POPULAR COLLECTION
Cirque Nutcracker
THE MUSIC CENTER AT STRATHMORE
Friday, December 12, 2025 at 7:30 pm
JOSEPH MEYERHOFF SYMPHONY HALL
Saturday, December 13, 2025 at 1:30 pm Saturday, December 13, 2025 at 7:30 pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Jiannan Cheng, conductor Troupe Vertigo, cirque performers
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker, op. 71 Troupe Vertigo, cirque performers
This performance is approximately 2 hours, 15 minutes with a 20-minute intermission.
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ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Troupe Vertigo
Troupe Vertigo
Fusing together elements of cirque acrobatics, classical dance, and contemporary theater, Troupe Vertigo brings audiences on a spellbinding journey through the world of artistic movement. Consisting of world-class aerial artists, contortionists, and ballet dancers, the Los Angeles based company was founded in 2009 by Artistic Director Aloysia Gavre, formerly
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of the internationally renowned Cirque du Soleil, and Technical Director Rex Camphuis, whose background is with the fabled Pickle Family Circus. Troupe Vertigo, whose“ dizzying acts defy gravity and leave its lucky audiences in awe”( Los Angeles Times) has performed with major orchestras across North America.
The company is known for their collaborative programs, from Cirque Noir, Cirque Goes to Broadway, Cirque Goes to Hollywood, Cirque Dances featuring The Firebird, to complete cirque-ballet presentations of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Cinderella.
Their unique perspective on the circus arts has led to a variety of speaking engagements, including The Center Theater Group Los Angeles, Directors Lab West, TEDx Talk, and The Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival, as well in publications for the cover story of Dance Teacher Magazine( August 2016) and in the book Ordinary Acrobat.
Jiannan Cheng
Praised as“ a rare combination of technical skill, intense musicality, and a genuine passion,” conductor Jiannan Cheng has quickly established herself as one of the most dynamic artists of her generation. She is the 1st Prize, Orchestra Prize, and Audience Prize winner of the 2024 Hugo Alfvén International Conducting Competition in Sweden and 2nd Prize laureate of the Orchestra’ s Conductor Competition in Romania.
Jiannan is the newly appointed Assistant Conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of Orchestra Concordia. She has conducted ensembles across Europe, North America, and Asia, including Les Violons du Roy, Filarmonica de Stat Oradea, the Stuttgart Philharmonic, Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini, Georgian Chamber Orchestra Ingolstadt, the Tianjin Juilliard Orchestra, and the Dallas Opera Orchestra. Upcoming highlights in the 2025 – 26 season include her debut with the Dalasinfoniettan in Sweden and a wide range of performances with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Born in China, Cheng began her training at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing and later earned conducting degrees from the University of Washington, studying under Timothy Salzman, the Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music under Mark Gibson, and the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Munich under Markus Bosch. She has also received mentorship from Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Marin Alsop, Mei- Ann Chen, Kurt Masur, Nicolás Pasquet, and Johannes Schlaefli.
Jiannan Cheng
Kyle Flubacker
28 | OVERTURE | BSOmusic. org