Broward Center downsizes for 2013-14 classical season

By Lawrence A. Johnson

Conductor Anu Tali wil open the Broward Center's classical season with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra Nov. 16. Photo:  Jouni Harala

Conductor Anu Tali wil open the Broward Center’s classical season with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra Nov. 16. Photo: Jouni Harala

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts has announced its 2013-14 classical season, which will offer five events.

This season was organized by former Florida Philharmonic Orchestra music director James Judd. “We are honored that James Judd, one of the most accomplished innovators in classical music, has worked hand-in-hand with us as curator of this season, selecting artists who are certain to engage and inspire,” said Kelley Shanley, Broward Center president and CEO.

While the two visiting orchestras will perform in the 2,700 Au-Rene Theater as in the past, the recitals and chamber orchestra will be presented in the 590-seat Amaturo Theater—a concession to the sad reality that classical recitals no longer draw large crowds in Fort Lauderdale.

The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra opens the Broward Center classical season November 16. Anu Tali will lead the ensemble in the Overture No. 2 by Veljo Tormis and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 with Narek Hakhnazaryan as soloist in Dvorak’s Cello Concerto.

The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra presents an all-Beethoven program January 20, featuring Nobuyuki Tsujii, the blind Japanese pianist who tied for the gold medal at the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition.

The St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra will return February 18, Conductor Nikolai Alexeev will direct the Russian musicians in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and Giya Kancheli’s ...al Niente. Denis Kozhukhin will be the soloist in Tchaikovsky’s not unfamiliar Piano Concerto No. 1.

Violinist Daniel Hope will present a recital on March 18 with a program of music written for the celebrated Joseph Joachim, including works by Brahms, Mendelssohn, Grieg and Clara Schumann.

Pianist Jon Kimura Parker comes to the Broward Center April 24 with a program that includes a transcription of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, premiered 100 years ago in 1913.

Tickets to the Broward Center Classical Series go on sale August 30 with multi-concert packages available on August 15. Call 954-462-0222 or log on to BrowardCenter.org.

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2 Responses to “Broward Center downsizes for 2013-14 classical season”

  1. Posted Sep 22, 2013 at 9:03 pm by Michael A. Taddonio

    I feel that the Broward Center doesn’t do a proper job of promoting classical music. It doesn’t provide proper dates for classical orchestras and recitals. It favors Broadway shows, the opera, and ballet. This is a problem that the former Florida Philharmonic Orchestra had. Having James Judd get orchestras and soloists to perform may be of help, but it is going to have the Broward Center management to cooperate. Perhaps an arrangement, for a 2 or 3 week period, like the Arscht Center in Miami has, might help. The Kravits Center in West Palm Beach gets its share of classical orchestras snd soloists. It takes a team effort to get anything of quality anywhere.

  2. Posted Sep 22, 2013 at 9:05 pm by Michael A. Taddonio

    The Arscht Center arrangement that I mentioned, is, of course, for the Cleveland Orchestra.

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