Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Launches 'Voyages' Season On September 23, 2010

Dayton, OH (Top40 Charts/ Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra) - When arts patrons from the Dayton region step into the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center on September 23rd, 2010, they will experience a program comprised of works by Sibelius, Debussy and Beethoven and featuring Israeli violinist Vadim Gluzman. It will be the very first port-of-call for a season that promises to range far and wide over a varied musical landscape. Music Director Neal Gittleman and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (DPO) have created the 2010-2011 Voyages Season to transport the mind and spirit to places that cannot be reached except through the power of music.

The new DPO season consists of ticketed concerts on 49 dates, plus multiple community concerts and a wide host of education concerts and events. The ticketed concerts are presented in six separate Series and six Special Events. In celebration of the Dayton Opera's 50th Anniversary, the Orchestra will collaborate with the opera company on two evenings for concert edition performances of Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio. Download Neal Gittleman photos here.

Classical Passages

Of course, no symphony season is ever complete without a thorough excursion through central Europe.

The Orchestra will represent many mainstays of classical literature with works by the Germanic grand masters: Mozart's soul-shaking Requiem, Beethoven's Fidelio, Brahms' Fourth Symphony and Richard Strauss' titanic tone poem Ein Heldenleben. Maestro Neal Gittleman and DPO Assistant Conductor Patrick Reynolds will take you into the Bohemian countryside with works by Dvorak (Symphony No. 9) and Enescu (Romanian Rhapsody No. 1). Russia will be well-represented with a program featuring the works three Russian masters and the dazzling pianist, Valentina Lisitsa. A side trip to the fair British Isle will include Gerald Finzi's rarely-heard Clarinet Concerto, op. 31 featuring DPO's own principal, John Kurokawa, in the solo role. For two weekends in November, Warsaw's native son, Chopin, will be the subject of a two-night mini-festival celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the composer's birth. Featured pianist Janina Fialkowska will perform both of the Polish master's piano concertos.

The season returns full circle as the classical season ends in America, first for a new concerto, called Gee's Bend for Electric Guitar & Orchestra, penned by contemporary composer Michael Daugherty and featuring guitarist DJ Sparr in the solo role. Then the Dayton Philharmonic, collaborating with Wright State University's Departments of Music and Theatre/Dance/Motion Pictures, brings a grand climax to the classical series. A spiritual journey of unparalleled depth, Leonard Bernstein's MASS: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers, promises to be the Dayton arts event of the year. It's taking shape as an experience that arts fans will talk about for a long time.

All of the Philharmonic's concerts are performed at the acclaimed Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, except for Symphony Sundaes (Dayton Masonic Center), Messiah (Westminster Presbyterian Church), two Chamber Specials (Dayton Art Institute) and the Stained Glass Series and the Halo Series (community churches in Dayton). The DPO Chorus and Choir, under the direction of Dr. Hank Dahlman, will provide the celestial voices for Mozart's Requiem, Handel's Messiah and other works throughout the season. Download photos here.

The flagship DPO Classical Series is generously sponsored by Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals.

Connecting Flights

As a student, DPO Music Director Neal Gittleman matured under the influence of the iconic Leonard Bernstein and was deeply affected by the way Lenny introduced students to music in his famous "Young People's Concerts" on television and in the concert hall. That philosophy later became the bedrock of Neal's Classical Connections Series which is devoted to uncovering the beauty of the classical literature through storytelling and examples from the stage, along with full performances of the works plus an informal Q&A session with the Maestro after the concert. The series will touch down four times for visits with four composers: Beethoven and his Fidelio overtures, Bach and his A Musical Offering, Richard Strauss and his mighty symphonic work, Ein Heldenleben, and finally American composer Michael Daugherty's Gee's Bend. Download photos here.

Classical Connections Series is sponsored by Charles & Patricia Demirjian.

Sunday Drives and Daytrippers

All through its rich 77-year history, the DPO is known as an orchestra that has never rested on its laurels. This year will see two innovative new series. Symphony Sundaes was debuted last year and turned out to be a big hit with families and traditional classical buffs. The programs are built around core symphonic works (this season: Beethoven No. 1, Mozart No. 36 and Sibelius No. 3). The programs feature attractive prices (as low as $10 per seat), free parking and a free post-concert "ice cream social" and are performed in the elegant, historic environment of the Scottish Rite Auditorium at the Dayton Masonic Center. They are performed on Sunday afternoons at 3:00 pm, just right for a family weekend outing. Download photos here.

Symphony Sundaes Series is sponsored by Graeter's.

For those who like their trips on the psychedelic side, the DPO has introduced the new Rockin' Orchestra Series. A range of talented rock ensembles join the DPO on the Schuster Center stage to perform with the DPO for three one-night-only concerts featuring the music of the Beatles, Eagles and Led Zeppelin. Guest artists Classical Mystery Tour, Jeans 'n Classics and Windborne will tap deeply into the Sixties and Seventies groove, bringing the music alive in all its original freshness and intimacy. Download photos here.

SuperPops: Taking Listeners to the Most Popular Destinations

The season features a Pops lineup that displays great variety and a high level of artistic quality. Neal Gittleman has created a far-ranging travelogue of entertainment styles that tug at the heart, spark fond memories and lift the spirit.

Great song-stylists and founders of the classic rock group, the 5th Dimension, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., hit the Schuster stage first. Their blend of rock classics from the 5th Dimension songbook plus their own solo hits comprise a mellow blend of smooth vocals, rock rhythm ensemble and lush orchestral textures. They'll take the audience up, up and away. In November, some of Broadway's most famous performers - Doug LaBrecque, Capathia Jenkins, Rob Evan, and Anne Runolfsson - gather together with the DPO and DPO Chorus to present uptempo hits from smash shows Wicked, Jesus Christ Superstar, Tommy, Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray, The Wiz, Mamma Mia and more!

The holidays bring a big community celebration at the December concert entitled 'Twas the Night: Holiday at Home. Neal programs and conducts this joyous melding of orchestral and choral favorites with local artists and groups such as the Holiday Community Choir, Kettering Children's Choir & Sinclair College Handbell Choir. January takes the Pops audience to the movies. Actual scenes from Rodgers & Hammerstein favorites like The King and I and Sound of Music are projected on widescreen over the Orchestra who provides the live music for the movie action. The Celtic Tenors come calling in March for the weekend of St. Patrick's and Byron Stripling, acclaimed trumpet player and vocalist, joins the Orchestra in May for a jazz tribute to Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller and Duke Ellington. Download photos here.

The SuperPops Series is sponsored by Kettering Health Network.

The Family Series: Three Getaways

As in the past, Halloween kicks off this afternoon series of three concerts performed in October 2010 and February and April of 2011. This year's PhilharMonster concert shows off the DPO at its spookiest and funniest: either marching to the scaffold with composer Hector Berlioz or regaling kids, parents and grandparents with the story of Tubby the Tuba. The magic continues when classical comedian Dan Kamin makes his appearance in February and the series wraps up with a percussive blast when the DPO welcomes Cincinnati guest artists Drums for Peace. Download photos here.

The Family Series is sponsored by Dayton Power & Light.

Six Specials That Traverse Vast Musical Territory

Special Events are the DPO's chance to demonstrate its versatility. These one-night-only performances are programmed outside the series format, each one a unique and remarkable experience. This year, music fans will hear the full score of the sacred Baroque masterwork, Messiah, just as Handel envisioned it in his final version of 1754. The New Year's Eve Concert provides a tour of one of the most romantic countries anywhere: Italy. Johann Sebastian Bach's visit with Frederick the Great in 1747 produced another timeless classic: A Musical Offering. In January, the DPO will perform it in the lovely salon-like atmosphere of DAI's Renaissance Auditorium. Concertmaster Jessica Hung and DPO Principal Players will perform in the same venue for Jessica's recital outing in April, featuring solo and chamber works by four B's: Bach, Baker, Bax and Brahms. A major benchmark is reached in late January when the Dayton Opera and the DPO collaborate on a concert version of Beethoven's Fidelio. It's part of the Opera's 50th Anniversary Season. Neal conducts these historic concerts and is joined by a cast of seven fine vocalists. A sojourn deep into the gaming multi-verse is also on the list as Play! A Video Game Symphony makes a return engagement with the Dayton Philharmonic featuring the music and video game action of two dozen videogame hits like Zelda, World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy and Elder Scrolls. Download photos here.

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Voyages Season 2010/2011 Chronological Calendar