Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Presents 2018-2019 Season With Returning and Debuting Artists and Celebrated Works
For Immediate Release
February 15, 2018
PITTSBURGH, PA— The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) presents its 2018-2019 season programming and events: the BNY Mellon Grand Classics Series, the PNC Pops Series and Specials Series. Under the direction of Music Director Manfred Honeck, the PSO welcomes returning and debuting guest conductors, composers/commissions and soloists to Heinz Hall including Renée Fleming, Mason Bates, Johnathan Leshnoff, Joshua Bell, Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Pinchas Zuckeman, George Li, Beatrice Rana, Vilde Frang, Till Fellner, Emanuel Ax, Simone Lamsma and Leslie Odom Jr. This season, the PSO honors the centennials of Leonard Bernstein and Holst's The Planets, joins Lincoln Center's Great Performers, and offers a rich array of Pops and Special Concert programming.
"On the heels of two GRAMMY wins, the PSO could not be more proud to present this dynamic season," President and CEO Melia Tourangeau says. "Our 2018-2019 season will be filled with exceptional music-making and exciting performances. I look forward to collaborating with some of the world's most renowned performers, including 15 debut artists, as well as welcoming back many friends to the Heinz Hall stage," Honeck says.
Gala – Renée Fleming
With a voice of uncommon radiance, Metropolitan Opera star Renée Fleming sings in the season’s Gala Opening Night and is accompanied by the PSO and conductor Manfred Honeck. Fleming delivers selections from the heart of Grand Opera and the best of Broadway.
Happy Birthday Manfred Honeck!
Celebrate Manfred's 60th birthday as Pinchas Zukerman plays Bruch’s romantic First Violin Concerto, Manfred conducts Brahms’ lyrical Second Symphony and Mason Bates delivers a new work commissioned for the occasion. Be there for this opening weekend birthday party!
BERNSTEIN in PITTSBURGH
BERNSTEIN in PITTSBURGH marks the centennial of Leonard Bernstein’s birth. Manfred Honeck conducts pieces Bernstein himself conducted with the PSO early in his career: Works by Beethoven, Haydn and Stravinsky’s Firebird, and Bernstein’s First Symphony, which the PSO premiered in 1944.
Leslie Odom, Jr.
Witness multifaceted star Leslie Odom, Jr., who recently performed in the blockbuster Broadway musical Hamilton and won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical as the role of “Aaron Burr.” He won a Grammy Award for his role as a principal soloist on Hamilton’s Original Broadway Cast Recording, which received the 2015 award for Best Musical Theater Album.
The Planets – at 100!
Majestic in its scope. Dazzling in its sound. Nothing matches hearing, live in concert, The Planets. Experience the ultimate trip through the galaxy as the PSO performs Gustav Holst’s sonic, celestial showpiece and celebrates its 100th anniversary!
The Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos
Listen to the wildly romantic and passionate music of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Five renowned pianists tackle the complete cycle of the four Piano Concertos and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Debut artists include George Li, Inon Barnatan, and Lukáš Vondráček, plus the return of Behzod Abduraimov and Garrick Ohlsson.
Special Concert – Joshua Bell
Experience Joshua Bell with the PSO, who is, as the Financial Times of London raves, a "thoroughly serious, intelligent musician." Audiences around the globe have cheered the phenomenal musician. The Boston Herald finds his playing "direct, honest and a joy to hear.” See Bell in concert with the PSO and Manfred Honeck for one night only!
Keyboard Titans!
George Li plays Rachmaninoff (Nov.)
“I have seldom heard the many blazing octave passages in the outer movements played faster or more cleanly, let alone both at the same time...,” says The New York Times.
Bertrand Chamayou plays Ravel (Nov.)
“Technical wizardry,” raves The Guardian of London. “Chamayou is a remarkable musician, no question.”
Behzod Abduraimov plays Rachmaninoff (Jan.)
“The cavernous roar from Abduraimov’s Steinway beggars belief,” reports The Times of London.
Emanuel Ax plays Mozart (Feb.)
The Washington Post describes the artistry of Emanuel Ax as “thoughtful, lyrical, lustrous.”
Lukas Vondracek plays Rachmaninoff (March)
“It comes as no surprise that this young musician is recognized as one of the greatest pianistic talents of our times...,” says Stuttgart Zeitung
Inon Barnatan plays Rachmaninoff (April)
“Sensitive, always expressive,” says the San Francisco Chronicle of Inon Barnatan. “The audience cheered the performance to the rafters.”
Garrick Ohlsson plays Rachmaninoff (April)
“It was beauty that emerged from the piano,” raves the Pittsburgh Tribune, “thanks, of course, to the Garrick Ohlsson’s integrity and sterling technique…”
Beatrice Rana plays Prokofiev (May)
“Possesses a soul that belies her years, and more than a touch of genius…,” says Gramophone Magazine
Igor Levit plays Mozart (June)
“One of the essential artists of his generation…,” says The New York Times
Voyage at Sea: A Passage to the Mediterranean
Gala
7:00 p.m. September 15, 2018
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Renée Fleming, soprano
The 2018-2019 season kicks off with its Gala and Soirée “Voyage at Sea: A Passage to the Mediterranean” September 15, 2018. Enjoy dinner and a concert featuring renowned soprano Renée Fleming and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Manfred Honeck.
Proceeds from the concert and associated events benefit the extensive learning and community engagement initiatives at the PSO and help assure the Orchestra’s continued artistic success.
BNY Mellon Grand Classics
BNY Mellon
(* denotes debut)
BNY MGC 1: OPENING WEEKEND: MANFRED'S 60th WITH ZUKERMAN
8:00 p.m. September 28, 2018
2:30 p.m. September 30, 2018
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Pinchas Zukerman, violin
Mason Bates: Commission "Resurrext"in Honor of Manfred Honeck's 60th Birthday *World Premiere*
Max Bruch: Concerto No. 1 in G minor for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 26
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Opus 73
BNY MGC 2: BERNSTEIN IN PITTSBURGH
8:00 p.m. October 5, 2018
2:30 p.m. October 7, 2018
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3, Opus 72A
Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 88 in G major
Leonard Bernstein: Jeremiah, Symphony No. 1
Igor Stravinsky: Suite from The Firebird (1919 revision)
BNY MGC 3: RUSSIAN SHOWPIECES!
8:00 p.m. October 26, 2018
2:30 p.m. October 28, 2018
*Pablo Heras-Casado, conductor
Maximilian Hornung, cello
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio espagnol, Opus 34
Dmitri Shostakovich: Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major for Cello and Orchestra, Opus 107
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Opus 13, "Winter Dreams"
BNY MGC 4: THE PLANETS - A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
8:00 p.m. November 2, 2018
8:00 p.m. November 3, 2018
2:30 p.m. November 4, 2018
*John Storgårds, conductor
William Caballero, horn
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Väinö Raitio: Moonlight on Jupiter, Opus 24 *PSO Premiere*
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto No. 4 in E-flat major for Horn and Orchestra, K. 495 *PSO Premiere*
Gustav Holst: The Planets
BNY MGC 5: THANKSGIVING TRADITION - RACHMANINOFF PAGANINI RHAPSODY
8:00 p.m. November 23, 2018
2:30 p.m. November 25, 2018
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
*George Li, piano
Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida, oboe
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Opus 43
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto in C major for Oboe and Orchestra, K. 285d [314]
*PSO Premiere*
Effervescent Strauss Viennese Favorites
BNY MGC 6: HAYDN'S GREAT MASS
8:00 p.m. November 30, 2018
2:30 p.m. December 2, 2018
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
*Bertrand Chamayou, piano
Vocal Soloists
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 31 in D major, K. 300a [297], "Paris"
Maurice Ravel: Concerto in D major for Piano (Left Hand Alone) and Orchestra
Franz Joseph Haydn: Mass in C major, H. XXII:9, "Mass in Time of War" (or Missa In Tempora Belli) *PSO Premiere*
BNY MGC 7: ORCHESTRAL BLOCKBUSTERS
8:00 p.m. December 7, 2018
2:30 p.m. December 9, 2018
Yan Pascal Tortelier, conductor
*Simone Lamsma, violin
Hector Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture, Opus 9
Erich Korngold: Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 35
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances, Opus 45
BNY MGC 8: RACHMANINOFF'S SECOND PIANO CONCERTO
8:00 p.m. January 11, 2019
8:00 p.m. January 12, 2019
2:30 p.m. January 13, 2019
Behzod Abduraimov, piano
Claude Debussy: La cathédrale englouté [The Sunken Cathedral] *PSO Premiere*
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 2 in C minor for Piano and Orchestra
Jean Sibelius: Selections from Kuolema, Opus 44 "Valse Triste" "Scene with Cranes"
Claude Debussy: La mer: Three Symphonic Sketches
BNY MGC 9: DVORAK’S “NEW WORLD”
8:00 p.m. January 25, 2019
2:30 p.m. January 27, 2019
*Long Yu, conductor
*Inon Barnatan, piano
Qigang Chen: Wu Xing
(The 5 Elements) *PSO Premiere*
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 1
Antonín Dvořák:Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Opus 95 "From the New World"
BNY MGC 10: BEETHOVEN BY BLOMSTEDT
8:00 p.m. February 8, 2019
2:30 p.m. February 10, 2019
Herbert Blomstedt, conductor
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F major, Opus 68, "Pastoral"
Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 8 in G major, Opus 88
BNY MGC 11: VALENTINE'S WEEK: ROMEO & JULIET, PLUS EMANUEL AX
8:00 p.m. February 15, 2019
8:00 p.m. February 16, 2019
2:30 p.m. February 17, 2019
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Emanuel Ax, piano
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Serenade in C major for Strings, Opus 48
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto No. 17 in G major for Piano and Orchestra, K. 453
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Romeo and Juliet Overture-fantasy
BNY MGC 12: DRAMATIC SYMPHONY! BERLIOZ’S “DAMNATION OF FAUST”
8:00 p.m. March 8, 2019
2:30 p.m. March 10, 2019
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Vocal Soloists
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Hector Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust [The Damnation of Faust], Opus 24 (complete)
BNY MGC 13: RACHMANINOFF'S THIRD PIANO CONCERTO – PINES & FOUNTAINS OF ROME
8:00 p.m. March 15, 2019
2:30 p.m. March 17, 2019
Juraj Valčuha, conductor
*Lukáš Vondráček, piano
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 3 in D minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 30
Ottorino Respighi: Le fontane di Roma
[The Fountains of Rome]
Ottorino Respighi: I pini di Roma
[The Pines of Rome]
BNY MGC 14: PEER GYNT
8:00 p.m. March 22, 2019
8:00 p.m. March 23, 2019
2:30 p.m. March 24, 2019
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Julian Rachlin, violin
Edward Grieg: Peer Gynt, Opus 23
Felix Mendelssohn: Concerto in E minor for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 64
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Caprice bohémien, Opus 12 *PSO Premiere*
BNY MGC 15: TCHAIKOVSKY & BRAHMS
8:00 p.m. April 5, 2019
8:00 p.m. April 6, 2019
2:30 p.m. April 7, 2019
*Emmanuel Krivine, conductor
Johannes Brahms: Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Opus 56a
Boris Blacher: Orchestra-variations on a Theme of Niccolò Paganini
Piotr lyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Opus 64
BNY MGC 16: GARRICK OHLSSON PLAYS RACHMANINOFF – SLATKIN AT 75!
8:00 p.m. April 12, 2019
2:30 p.m. April 14, 2019
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Garrick Ohlsson, piano
Leonard Slatkin: Kinah *PSO Premiere*
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Concerto No. 4 in G minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 40
Edward Elgar: Variations on an Original Theme, Opus 36 "Enigma Variations"
BNY MGC 17: BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO
8:00 p.m. May 10, 2019
2:30 p.m. May 12, 2019
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Vilde Frang, violin
Matthias Goerne, baritone
Tenor Soloist
Ludwig Van Beethoven:Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 61
Gustav Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde
BNY MGC 18: TCHAIKOVSKY'S FOURTH
8:00 p.m. May 31, 2019
8:00 p.m. June 1, 2019
2:30 p.m. June 2, 2019
*Pietari Inkinen, conductor
*Beatrice Rana, piano
Jean Sibelius: Pohjola's Daughter, Opus 49 *PSO Premiere*
Sergei Prokofiev: Concerto No. 3 in C major for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 26
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Opus 36
BNY MGC 19: BEETHOVEN'S NINTH
7:30 p.m. June 6, 2019
8:00 p.m. June 7, 2019
8:00 p.m. June 8, 2019
2:30 p.m. June 9, 2019
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Michael Rusinek, clarinet
Nancy Goeres, bassoon
Christina Landshamer, soprano
Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano
Werner Güra, tenor
*Shenyang, bass baritone
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Jonathan Leshnoff: DOUBLE CONCERTO
*World Premiere* Commission
*RECORDING
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
in D minor, Opus 125, "Choral"
*RECORDING
BNY MGC 20: IGOR LEVIT PLAYS MOZART
8:00 p.m. June 14, 2019
2:30 p.m. June 16, 2019
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Igor Levit, piano
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto No. 21 in C major for Piano and Orchestra, K. 467
Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie, Opus 64
PSO360
Cohen & Grigsby sponsors PSO360 series
PSO360’s intimate sound space amplifies the artistry of Pittsburgh Symphony musicians and their special guests. Experience the music up close on the Heinz Hallstage October 27, December 5 and January 26.
8:00 p.m. October 27, 2018
Maximilian Hornung, cello
Cellist Maximilian Hornung, praised for his “impressive musicality and extraordinary maturity," returns to Pittsburgh since his May 2017 debut. Enjoy an evening of soulful cello up close with Hornung and the PSO.
8:00 p.m. December 5, 2018
Holiday Brass Spectacular With the PSO Brass
The PSO brass section delivers Baroque favorites and inventive arrangements of holiday tunes in a holiday concert, perfect for the whole family. As PSO's new tradition, the PSO360 Holiday Brass Spectacular highlights the virtuosity of the brass section, their refinement and power.
8:00 p.m. January 26, 2019
Inon Barnatan, piano
The New York Times describes Israeli pianist Inon Barnatan as, “One of the most admired pianists of his generation.” With a program of keyboard works that highlight his dexterity and dramatic flair, Barnatan proves his musical intelligence and artistry as a sought-after soloist and chamber music partner.
8:00 p.m. May 11
Golden Age of the Violin with Vilde Frang
Hailed as a "grandoise talent" and an "astoundingly expressive music interpreter," Vilde Frang returns to the Heinz Hall stage following a February 2018 PSO debut. Fang and PSO musicians pay homage to the Golden Age of the Violin in a performance that highlights Frang's exceptional lyricism.
8:00 p.m. February 14
A Musical Valentine with Emanuel Ax
Renowned pianist Emanuel Ax and PSO musicians present a concert inspired by Romantic favorites ranging from solo piano works, duos, quintets, and concerti. Emanunel Ax has appeared with the PSO in over 85 concerts in Pittsburgh and abroad.
Special Concerts
The NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
7:30 p.m. October 18, 2018Earl Lee, conductor
The PSO celebrates the 25th anniversary of Tim Burton's Halloween classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas, with Danny Elfman's award-winning score October 18. Watch on Heinz Hall's big screen Jack Skellington, bored with his perennial role as Halloween Town's Pumpkin King, enlist mischievous trick-or-treaters and wreck havoc in Christmas Town.
LESLIE ODOM, JR.
8:00 p.m. October 20, 2018Thomas Douglas, conductor
Leslie Odom, Jr., vocalist
The Tony-winner, Grammy-winner, Hamilton star and Carnegie Mellon graduate Leslie Odom, Jr. returns to Pittsburgh October 20. Enjoy an evening of story and song with showstoppers from Broadway and beloved standards. “Deft, stylish and charismatic,” says The New York Times.
HANDEL'S MESSIAH BNY
Mellon Grand Classics Special
8:00 p.m. December 1, 2018
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Vocal Soloists
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
George Frideric Handel: Messiah
HOME ALONE
7:30 p.m. December 20, 2018
Scott Terell, conductor
Home Alone has delighted families for nearly 30 years. On December 20, experience the classic movie on a high-definition screen as PSO plays John Williams' enchanting holiday score with the Upper St. Clair High School Pantheon Choir and Director Lorraine Milovac.
SEND-OFF CONCERT LINCOLN CENTER LAUNCH
(Pittsburgh)
May 17, 2019
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 73, "Emperor"
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Till Fellner, piano
LINCOLN CENTER Great Performers Series
(New York)
3:00 p.m. May 19, 2019
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Till Fellner, piano
Ludwig Van Beethoven: Concerto No. 5 in E-flat major for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 73, "Emperor"
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
JOSHUA BELL
8:00 p.m. June 15, 2019
Manfred Honeck, Music Director
Joshua Bell, violin
PNC Pops
DANNY ELFMAN'S MUSIC FOR THE FILMS OF TIM BURTON
8:00 p.m. October 12, 2018
8:00 p.m. October 13, 2018
2:30 p.m. October 14, 2018
Sarah Hicks, Conductor
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Matthew Mehaffey, Director
The PSO performs Danny Elfman’s spine-tingling scores from the films of Tim Burton October 12-14. The concert includes the Halloween favorites “Batman,” “Beetlejuice," “Edward Scissorhands” and "The Nightmare before Christmas.”
SALUTE TO VETERANS
8:00 p.m. November 9, 2018
8:00 p.m. November 10, 2018
2:30 p.m. Novemeber 11, 2018
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Capathia Jenkins, vocalist
PSO commemorates the centennial of the Armistice and Sousa spectaculars with Salute to Veterans November 9-11. With favorite foot lifters, inspiring anthems, and Top 40 hits, PSO pays tribute to America's veterans.
HIGHMARK HOLIDAY POPS
8:00 p.m. December 14, 2018
8:00 p.m. December 15, 2018
2:30 p.m. December 16, 2018
Daniel Meyer,conductor
Doug LaBrecque,vocalist
Chris Sanders,special guest
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Matthew Mehaffey, Director
Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year as the PSO performs favorite holiday music in Highmark Holiday Pops December 14-16 and 21-23. The concert is perfect for the whole family. Take a "Sleigh Ride" with the PSO, The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, Broadway's Doug LaBrecque, and Santa Claus. It's Pittsburgh's favorite holiday tradition.
A NIGHT AT THE OSCARS: Hollywood Epics
8:00 p.m. February 22, 2019
8:00 p.m. February 23, 2019
2:30 p.m. February 24, 2019
Jack Everly, conductor
Hamlisch Page Student Choir
Christine Hestwood, Director
Lights – Camera – POPS! Conductor Jack Everly and the PSO present music from the silver screen February 22-24. Listen to themes from more than a dozen Oscar-winning epics, perfect for Oscar season.
DISNEY IN CONCERT: Tale as Old as Time
8:00 p.m. March 29, 20198:00 p.m. March 30, 2019
2:30 p.m. March 31, 2019
Andrés Franco, conductor
PSO performs the music of Walt Disney in Disney in Concert: Tale as Old as Time March 29-31. Experience the music and magic that has enchanted generations, including songs from “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
THE WONDERFUL MUSIC OF OZ
8:00 p.m. April 26, 2019
8:00 p.m. April 27, 2019
2:30 p.m. April 28, 2019
Lawrence Loh, conductor
Scott Coulter,vocalist
Blaine Krauss, vocalist
Kelli Rabke,vocalist
John Boswell, pianist
CMU Drama Singers
Claudia Benack, Director
PSO presents The Wonderful Music of Oz April 26-28, featuring conductor Larry Loh and bewitching vocalists and drama students from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Follow the yellow brick road to Heinz Hall and listen to showstoppers from The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, Wicked and Oz-inspired Pop hits.
NATALIE & NAT KING COLE: An Unforgettable Centennial Salute
8:00 p.m. June 21, 2019
8:00 p.m. June 22, 2019
2:30 p.m. June 23, 2019
Byron Stripling,conductor
Denzal Sinclair & Dee Daniels, vocalists
On June 21-23, conductor Byron Stripling joins the PSO, Denzal Sinclaire and Dee Daniels for this tribute to Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole. Enjoy smooth vocals and hits including “Too Young,” “Nature Boy,” “Get Your Kicks” and “Mona Lisa.”
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
About the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
The 2018 GRAMMY Award-winning PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, known for its artistic excellence for more than 120 years, is credited with a rich history of the world's finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), Andre Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1995-2004). This tradition of outstanding international music directors was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The orchestra has been at the forefront of championing new American works, and gave the first performance of Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah" in 1944 and John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine in 1986. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and radio concerts. Its "Pittsburgh Live!" series with Reference Recordings has resulted in back-to-back Grammy Nominations in 2015 and 2016. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony broadcast on the airwaves coast-to-coast and in the late 1970s it made the ground breaking PBS series "Previn and the Pittsburgh." The orchestra has received increased national attention since 1982 through network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900 — including international tours to Europe, the Far East and South America—the Pittsburgh Symphony continues to be critically acclaimed as one of the world's greatest orchestras.
Renowned for his distinctive interpretations, Manfred Honeck has served as Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra since the 2008/09 season. The 2017/18 season marked 10 years of this acclaimed partnership, highlighted by special commissions to commemorate this decade of successful music-making. Consistently recognized for their performances, he and the orchestra are celebrated both in Pittsburgh and abroad, and regularly perform in major music capitals and festivals.
Manfred Honeck's successful work with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is extensively documented on recordings by the Reference Recordings label. All albums released by Reference Recordings — amongst them Strauss tone poems and suites, Bruckner's Symphony No. 4, Beethoven Symphonies No. 5 and 7, and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 — have received numerous rave reviews and honors. Honeck and the orchestra received two Grammy nominations for Dvořák's Symphony No. 8 and the Symphonic Suite from Janáček's opera Jenůfa, conceptualized by the artist himself, as well as for Bruckner's Symphony No. 4. In January 2018, they were honored with the Grammy Award for "Best Orchestral Performance" for their recording of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 and Barber's Adagio for Strings.
As a guest conductor, Honeck has worked with the world's leading orchestras including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Accademia di Santa Cecilia Rome, and the Vienna Philharmonic. In the United States, he has conducted the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony. He is also a regular guest at the Verbier Festival. His operatic guest appearances include Semperoper Dresden, Komische Oper Berlin, Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, Royal Opera of Copenhagen, the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg and the Salzburg Festival. He also has served as Artistic Director of the International Concerts Wolfegg in Germany for more than twenty years.
Born in Austria, Honeck received his musical training at the Academy of Music in Vienna. Many years of experience as a member of the viola section in the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera Orchestra have given his conducting a distinctive stamp. He began his career as assistant to Claudio Abbado, and as artistic leader of the Vienna Jeunesse Orchestra. He received the prestigious European Conductor's Award in 1993 at the Zurich Opera House, and has served as Music Director of the Norwegian National Opera, Principal Guest Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Music Director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Music Director of the Staatsoper Stuttgart, and most recently as Principal Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.
Manfred Honeck has received honorary doctorates from several North American universities. Most recently, he was awarded the honorary title of Professor by the Austrian Federal President. The expert jury of the International Classical Music Awards selected him as "Artist of the Year" 2018.
About the Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts
HEINZ HALL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc., a non-profit organization, and is the year-round home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cornerstone of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, Heinz Hall hosts many events that do not feature its world-renowned Orchestra including Broadway shows, popular touring artists, comedians, speakers and much more. For a full calendar of upcoming non-symphony events at the hall, visit heinzhall.org.
Media Contacts
Aleta King | Vice President of Marketing & Sales
aking@pittsburghsymphony.org | 412.392.4833