BRAHMS AND PROKOFIEV
THU , MAR 2 , 8 PM
CHRISTIAN REIF , CONDUCTOR JONATHAN CARNEY , VIOLIN DARIUSZ SKORACZEWSKI , CELLO
ELIZABETH OGONEK New Work BRAHMS Double Concerto for Violin and Cello PROKOFIEV Symphony No . 5
Prokofiev ’ s signature wit and sparkle fill the symphony he crafted as a hymn to the “ pure and noble spirit ” of a “ free and happy ” humankind . The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra ’ s own Jonathan Carney and Dariusz Skoraczewski step out of their principal chairs flanking the podium to unite in the heartwarming concerto that Brahms crafted as an offering of peace and friendship . The phenomenal young conductor Christian Reif champions one of the brightest stars of his generation , Elizabeth Ogonek .
MARIN CONDUCTS RACH 3
THU , APR 13 , 8 PM
MARIN ALSOP , CONDUCTOR OLGA KERN , PIANO
TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet , Fantasy Overture ROUSE Symphony No . 6 RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No . 3
Tchaikovsky wrestles with eternal themes of love and fate in his Shakespearean tone painting . All the romance and grandeur that Rachmaninoff piled into his glorious Third Piano Concerto emerge with stunning clarity and authenticity in a performance by Olga Kern , the Russian pianist with family ties to Rachmaninoff and the winner at 17 of the prestigious Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition . Music Director Laureate Marin Alsop memorializes the late Christopher Rouse , a cherished collaborator and Baltimore composer who channeled Mahler ’ s all-embracing scope in this symphonic swan song .
TCHAIKOVSKY PIANO CONCERTO
THU , MAY 4 , 8 PM
ROBERT TREVINO , CONDUCTOR KHATIA BUNIATISHVILI , PIANO
AUGUSTA READ THOMAS Prayer Bells TCHAIKOVSKY Piano Concerto No . 1 RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances
Prepare to get goosebumps when the horns sound , the strings surge , and the wondrous Khatia Buniatishvili plays those first heroic chords that launch the spine-tingling ride of Tchaikovsky ’ s Piano Concerto No . 1 ! The Grammy ® -winning composer Augusta Read Thomas charts a spiritually resonant journey in Prayer Bells , and conductor Robert Trevino returns to close the program with Russian Romanticism in Rachmaninoff ’ s Symphonic Dances , a reflective look back from an unabashedly nostalgic composer .
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