CLASSICAL COLLECTION Beethoven’ s Ninth: New Year’ s Celebration
JOSEPH MEYERHOFF SYMPHONY HALL
Friday, January 1, 2027 at 8 PM Sunday, January 3, 2027 at 3 PM
THE MUSIC CENTER AT STRATHMORE
Saturday, January 2, 2027 at 8 PM
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Peter Oundjian, conductor Joélle Harvey, mezzo-soprano Kelley O’ Connor, alto Dashon Burton, bass-baritone Issachah Savage, tenor Baltimore Choral Arts Society
Anthony Blake Clark, music director
Valerie Coleman
Umoja – Anthem of Unity
Ludwig Van Elegischer Gesang, Op. 118( Elegiac Song) Beethoven
Baltimore Choral Arts Society programs this season. As Music Director of the Colorado Music Festival, he continues to program and conduct concerts each summer that delight audiences with beloved masterpieces and works by living composers. Elsewhere in 2026-27, Oundjian leads the Detroit, Atlanta, Toronto, and Baltimore Symphonies, the Louisville Orchestra, and ADDA Simfonica in Alicante, Spain.
Over the course of his 14-year tenure at the Toronto Symphony, he reinvigorated the orchestra with innovative programming, artistic collaborations, national and international tours and several recordings, including Vaughan Williams’ s Orchestral Works, which garnered a GRAMMY nomination and a Juno Award. He currently serves as Conductor Emeritus.
Oundjian previously served as Music Director of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Detroit Symphony, Artistic Director of the Caramoor International Music Festival, and Music Director of the Amsterdam Sinfonietta. He has appeared as guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and San Francisco Symphonies, among others.
INTERMISSION
Ludwig Van Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125,“ Choral” Beethoven
I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso II. Molto vivace III. Adagio molto e cantabile IV. Presto- Allegro assai- Allegro assai vivace
This performance is approximately 1 hour, 50 minutes and includes a 20-minute intermission.
Joélle Harvey
Arielle Doneson
Holiday Series Presenting Sponsor:
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Peter Oundjian
Sian Richards
Peter Oundjian is a dynamic presence in the conducting world with an international career leading preeminent orchestras in many of the world’ s major musical centers.
The 2026-27 season marks Oundjian’ s second season as Music Director of the Colorado Symphony, after serving for three years as principal conductor; he leads eight
A native of Bolivar, New York, American soprano Joélle Harvey has built a reputation as one of the finest singers of her generation, performing major roles on the world’ s opera and concert stages.
Ms. Harvey’ s 2026-27 season includes returns to the Handel & Haydn Society( Handel L’ Allegro), Music of the Baroque( Bach B Minor Mass), Philadelphia Orchestra and Houston Symphony( Handel Messiah), New York Philharmonic( Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’ s Dream), and San Francisco Symphony( Haydn Creation). With The Cleveland Orchestra, she sings a performance of Creation celebrating the conclusion of Franz Welser-Möst’ s tenure as Music Director. Season debuts include the
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