Royal Philharmonic players return to Orange County for weeklong orchestral residency

The new year is looking especially promising for the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, as members prepare to kick off their 70th season with a weeklong residency of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

In a series of concerts, workshops and social gatherings slated to take place Jan. 14 through 20, members of the internationally renowned orchestra will collaborate with area schools, teachers and the broader public to demonstrate the power of music.

“There’s more to a residency than purely concerts,” said Jean Hsu, chief operating officer for the nonprofit Philharmonic Society. “It’s about how we can show people music can make a difference even beyond the stage.”

As such, members of the international ensemble will perform a Jan. 15 family concert at Santa Ana High School’s Bill Medley Auditorium. The morning concert features interactive audience participation and on-the-spot written compositions under the theme “Heroes and Villains.”

Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers will perform with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Jan. 18 at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

(Josep Molina)

The following day, musicians will host workshops and trainings with members of UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts and UCI Health on the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s STROKESTRA Initiative, which explores the impact of music on the stroke recovery process.

In addition to school visits Thursday, including Estancia and Fountain Valley high schools, a professional development workshop on Jan. 19 will impart teaching techniques for local high school music directors to foster creative and collaborative music-making environments.

The residency will be capped off by three evening performances at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

On Jan. 18, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers will perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the orchestra, conducted by Vasily Petrenko, in a program that includes “Danse” by Debussy and Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade.” Pianist and RPO’s own Artist-in-Residence Isata Kanneh-Mason will perform Clara Schumann’s piano concerto the following evening.

On Jan. 20, members of the orchestra will perform Brahms’ Symphony No. 2 and the world premiere of “Prologue for Bass and Percussion” by Brendan McBrien side by side with the Orange County Youth Symphony.

Since its founding in 1954, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County has striven to broaden and deepen music appreciation through its partnerships with national and international music ensembles, bringing performances and music education programs to people of all ages.

Isata Kanneh-Mason performs with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Jan. 19 at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

(Robin Clewley)

But the orchestral residency is a bold and daring first for the nonprofit, as its programs will involve local schools and music directors, UC Irvine Health students and educators and scores of young players.

“We’ve had orchestras come through and go out to schools for master classes and presentations, but nothing to this extent,” Hsu said. “This is the start of a template we hope to be able to replicate in future residencies.”

Katherine Yang, vice president of education and community engagement for the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, said RPO’s existing programs, particularly those that involve local learning institutions, made it an ideal partner for the residency.

“We actually try to do this throughout the year with visiting artists we have who are available to go out to schools. [But] the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is really big on its outreach and connections, so we’re really excited about this — we’re going to be everywhere.”

For a listing of events, including ticket prices and packages, visit philharmonicsociety.org or call (949) 553-2422. The Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall is located at 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.