For immediate release:
February 3, 2023
Contact: Julie Goetz, Director of Communications
(412) 905-9058
jgoetz@pittsburghsymphony.org
International Star and Pittsburgh Native F. Murray Abraham to Join Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony in March for Requiem: Mozart’s Death in Words and Music
GRAMMY-nominated composer Zhou Tian’s “Gift” to be performed at “An Evening with Lang Lang” in March
PSO invites aspiring “Chewies” to roar their way on stage at the “The Music of John Williams” concert in February
PITTSBURGH— On March 17th – 19th, 2023, Academy Award and Golden-Globe-winning film and Broadway star F. Murray Abraham will join Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for Honeck’s dramatic conception of “Requiem: Mozart’s Death in Words and Music.” Over a decade ago, Honeck contemporized Mozart’s epic masterpiece by incorporating text into the score. F. Murray Abraham, Manfred Honeck, and the Orchestra previously performed “Requiem: Mozart’s Death in Words and Music” at Heinz Hall in 2012 and at Carnegie Hall in 2014.
Known for a wide range of roles on stage and screen, the highly acclaimed F. Murray Abraham won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Italian composer Antonio Salieri in the film Amadeus, which fictionalized a relationship between Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and featured the music of Mozart on the soundtrack. Abraham starred in the critically acclaimed series Homeland, for which he received two Emmy nominations. Abraham recently starred in the HBO hit television series The White Lotus as “Bert,” for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.
“We are so thrilled that the exceptional artist F. Murray Abraham will return to Pittsburgh to collaborate again with Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony on what promises to be an extraordinary concert weekend,” said Melia Tourangeau, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. “Manfred Honeck’s interpretation of Mozart’s Requiem is a very special one that includes traditional Austrian death bells, Gregorian chant, and conveys both solace and hope. “
The March concerts will feature international singers Jeanine de Bique, Catriona Morison, and Tareq Nazmi (making their Pittsburgh debuts), along with the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and members of the Westminster Choir. The concerts will be recorded for a future CD release.
BNY Mellon Grand Classics 14: HONECK CONDUCTS MOZART’S REQUIEM
Friday, March 17, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 18, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 19, 2023, at 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Jeanine de Bique, soprano (debut)
Catriona Morison, mezzo soprano (debut)
to be announced, tenor
Tareq Nazmi, bass (debut)
F. Murray Abraham
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Members of the Westminster Choir
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
About F. Murray Abraham
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM has appeared in more than 80 films including AMADEUS, for which he received the Academy Award® for 'Best Actor,' as well as Golden Globe® and L.A. Film Critics Awards. Abraham’s other films include THE NAME OF THE ROSE, FINDING FORRESTER, SCARFACE, THE RITZ, STAR TREK: INSURRECTION, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, LADY AND THE TRAMP, most recently THINGS HEARD & SEEN, and many more. Mr. Abraham recently starred in the second season of HBO’s THE WHITE LOTUS, for which he received a Golden Globe® nomination. Previously he was a series regular on HOMELAND, for which he received 2 Emmy nominations, Apple TV+’s MYTHIC QUEST, and had memorable appearances on CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, THE GOOD WIFE, THE GOOD FIGHT, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH and more. Mr. Abraham can currently be seen in the role of ‘Dr. Winters’ in Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix anthology series, CABINET OF CURIOSITIES as well as the role of “Judge John Sirica” in the upcoming HBO limited series, THE WHITE HOUSE PLUMBERS. A veteran of the stage, F. Murray Abraham has appeared in more than 90 plays, among them Chekhov's “Uncle Vanya” (Obie Award), “Trumbo”, “Standup Shakespeare”, the Italian tour of “Notturno Pirandelliano”, Susan Stroman's “A Christmas Carol”, the musical “Triumph Of Love”, “A Month In The Country”, the title roles in “Cyrano de Bergerac”, “King Lear”, “Macbeth”, “Richard III”, “The Jew of Malta”, “The Seagull”, “Oedipus Rex”, “Creon”, “Angels In America” (Broadway), and Terrence McNally's “It's Only A Play” (Drama Desk Award nomination). Mr. Abraham is proud to be the spokesman for The MultiFaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees. Honors include The Moscow Art Theatre Stanislavski Award, The Sir John Gielgud Award for Excellence in Shakespeare, Obie Award for Lifetime Achievement, and a member of The New York Theater Hall of Fame.
Gift by GRAMMY-nominated composer Zhou Tian added to “An Evening with Lang Lang”
Superstar pianist Lang Lang will visit Heinz Hall on March 7, 2023, for a one night only concert with Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony, performing Camille Saint-Saëns’ dazzling Concerto No. 2 in G minor. The Pittsburgh Symphony has announced the addition of the Pittsburgh premiere of Gift by Zhou Tian, the GRAMMY-nominated Chinese-American composer whose music has been described as “Absolutely beautiful…utterly satisfying” (Fanfare). Zhou Tian’s compositions have been performed by leadings orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and Shanghai Symphony. This Concerto for Orchestra was commissioned and recorded by the Cincinati Symphony and Music Director Louis Langrée, and earned him a GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2018, the first Chinese-born composer honored in that category. Zhou was born in Hangzhou, China, and is associate professor of composition at Michigan State University.
AN EVENING WITH LANG LANG
Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Lang Lang, piano
GEORGES BIZET: Suite from Carmen
FLORENCE PRICE: Andante moderato
CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS: “Bacchanale” from Samson and Delilah
ZHOU TIAN: Gift – PITTSBURGH PREMIERE
CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS: Concerto No. 2 in G minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 22
Aspiring “Chewbaccas” invited to roar their way on stage at the “The Music of John Williams” concerts in February
As part of its concert weekend performing “The Music of John Williams,” the Pittsburgh Symphony has announced a “Chewbacca Roar” contest, with the winners invited to be a part of the concert performance. Chewbacca is a famous and beloved fictional character of the Star Wars™ films, known for his distinctive grunts and roars. The contest will be held in the Heinz Hall Lobby prior to each concert; contest times are Friday February 17 and Saturday February 18 from 7:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m., and Sunday February 19 from 1:30-2:15 p.m. The contest is open to all concert ticketholders.
PNC Pops 4: THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS
Friday, February 17, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 18, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 19, 2023, at 2:30 p.m.
Lawrence Loh, conductor
The Hamlisch-Page Student Choir
TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets for Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra concerts in the 2023-2024 season may be purchased on the PSO website (pittsburghsymphony.org) through
the Heinz Hall Box Office at 600 Penn Ave., or by calling the Box Office at 412.392.4900.
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Winter 2023 Calendar
All concerts take place at Heinz Hall unless otherwise noted.
BNY Mellon Grand Classics 10: HONECK CONDUCTS BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH
Friday, February 3, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 4, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 5, 2023, at 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
BNY Mellon Grand Classics 11: HOLST’S THE PLANETS
Friday, February 10, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 11, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 12, 2023, at 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
YO-YO MA WITH THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
This concert is sold-out.
Friday, February 17, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 18, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 19, 2023, at 2:30 p.m.
Lawrence Loh, conductor
The Hamlisch-Page Student Choir
FIDDLESTICKS FAMILY CONCERT: ARTS ALL AROUND US
Saturday, February 18, 2023, at 11:15 a.m.
Jacob Joyce, conductor
Katy Williams, vocalist
Barrels to Beethoven Steel Drum Band
Attack Theatre dancers
BNY Mellon Grand Classics 12: BEETHOVEN VIOLIN CONCERTO
Friday, February 24, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 26, 2023, at 2:30 p.m.
Dima Slobodeniouk, conductor (debut)
Gil Shaham, violin
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto
SERGEI PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 5
PSO360: VIOLIN MASTERY WITH GIL SHAHAM
Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Gil Shaham, violin
David McCarroll, violin
Rodrigo Ojeda, piano
William Caballero, horn
SCHOOLTIME: THE COURAGE TO STAND
Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at 10:30 a.m.
Moon Doh, conductor
Jazmine Olwalia, mezzo-soprano
This unit is recommended for grades 9-12. Registration required.
THE COURAGE TO STAND
Wednesday, March 1, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.
Moon Doh, conductor
Jazmine Olwalia, mezzo-soprano
This concert is open to all but is recommended for those who are in grade nine and older. Admission is free but tickets are required.
AN EVENING WITH LANG LANG
Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Lang Lang, piano
GEORGES BIZET: Suite from Carmen
FLORENCE PRICE: Andante moderato
CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS: “Bacchanale” from Samson and Delilah
ZHOU TIAN: Gift
CAMILLE SANT-SAENS: Concerto No. 2 in G minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 22
BNY Mellon Grand Classics 13: EMANUEL AX PLAYS CHOPIN
Friday, March 10, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 12, 2023, at 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
BNY Mellon Grand Classics 14: HONECK CONDUCTS MOZART’S REQUIEM
Friday, March 17, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 18, 2023, at 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 19, 2023, at 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Jeanine de Bique, soprano (debut)
Catriona Morison, mezzo soprano (debut)
to be announced, tenor
Tareq Nazmi, bass (debut)
F. Murray Abraham, narrator
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Members of the Westminster Choir
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
This is a recording weekend.
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.
- 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.
- The recording of Requiem: Mozart's Death in Words and Music is 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.
- Now in its 50th year, radio station WQED-FM 89.3/WQEJ-FM 89.7 is the official voice of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
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