South Florida Classical Review

Susanna Malkki will conduct the New World Symphony in music of Debussy, Dutilleux and Rachmaninoff in the 2015-16 season.

The New World Symphony will offer a bracing mix of envelope-pushing programs and cornerstone repertory in 2015-16 featuring the return of several notable guest conductors and soloists and a significant podium debut.

Patrick Quigley, artistic director of Seraphic Fire, will lead a full-length New World concert for the first time April 16, 2016. The Sounds of the Times event will feature Quigley and the Seraphic singers in a program offering Steve Reich’s Desert Music, along with works of Ligeti and Monteverdi.

Michael Tilson Thomas will open the season October 10-11 with an all-Russian lineup featuring Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1 “Winter Daydreams” and Stravinsky’s The Fox and Les Noces (“The Wedding”) with the Dmiti Pokrovsky Ensemble.

As a pendant to his Mahler cycle MTT will lead performances of Das Lied von der Erde (“The Song of the Earth”) with soloists Sasha Cooke and Simon O’Neill April 23 and 24, paired with John Cage’s The Seasons. He will also present an evening devoted to Robert Schumann October 30 and a multimedia program of new works April 30.  New World’s artistic director will conclude the season May 7-8 with two Sibelius symphonies (Nos. 6 and 7) and Berlioz’s Harold in Italy with violist Roberto Diaz as soloist.

As has become tradition, the three Arsht Center programs will offer starry soloists in populist repertoire.  Tilson Thomas will conduct October 24, with Copland’s Symphony No. 3 and Pinchas Zukerman as soloist in the Beethoven concerto. Violinist Gil Shaham performs Tchaikovsky January 9 and pianist Emanuel Ax plays Beethoven’s “Emperor” concerto March 5.

Susanna Mälkki will return April 9-10 in a program of Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, Debussy’s Round Dances of Spring and Dutilleux’s Tout un monde lointain with cello soloist Anssi Karttunen.

The Sounds of the Times series will expand to four programs next season, welcome news for contemporary music aficionados. In addition to Quigley’s program, Jeffrey Milarsky will conduct an American program December 5 with John Luther Adams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Become Ocean and works of Babbitt and Wuorinen. Matthias Pintscher leads works of Boulez and Unsuk Chin February 13 as well as his own Five Pieces for Orchestra. And Stefan Asbury will conduct Tippett’s Symphony No. 4 March 26 along with Thomas Ades’ Violin Concerto with Anthony Marwood as soloist.

Cristian Macelaru leads a program of Gandolfi and Beethoven January 8-9 while Pablo Heras-Casado returns for Bartok and Beethoven with Ax March 4-5. James Gaffigan directs a program of Franck and Mozart with Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra (January 30-31.). Paul Goodwin conducts a Baroque program November 7 and 8 offering the Water Music of both Handel and Telemann. And Mark Wigglesworth leads the orchestra in music of Strauss, Schoenberg and Brahms December 12-13. Ward Stare will make his New World debut leading the Concerto Showcase programs February 20 and 21.

Several fine guest artists will also join New World fellows in chamber concerts including pianist Orion Weiss (October 18), clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein (November 15), soprano Julia Bullock (Feb 28), pianist Inon Barnatan (March 20) and violinist Martin Chalfour (April 17).

Subscriptions go on sale April 6. Call 305-673-3331 or go online to nws.edu.

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