Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Cart

Time Out

You have exceeded the time limit and your seats have been released.

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES 2022-2023 SEASON

Classical Season Features Exceptional Works and Artists with Focus on Voices of Today and Special Lens on Pittsburgh Connections

Inaugural Season of New Steinway Concert Grand Piano with 10 Piano Luminaries

Popular Programming Season Brings Brightest Stars of the Stage to Perform Exciting Programs Crossing Diverse Genres from Jazz to Rock to Holiday Favorites to Broadway and Beyond

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2022

Download Assets →

PITTSBURGH—Music Director Manfred Honeck, Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling and president and CEO Melia Tourangeau today announced the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 2022-2023 season, the 127th in the Orchestra’s storied history. The season will feature more than 30 diverse classical and popular concert programs with exceptional guest artists, the debut of a new Steinway concert grand piano, dozens of new voices represented in debuts, commissions and premieres, and a special focus on Pittsburgh artistic connections. Subscriptions to BNY Mellon Grand Classics and PNC Pops concerts are available now.

"We are so thrilled to be able to share such an exciting season for 2022-2023 that brings together some of the most creative, relevant, and outstanding composers and performers today. Together with the brilliance of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musicians, Music Director Manfred Honeck, and Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling, we look forward to presenting a deeply moving and memorable season of live concerts," said Melia Tourangeau, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. "When you add the debut of the long-awaited new Steinway grand concert piano, special projects and collaborations, it’s going to be an incredible season for everyone."

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 2022-2023 BNY Mellon Grand Classics series will be the 15th under the direction of Music Director Manfred Honeck, who recently extended his contract through 2027-2028. Throughout the season, Manfred Honeck will lead 10 wide ranging programs on the BNY Mellon Grand Classics subscription series, collaborating with many of the world’s leading classical musicians. He will also conduct three special concerts: the annual Gala which will feature violin virtuoso Joshua Bell; the return of Handel’s Messiah, and an evening with superstar pianist Lang Lang who will play Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto.  The 2022-2023 season continues the Pittsburgh Symphony’s tradition of introducing to the Pittsburgh community for the first time many exciting artists and new works, including three world premieres, one U.S. premiere, 12 Pittsburgh premieres (including 10 by living composers, and a co-commission) and 15 outstanding soloists and conductors performing with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in their highly anticipated debuts at Heinz Hall.

"Music is the best language in the world—and one that we all speak and love. It is incredibly beautiful to witness the happiness of both our musicians and patrons at Heinz Hall, feeling like they have truly experienced something special together. I look forward not only to new pieces and new voices never heard before on the Heinz Hall stage, but to rediscover favorites which are so compelling. We are tremendously excited to continue bringing these powerful experiences to our beloved audiences next season,” said Manfred Honeck, Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 2022-2023 popular programming season will be the third under the direction of Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling, who opens the PNC Pops subscription series on September 30 with the “Sounds of New Orleans” and will lead two additional concerts. The Pittsburgh Symphony will welcome soloists who are bright stars of the stage, crossing genres as diverse as rock ‘n’ roll, doo wop, and Broadway, and outstanding guest conductors who traverse the music worlds of ABBA, John Williams, musicals, and holiday favorites.

“Music is the ultimate healer, rushing in to sweep away the dust of life, capable of initiating and facilitating change. When I think about next season, I think about this superpower that music has to act its magic on us, to bring us together, to bring new levels of joy and fulfillment, and I can’t wait to share it with our community,” said Byron Stripling, Principal Pops Conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

 
 

Highlights of the 2022-2023 Classical Season

Ten BNY Mellon Grand Classics Concert Weekends with Music Director Manfred Honeck

Premieres and Commissions in Manfred Honeck Programs: In the 2022-2023 season, all of the world premieres and commissions, as well as seven of the 12 Pittsburgh premieres, will be performed under the baton of Music Director Manfred Honeck. The world premieres are: Her tears fell with the dews at even by James MacMillan, a new work by Stacy Garrop, and Richard Strauss’ Salome Suite for Orchestra (arr. Honeck/Ille). The seven Pittsburgh Symphony premieres are: Rolf Martinsson’s Open Mind, Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto for Violin and Cello in B-flat major, R. 547, Carlos Simon’s Fate Now Conquers, Lera Auerbach’s Icarus, Franz Schmidt’s Symphony No. 4, Erwin Schulhoff’s Five Pieces (arr. Honeck/Ille).

Not-to-be-missed program: Honeck Conducts Mozart’s Requiem. In March 2023, Manfred Honeck will present and record for future CD release his dramatic conception of “Requiem: Mozart’s Death in Words and Music” with an all-star cast (Jeanine de Bique, soprano and Catriona Morison, mezzo soprano, and Tareq Nazmi, bass, in their Pittsburgh debuts, and Timothy Fallon, tenor) and the voices of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh joining the orchestra for an extraordinary concert weekend. Uniquely invented and created by Honeck, this version of the Requiem contemporizes Mozart’s final masterpiece into a fresh twenty-first century perspective.

Recordings: The recipient of multiple GRAMMY® nominations, and two 2018 GRAMMY® Awards, including Best Orchestral Performance, Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will continue the orchestra’s long and illustrious recording history with the recording of four works, including two major symphonic works, over two concert weekends: Schubert’s “Unfinished” and Manfred Honeck’s dramatic version of Mozart’s: Requiem (March 17-19, 2023), and, Schubert’s “Great” and Schulhoff/Honeck/Ille’s Five Pieces (April 21-23, 2023).  Honeck and the Orchestra are also expected to release new recordings in the 2021-2022 season. Each recording will be mastered by the Orchestra’s long-time sound engineering partner, Soundmirror, and released by its label of more than a decade, Reference Recordings.

Voices of Today: Artists, Composers, Premieres and Commissions

The 2022-2023 season continues the Pittsburgh Symphony’s tradition of introducing to the Pittsburgh community for the first time many exciting artists and new works, including: three world premieres, one U.S. premiere, 12 Pittsburgh premieres (including 10 by living composers, and a co-commission) and 15 outstanding soloists and conductors performing with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in their highly anticipated debuts at Heinz Hall. The classical subscription series begins on September 23 with Osmo Vänskä, leading the orchestra in Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique, and cellist Alisa Weilerstein performing the Pittsburgh premiere of Joan Tower’s A New Day for Cello and Orchestra.

Conductors making their Pittsburgh debuts are (in order of appearance): Fabien Gabel, Robin Ticciati, Dima Slobodeniouk, Elim Chan and Karina Canellakis. Soloists making their Pittsburgh debuts on the subscription series are (in order of appearance): Karen Gomyo, violin; Martin Helmchen, piano; Timothy Fallon, tenor; Reginald Mobley, countertenor; Alina Ibragimova, violin; Paul Lewis, piano; Jeanine De Bique, soprano; Catriona Morison, mezzo-soprano; Tareq Nazmi, bass; and Khatia Buniatishvili, piano.

World premieres and commissions (in order of appearance) include new works by: James MacMillan, Her tears fell with the dews at even; Stacy Garrop, work to-be-named; and Richard Strauss (arr. Honeck/Ille), Salome Suite for Orchestra, as well as a new work and co-commission by Jessie Montgomery. In October, the Pittsburgh Symphony will present the U.S. premiere of Samy Moussa’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, “Adrano.” Pittsburgh premieres (in order of appearance) are: Joan Tower, A New Day for Cello and Orchestra; Esa-Pekka Salonen, Helix; Rolf Martinsson, Open Mind; Oliver Knussen, Horn Concerto; Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto for Violin and Cello in B-flat major; Carlos Simon, Fate Now Conquers; Lera Auerbach, Icarus; Franz Schmidt, Symphony No. 4; Unsuk Chin, subito con forza; Erwin Schulhoff (arr.Honeck/Ille), Five Pieces; Lili Boulanger, D’un matin de printemps; and a Pittsburgh premiere and co-commission by Jessie Montgomery.

Return of Extraordinary Conductors and Soloists

In addition to the exciting debuts of 15 star conductors and soloists, the 2022-2023 classical season welcomes back many audience favorites, including conductors (in order of appearance) Osmo Vänskä, Juraj Valčuha, David Robertson, Sir Mark Elder and Pablo Heras-Casado; and soloists (in order of appearance) Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Augustin Hadelich, violin; Yefim Bronfman, piano; the Pittsburgh Symphony’s William Caballero, horn, and Anne Martindale Williams, cello;  Noah Bendix-Balgley, violin; Ying Fang, soprano; Lauren Snouffer, soprano; Alexander Birch Elliott, baritone; Matthias Goerne, baritone; Ray Chen, violin; Gil Shaham, violin; Emanuel Ax, piano; Francesco Piemontesi, piano; Kirill Gerstein, piano; Seong-Jin Cho, piano; Igor Levit, piano; and María Dueñas, violin.

Made In Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will celebrate its Steel City community throughout the season with exceptional creators and performers—all with connections to Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musicians William Caballero, principal horn, Anne Martindale Williams, principal cello, and former Pittsburgh Symphony concertmaster Noah Bendix-Balgley will be featured in classical subscription concerts in November 2022.  Caballero will debut Oliver Knussen’s Horn Concerto, and Williams and Bendix-Balgley will perform Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto for Violin and Cello in B-flat major for the first time in Pittsburgh. Bendix-Balgley will also be featured on his Fidl-Fantazye: A Klezmer Concerto.

A long-time friend and choral partner of the Pittsburgh Symphony, the outstanding Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh will be featured in four concerts classical in the 2022-2023 season (in addition to Highmark Holiday Pops): Mozart’s “Great” Mass (December 2022), Handel’s Messiah (December 2022), Holst’s The Planets (February 2023), and Mozart’s Requiem In Words and Music (March 2023).

A partnership originally conceived for the Pittsburgh Symphony’s 125th season two years ago but postponed due to the pandemic, the Pittsburgh Symphony and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre will join forces to create an awe-inspiring experience of Ravel’s Boléro. With original choreography by Susan Jaffe, Artistic Director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, dancers and melodies will interweave on stage.

Inaugural Season of the new Steinway Concert Piano with Ten Piano Masters

It’s the debut year of the long-awaited new Steinway concert piano at Heinz Hall, and the Pittsburgh Symphony welcomes 10 of the world’s most celebrated pianists to share their distinctive interpretations in works traversing the repertoire, from Mozart to Gershwin. The “88 Keys for Pittsburgh” campaign in 2018-2019 resulted in generous funding from more than 175 donors that made possible the purchase of the new piano.

The piano will be introduced on the October 28-30, 2022, BNY Mellon Grand Classics concert weekend with Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony joined by Yefim Bronfman, long-time friend of the Pittsburgh Symphony and one of the world’s most acclaimed pianists, who will perform Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 22.

Heinz Hall audiences will also enjoy the exceptional playing of (in order of appearance): Yefim Bronfman (Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 22), Martin Helmchen in his Pittsburgh Symphony debut (Schumann Piano Concert), Paul Lewis in his Pittsburgh Symphony debut (Mozart Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major), Lang Lang (Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto ), Emanuel Ax (Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2), Francesco Piemontesi (Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1), Kirill Gerstein (Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1), Seong-Jin Cho (Ravel Piano Concerto in G major), Khatia Buniatishvili in her Pittsburgh Symphony debut (Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2), and Igor Levit (Gershwin Piano Concerto in F major).

Specials

Symphony of Bridges Gala

Saturday, September 17, 2022  8:00 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin

Celebrate the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Gala with one of the most recognized violin virtuosos of our time, Joshua Bell, for a singular evening highlighting the important bridges between music and our community. Tickets and packages for this black-tie event are available at pittsburghsymphony.org

Handel’s Messiah

Saturday, December 3, 2022 8:00 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Ying Fang, soprano
Reginald Mobley, countertenor *PSO debut
Timothy Fallon, tenor
Alexander Birch Elliott, baritone
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

The majesty of Handel’s Messiah returns to Heinz Hall with Music Director Manfred Honeck, the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, and four incredible singers, including the debut of countertenor Reginald Mobley.

An Evening with Lang Lang

Tuesday, March 7, 2023  7:30 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

One of the world’s best pianists, Lang Lang captivates audiences around the world. He’ll join the Pittsburgh Symphony to perform Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto for an unforgettable musical experience.

PSO360

Invented at the Pittsburgh Symphony, PSO360 features orchestra performances in an intimate setting and returns with four performances in the 2022-2023 season. Each performance seats up to 200 patrons directly on the Heinz Hall stage, encircling the guest performers, providing the audience with a uniquely up-close and personal experience during the program. All PSO360 concerts take place at Heinz Hall. Artists and programs to be announced at a later date.

 
 

Highlights of the 2022-2023 PNC Pops Season and Highmark Holiday Pops

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s legendary popular programming presents outstanding music from diverse genres. This season, the PNC Pops program will feature Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling, and outstanding guest artists (including Rajaton, Blaine Alden Krauss, and The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh) and guest conductors (Steven Reineke, Daniel Meyer, Lawrence Loh, and Enrico Lopez-Yañez) in programs that explore the hot jazz sounds of New Orleans, the hit-making sounds of ABBA, the adored music of John Williams, the powerful women singers and songwriters who rock, the glorious voice of Tony Award-winning star Renée Elise Goldsberry, and the harmonies of The Doo Wop Project. The 2022-2023 season also marks the return of the Hamlisch-Page Student Choir which will join the Orchestra in February for “The Music of John Williams.” The seasonal favorite Highmark Holiday Pops is also part of popular programming, a Pittsburgh tradition that brings together families and friends for “the most wonderful time of the year.” Lovers of popular programming will also look forward to the presentation of three special concerts: two “live to film” concerts that feature the orchestra performing a film’s music score along with a live screening of its movie—“Hocus Pocus in Concert (Film with orchestra)” and “Elf in Concert (Film with orchestra)”—as well as the holiday magic of “Celtic Woman: A Christmas Symphony.”

 
 

Learning and Community Engagement Concerts

A full season of Learning & Community Engagement programs (Fiddlesticks, Schooltime, Side-by-Side, Wilkinsburg Neighborhood Partnership) will be announced later this year.

 
 

Subscriptions / Tickets for Special Concerts

Subscriptions for BNY Mellon Grand Classics and PNC Pops are now on sale online at PittsburghSymphony.org/Renew and through the Heinz Hall Box Office by phone at 412.392.4900, or toll-free at 800.743.8560.

  • BNY Mellon Grand Classics season tickets are available in packages of six, seven, 14 and 20 concerts and range in price from $102 to $1,470. Tickets for individual concerts will go on sale in June. Concert times on Fridays and Saturdays will remain at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.
  • BNY Mellon Subscribers are also eligible for advance tickets for the Symphony of Bridges Gala, Handel’s Messiah, and An Evening with Lang Lang.
  • PNC Pops season tickets are available in seven-concert packages and range in price from $133 to $658. Tickets for individual concerts will go on sale in June. Show times on Fridays and Saturdays will remain at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.
  • Pops Pops subscribers are also eligible for advance tickets for the special concerts "Hocus Pocus in Concert (Film with Orchestra)," "Elf in Concert (Film with Orchestra)" and "Celtic Woman: A Christmas Symphony."
  • Subscriber benefits include dedicated Patron Services Representatives, flexible ticket exchange, priority seating, exclusive pre-sale opportunities, reserved parking and savings.
 
 

Accessibility

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is committed to providing an environment that is inclusive and welcoming to all patrons. For information about accessible services, please contact the Box Office at 412.392.4900.

 
 

Safely Together

The Pittsburgh Symphony will continue to follow public health guidance and government requirements into the 2022-2023 season and will promptly communicate with all patrons about any changes. For the most up-to-date information and details, please visit pittsburghsymphony.org/together.

 
 

with Deep Gratitude to our Sponsors

  • BNY Mellon Grand Classics concerts are made possible by title sponsorship support from BNY Mellon. The 2022-2023 season marks BNY Mellon’s 22nd consecutive year as title sponsor of the series.
  • PNC Pops concerts are made possible by title sponsorship support from PNC. The 2022-2023 season marks PNC’s 22nd consecutive year as title sponsor of the series.
  • Highmark Holiday Pops concerts are made possible by title sponsorship support from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, now in its 15th year as title sponsor of the series.
  • Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra commissions for the 2022-2023 season by Gloria Ramos Triano and Stacey Garrop are made possible in part by support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
  • The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is grateful for overall support from local and state government entities: Allegheny Regional Asset District, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
  • Appearances by all piano soloists during the inaugural season of the Steinway concert piano are generously supported by Carol and Jon Walton.
  • Endowment funding for the performance of Handel’s Messiah is provided by the Howard & Nell E. Miller Foundation.
  • The recording of Requiem: Mozart's Death in Words and Musicis made possible by generous support from Catharine M. Ryan and John T. Ryan III.
  • Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
  • Delta Airlines is the official airline of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
  • Radio station WQED-FM 89.3/WQEJ-FM 89.7 is the official voice of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
 
 

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra 2022-2023 Calendar

BNY Mellon Grand Classics Subscription Series

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 1: SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE

Friday, September 23, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 25, 2022  2:30 p.m.

Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello

LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Overture to Candide
JOAN TOWER: A New Day for Cello and Orchestra – Pittsburgh premiere
HECTOR BERLIOZ: Symphonie fantastique 

The 2022-2023 season opens with a colorful and splashy program under the baton of Osmo Vänskä, and two dramatically different depictions of romance: the Pittsburgh premiere of Joan Tower’s A New Day and Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique. The Orchestra is joined by the “technically flawless and deeply expressive” (New York Times) Alisa Weilerstein.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 2: STRAVINSKY’S PETRUSHKA

Friday, October 7, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 9, 2022  2:30 p.m.

Fabien Gabel, conductor (debut)
Karen Gomyo, violin (debut)

MAURICE RAVEL: Valses nobles et sentimentales
ERNEST CHAUSSON: Poème for Violin and Orchestra
SAMY MOUSSA: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, "Adrano" – U.S. premiere
IGOR STRAVINSKY: Petrushka  

It’s a double debut weekend as conductor Fabien Gabel leads the Pittsburgh Symphony in an evening of colorful French expression and fantastical Russian melodies, and Karen Gomyo, (praised for her “vitality, brilliance and intensity – Chicago Tribune) performs Chausson’s Poème, a romantic and lyrical piece, followed by the U.S. premiere of Samy Moussa’s Violin Concerto inspired by the god of fire, Adranus. Moussa received the 2021 Juno Award for Classical Composition for this piece.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 3: SHOSTAKOVICH SYMPHONY NO. 1

Friday, October 14, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 16, 2022  2:30 p.m.

Juraj Valčuha, conductor
Augustin Hadelich, violin

ESA-PEKKA SALONEN: Helix – Pittsburgh premiere
JEAN SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 1

Written to fulfill his conservatory graduation requirement at the age of only 18, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1 met quickly with international acclaim and remains one of his most popular works. Conductor Juraj Valčuha leads two Finnish icons: Sibelius’ cherished Violin Concerto performed by virtuoso Augustin Hadelich, as well as the Pittsburgh premiere of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s evocative Helix.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 4: NEW STEINWAY DEBUT WITH YEFIM BRONFMAN

Friday, October 28, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 29, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 30, 2022  2:30 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano

ROLF MARTINSSON: Open Mind – Pittsburgh premiere
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major, K. 482
JEAN SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2 

Music Director Manfred Honeck begins his 2022-2023 season with the Pittsburgh Symphony by introducing the new Steinway concert piano with the Orchestra’s long-time friend, the brilliant Yefim Bronfman, performing Mozart’s joyous Piano Concerto No. 22. The exciting program also features Swedish composer Rolf Martinsson’s Open Mind, a fiercely dynamic composition written for Manfred Honeck, and Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 5: TCHAIKOVSKY’S "PATHETIQUE"

Friday, November 11, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 13, 2022  2:30 p.m.

David Robertson, conductor
William Caballero, horn

SERGEI PROKOFIEV: Suite from Lieutenant Kijé
OLIVER KNUSSEN: Horn Concerto – Pittsburgh premiere
PIOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6, "Pathétique"

A work that he called “the most sincere of all my creations,” Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony is a journey of mourning, melodies, and yearning. Pittsburgh Symphony’s own William Caballero, principal horn, takes center stage in the Pittsburgh premiere of Knussen’s Horn Concerto, along with Prokofiev’s first film score—an homage to his Soviet roots in the Suite from Lieutenant Kijé.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 6: STRAUSS FAMILY FAVORITES

Friday, November 25, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 27, 2022  2:30 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Noah Bendix-Balgley, violin
Anne Martindale Williams, cello

NOAH BENDIX-BALGLEY: Fidl-Fantazye: A Klezmer Concerto
ANTONIO VIVALDI: Concerto for Violin and Cello in B-flat major, R. 547  – Pittsburgh premiere
RICHARD STRAUSS: Family Waltzes & Polkas

First concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, Noah Bendix-Balgley, the esteemed former concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony, makes his return to the Steel City performing his own Klezmer Concerto, which was composed in Pittsburgh and inspired by his Jewish roots. Then the Pittsburgh Symphony’s own Anne Martindale-Williams, principal cello, joins Bendix-Balgley in a delightful Vivaldi Concerto for Violin and Cello. The program culminates with traditional celebratory melodies from Manfred Honeck’s fellow Austrian countrymen, the Strausses.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 7: MOZART’S GREAT MASS

Friday, December 2, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 4, 2022  2:30 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Martin Helmchen, piano (debut)
Ying Fang, soprano
Lauren Snouffer, soprano
Timothy Fallon, tenor (debut)
Alexander Birch Elliott, baritone
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

ROBERT SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Mass in C Minor

Mystery surrounds Mozart’s monumental “Great” Mass in C Minor—why he wrote it and why he left it unfinished. This tremendous work will feature the glorious voices of Ying Fang, Lauren Snouffer, Timothy Fallon, Alexander Birch Elliot and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. The “spectacular” (Washington Post) Martin Helmchen makes his Pittsburgh debut performing Schumann’s Piano Concerto.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 8: RACHMANINOFF’S TRIUMPHANT FINAL SYMPHONY

Friday, January 13, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 15, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Robin Ticciati, conductor (debut)
Alina Ibragimova, violin (debut)

RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
SERGEI PROKOFIEV: Violin Concerto No. 1
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 3

A magically resonant melody, a lyrically virtuosic violin, and a colorfully bold symphony all converge on this epic program. The new year opens with a double debut: currently Music Director of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Robin Ticciati joins the Pittsburgh Symphony for a program of heart-wrenching beauty; and, Alina Ibragimova makes her debut with Prokofiev’s lyrical violin Concerto No. 1.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 9: MOZART & MORE

Friday, January 20, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, January 22, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Sir Mark Elder, conductor
Paul Lewis, piano (debut)

RICHARD WAGNER: Prelude to Lohengrin
RICHARD STRAUSS: Death and Transfiguration
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 12 in A major, K. 414
EDWARD ELGAR: In the South

Sir Mark Elder returns to lead a program that is both substantial and diverting, and features works that are a cascading chain reaction of inspiration, from Wagner to Strauss to Elgar. Paul Lewis makes his Pittsburgh debut with Mozart’s elegant Piano Concerto No. 12.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 10: HONECK CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH

Friday, February 3, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 4, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 5, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Matthias Goerne, baritone

CARLOS SIMON: Fate Now Conquers – Pittsburgh premiere
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5
RICHARD WAGNER: Selections for Baritone

Manfred Honeck leads a larger-than-life program, filled with colossal drama, that begins with the Pittsburgh premiere of Fate Now Conquers, by Carlos Simon, the 2021 Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient. The piece was inspired by a quote from Beethoven’s own journal depicting “the uncertainty of life that hovers over us.” The program then turns to Beethoven himself—and the four notes that are arguably the most well-known in the world—followed by the powerhouse voice of international star Matthias Goerne, performing many of the greatest moments of Wagner’s opera repertoire.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 11: HOLST’S THE PLANETS

Friday, February 10, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 11, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 12, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Ray Chen, violin
Women of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

LERA AUERBACH: Icarus – Pittsburgh premiere
FELIX MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto
GUSTAV HOLST: The Planets

Celebrate the most romantic holiday of the year with a program of celestial sweetness. Follow Icarus in his journey to the sun with the Pittsburgh premiere of Lera Auerbach’s evocative work, and then travel throughout the rest of our solar system to hear Holst’s timeless depiction of each planet. A musician who is redefining what it means to be a classical musician today, Ray Chen performs Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 12: BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO

Friday, February 24, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 26, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Dima Slobodeniouk, conductor (debut)
Gil Shaham, violin

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto
SERGEI PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 5

One of the most distinguished violinists of our time, Gil Shaham will grace Heinz Hall’s stage with Beethoven’s one and only Violin Concerto, filled with sweet and delicate melodies that are adored by listeners everywhere. In his Pittsburgh Symphony debut, Dima Slobdeniouk, currently music director of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia, leads the orchestra in Prokofiev’s timeless Symphony No. 5.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 13: EMANUEL AX PLAYS CHOPIN

Friday, March 10, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 12, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor|
Emanuel Ax, piano

FRANZ SCHMIDT: Symphony No. 4 – Pittsburgh premiere
FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 2
RICHARD STRAUSS: Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks

Manfred Honeck leads the orchestra in the Pittsburgh premiere of one of the finest 20th-century symphonies, Franz Schmidt’s emotional and melodic Symphony No. 4, and world-renowned pianist Emanuel Ax returns to Heinz Hall to perform Chopin’s stunning Piano Concerto No. 2, a romantic work written by Chopin when he was just 19.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 14: HONECK CODUCTS MOZART’S REQUIEM

Friday, March 17, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 18, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 19, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Jeanine de Bique, soprano (debut)
Catriona Morison, mezzo soprano (debut)
Timothy Fallon, tenor
Tareq Nazmi, bass (debut)
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

JAMES MACMILLAN: Her tears fell with the dews at even – World premiere & commission
FRANZ SCHUBERT: "Unfinished" Symphony
WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART: Requiem: Mozart's Death in Words and Music

Manfred Honeck will present his dramatic conception of “Requiem: Mozart’s Death in Words and Music” with an all-star cast and the outstanding voices of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh joining the orchestra for an extraordinary concert weekend. Uniquely invented and created by Honeck, this version of the Requiem contemporizes Mozart’s final masterpiece through a 21st century lens, made anew for Pittsburgh. This epic masterpiece, written on the composer’s deathbed, is given a fresh, theatrical flair through resonant death bell tolls and harrowing texts interwoven throughout. This is also the first of two recording weekends.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 15: RACHMANINOFF’S SYMPHONIC DANCES

Friday, March 31, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 2, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Elim Chan, conductor (debut)
Francesco Piemontesi, piano

JOHANNES BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1
UNSUK CHIN: subito con forza – Pittsburgh premiere
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF: Symphonic Dances

One of the most sought-after young conductors of today, praised for her “drama and tenderness, power and delicacy” (Hereford Times), Elim Chan makes her Pittsburgh Symphony debut with works spanning more than 150 years, including the Pittsburgh premiere of Unsuk Chin’s innovative subito con forza.

Francesco Piemontesi performs Brahms’ First Piano Concerto, continuing the celebration of the inaugural season of the new Steinway concert piano.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 16: BEETHOVEN & SHOSTAKOVICH

Friday, April 14, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 16, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Karina Canellakis, conductor (debut)
Kirill Gerstein, piano

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 1
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 10

The internationally acclaimed Karina Canellakis makes her conducting debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony in this formidable program. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 intriguingly employs a motif, used in several of his compositions, in which D-S-C-H, a musical representation of his name, takes on and defeats the “Stalin” music. Kirill Gerstein, admired for his “serious, intelligent and virtuosic music-making” (The Observer) performs Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1, a virtuoso showpiece.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 17: SCHUBERT’S “GREAT” SYMPHONY

Friday, April 21, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 22, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, April 23, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Seong-Jin Cho, piano

ERWIN SCHULHOFF (arr. Honeck/Ille): Five Pieces – Pittsburgh premiere
MAURICE RAVEL: Piano Concerto in G major
FRANZ SCHUBERT: "The Great" Symphony

Manfred Honeck begins with program with the Pittsburgh premiere of his arrangement of the dance-filled Five Pieces by Erwin Schulhoff. Then, Ravel’s jazzy and playful Piano Concerto is played by Seong-Jin Cho, followed by Schubert’s “Great” Symphony, a unique, thrilling piece with nods to Beethoven.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 18: THE RITE OF SPRING

Friday, May 19, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 21, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Pablo Heras-Casado, conductor
Khatia Buniatishvili, piano (debut)

BOULANGER: D'un matin de printemps - Pittsburgh premiere
LISZT: Piano Concerto No. 2
STRAVINSKY: The Rite of Spring

Stravinsky’s innovative classic, The Rite of Spring, is not to be missed. Infamously greeted at its premiere by a full-blown riot, Stravinsky’s angular harmonies and syncopated rhythms are still striking today.

Lili Boulanger’s unusual depiction of spring opens the program with flowing, vibrant melodies, followed by the Pittsburgh Symphony debut of Georgian-French pianist, Khatia Buniatishvili, performing Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 19: BOLÉRO

Friday, June 9, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 10, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 11, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Igor Levit, piano
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

STACY GARROP: New Work – World premiere & Commission
GEORGE GERSHWIN: Piano Concerto in F major
RICHARD STRAUSS (arr. Honeck/Ille): Salome Suite for Orchestra - World premiere & Commission
MAURICE RAVEL: Boléro

Dance meets music in an innovative way on this program, featuring a bold, new collaboration between the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Pittsburgh Ballet Artistic Director Susan Jaffe’s original choreography beautifully complements the rhythmic tale of Ravel’s Boléro, resulting in the interweaving of dancers and melodies throughout the orchestra for an awe-inspiring interpretation. Described as a pianist “like no other pianist” (The New Yorker), Igor Levit returns to Pittsburgh with Gershwin’s jazzy Piano Concerto, a work evoking the “young enthusiastic spirit of American life,” as described by Gershwin himself. Then two world premieres top off this already stunning program, including a new orchestral suite arrangement of Strauss’s opera, Salome, by Manfred Honeck and a new work by American composer Stacy Garrop to open the program.

BNY Mellon Grand Classics 20: THE PINES OF ROME

Friday, June 16, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 17, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 18, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Manfred Honeck, conductor
María Dueñas, violin

OTTORINO RESPIGHI: Roman Festivals
EDOUARD LALO: Symphonie espagnole
JESSIE MONTGOMERY: New Work – Pittsburgh premiere & Co-Commission
OTTORINO RESPIGHI: The Pines of Rome

The classical season concludes with a robust program bookended by Respighi’s two dramatic pictures of Rome. Rising star violinist María Dueñas returns to Pittsburgh after an outstanding debut in the 2021-2022 season to perform Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole, and a new work by American composer Jessie Montgomery, co-commissioned by the Pittsburgh Symphony, will round out the season.

 
 

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra 2022-2023 Calendar: Subscription Series and Special Concerts

PNC Pops Subscription Series and Highmark Holiday Pops

PNC Pops 1: THE SOUNDS OF NEW ORLEANS

Friday, September 30, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 1, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 2, 2022  2:30 p.m.

Byron Stripling, conductor
Miche Braden, vocals

Celebrate the spirit of The Big Easy with a night of hot, steamy New Orleans jazz. The good times roll with music from New Orleans natives like Fats Domino, Mahalia Jackson & Louis Armstrong. From street parades in the French Quarter to late night jams in the city’s famed clubs, this concert transforms Heinz Hall into an unforgettable Mardi Gras celebration with Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling leading the parade.

PNC Pops 2: THE MUSIC OF ABBA WITH RAJATON

Friday, November 4, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 5, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 6, 2022  2:30 p.m.

Steven Reineke, conductor
Rajaton, vocalists

Renowned Finnish a cappella ensemble Rajaton joins the Pittsburgh Symphony for a concert of ABBA hits: Mamma Mia, Voulez-Vous, Waterloo and more that will surely have Dancing Queens in the aisles saying “Gimme Gimme Gimme” and “Thank You For The Music!”

HIGHMARK HOLIDAY POPS

Friday, December 9, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 10, 2022  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 11, 2022  2:30 p.m.
*Additional performances not on the subscription series:  December 16, 17, 18

Daniel Meyer, conductor
Christopher Sanders, special guest
Blaine Alden Krauss, vocals
The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Deck the halls with boughs of holly—and all of your favorite holiday music! Bring the whole family to experience Pittsburgh’s holiday tradition with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and Santa Claus, too!

PNC Pops 3: THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS

Friday, February 17, 2023 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 18, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 19, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Lawrence Loh, conductor
Hamlisch-Page Student Choir

The music of John Williams has transported us beyond our imagination: to new worlds, and through heart-pounding adventures. Be there when Lawrence Loh returns to the podium as the  Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra performs everyone’s John Williams favorites!

PNC Pops 4: WOMEN ROCK

Friday, March 24, 2023 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 25, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 26, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Byron Stripling, conductor

Celebrate Women’s History Month with the music of Carole King, Tina Turner, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Pat Benatar, and Heart. WOMEN ROCK honors these powerful female singers and songwriters who changed pop and rock & roll forever. Featured songs include I Feel The Earth Move, What’s Love Got To Do With It, Freeway of Love, Proud Mary, Piece Of My Heart, Dancing In The Street, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, I Love Rock n’ Roll and You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman.

PNC Pops 5: RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY

Friday, May 12, 2023 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 13, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 14, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor
Renée Elise Goldsberry

Renée Elise Goldsberry, the Tony Award®-winning star of Hamilton and graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, joins the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for a concert not to be missed. Made famous by originating the role of Angelica Schuyler in the smash Broadway production of Hamilton, this superstar will sing favorites from this iconic musical, along with selections from The Lion King, Rent and more.

PNC Pops 6: THE DOO WOP PROJECT

Friday, June 23, 2023 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 24, 2023  8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 25, 2023  2:30 p.m.

Byron Stripling, conductor
Charl Brown, vocals
Dwayne Cooper, vocals
John Michael Dias, vocals
Russell Fischer, vocals
Dominic Nolfi, vocals
Santino Paladino, piano

From five guys singing harmonies on a street corner to the hits on the radio today, The Doo Wop Project takes you from the origins of Doo Wop to the favorites you know and love. You’ll hear the music of the Temptations, the Four Seasons, Smokey Robinson, The Flamingos, Maroon 5, Jason Mraz, and much more!

Popular Programming Specials

“Live-To-Film” concerts, a wildly popular audience favorite, return to Heinz Hall this fall with two of the industry's all-time greatest seasonal movies: “Hocus Pocus” and “Elf”! Last performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” with two top-selling concerts in February 2022, Live-To-Film concerts feature the orchestra performing a film’s musical score along with a live screening of its movie.

Hocus Pocus in Concert (Film with orchestra)

Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

Jacob Joyce, conductor

Accidentally brought back to life in Salem on Halloween night, three witches, known as the Sanderson sisters, attempt to steal the life essence from the town’s children so they can have eternal life. They are outwitted by a boy, Max Dennison, his young sister, Dani, and his girlfriend, Allison, and aided by a boy, Thackery Binx, who had been changed into a cat for trying to interfere with the witches centuries earlier. The film stars Bette Midler (Winifred), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah), Kathy Najimy (Mary), Omri Katz (Max), Thora Birch (Dani), Vinessa Shaw (Allison).

Elf in Concert (Film with orchestra)

Friday, November 18, 2022 at 7:00 p.m.

John Debney, conductor (and composer)

Buddy was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised among Santa’s elves. This holiday season, Buddy travels to New York—with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra! Experience John Debney’s wonderful score as the full film plays on the big screen.

ELF and all related characters and elements © & ™ New Line Productions, Inc. (s22)

Celtic Woman: A Christmas Symphony

Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.

Experience the magical sound of Celtic Woman this holiday season. From delicate traditional Irish carols to magnificent uplifting anthems, Celtic Woman has a wealth of seasonal music to gladden your heart. Hear stunning new arrangements of the classic Silent Night and the ancient Gaelic carol Dia do Bheatha from their holiday album, The Magic of Christmas. Listen for the jingle of bells as you glide through the snowy landscape of Sleigh Ride and get ready to sing along when it’s time to Deck the Halls! When Celtic Woman sings and plays for you, you have a performance you will never forget.

Media Contacts
Julie Goetz | Director of Communications
jgoetz@pittsburghsymphony.org | 412.392.4866 or 412.905.9058 (mobile)