Welcome!

Welcome to the 2011-12 season at The Philadelphia Orchestra!  

My name is Amalya Lehmann and I am the editor of the eZseatU blog. I am a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, studying musicology, cognitive science, and violin. You will see me attending Philadelphia Orchestra concerts almost weekly.

As Philadelphia-area students, we are extremely lucky to have the opportunity to attend concerts by one of the leading orchestras in the world, for only $25 a year. Whether you are just getting into classical music, or you have listened to classical music and attended concerts for years, there will be a concert for you!

This season, we will celebrate Maestro Charles Dutoit’s 30-year legacy and his final season as chief conductor. Throughout the season, Maestro Dutoit will share the stage with superstars Lang Lang, James Ehnes, Nikolaï Lugansky, Julian Rachlin, and Gautier Capuçon, in a wide variety of programs. 

 

As we celebrate Maestro Dutoit, we will continue to learn about our next music director, Yannick Nézet-Séquin, when he will conduct three special programs this year. In November, he will conduct Brahms’s A German Requiem. In December, he will conduct a program celebrating the Philadelphia Legacy, featuring works that were premiered by the Orchestra—Curtis faculty member Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto for Orchestra and Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, which will be performed by Curtis graduate Yuja Wang. Later in January, Yannick will lead Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 from the harpsichord and will conduct Mahler’s Symphony No. 6.

Although we are celebrating Maestros Dutoit and Nézet-Séguin, you can also look forward to concerts led by such esteemed conductors as Simon Rattle, Christoph Eschenbach, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Vladimir Jurowski, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Herbert Blomstedt, Gianandrea Noseda, James Conlon, Jaap van Zweden, David Zinman, Marin Alsop, and Gilbert Varga!

 

In addition, conductors Robin Ticciati, Nicola Luisotti, and James Gaffigan will make their Philadelphia Orchestra debuts this season.

If you’re a pianist, or just love to hear piano music, mark your calendars for the concerts featuring Maurizio Pollini, Lang Lang, Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, Leif Ove Andsnes, Stewart Goodyear, and Nikolaï Lugansky.

Another highlight is that, throughout the season, the Orchestra will perform several works by Beethoven. However, January will mark the most concentrated month of Beethoven performances by the Orchestra!

Throughout the year, I will post tidbits about the concerts that I look forward to the most.

In the meantime, which concerts are you waiting for? Comment below!

—Amalya Lehmann