$245.

C. Eclectic Orange Festival: $76-$169.

D. Chamber music series, co-presented with the Laguna Chamber Music Society: $89-$155.

E. Voices Eclectic: $99-$109.

F. Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra: $86-$99.

M. Masterworks: $160-$430.

Special Event: Fiesta Navidad: $18-$50.

Information: (714) 553-2422.