New Philharmonic Opens its 2014-2015 Season With Concert Staging of Puccini’s “Tosca” at the McAninch Arts Center Sept. 20-21
“Puccini’s ‘Tosca’ has the perfect fire and spirit to begin such an exciting season,†said Maestro Muspratt. “It is a tale full of love, jealousy and intrigue and we have a chance to tell the story in such a unique, vibrant way through these concert performances.â€
New Philharmonic opens its 2014-2015 five concert season with two exciting concert performances of Giacomo Puccini’s “Tosca†Saturday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. Karen Slack (soprano),cited by San Francisco Classical Voice for “the kind of voice that can sing anything beautifully engaging the heart brilliantly†stars in the feature role. This production also features gifted soloists Dominic Armstrong, hailed by the New York Times as a “clarion-voiced tenor,” as Cavaradossi, and Corey Crider, lauded by lauded by Opera News for his, “rich, dark baritone,†as Scarpia. Adding to the rich vocals of these guest artists will be the 100+ voices of the Northwest Indiana Symphony Chorus, directed by Dr. Nancy Menk. “Tosca†will be sung in Italian with English supertitles.
Performance tickets are $55. There will be a free MAC Chat preceding the Sunday matinee performance. Concertgoers attending the Saturday Sept. 20 concert can add to their enjoyment of the evening by adding a pre-show Italian wine, cheese and appetizer tasting for an additional $22.
“Nutcracker†fans can enhance their holiday experience by adding a ticket to the Nutcracker Tea Parties. Tea Parties will take place prior to the Saturday, Dec. 20, 2 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 21, 1 p.m. matinee performances. Fare will include sandwiches, scones, sweets and tea. Lemonade, cheese and PBJ sandwiches will be available for younger guests. Tea Parties are a separately ticketed event. Tickets are $25.
NP rings out 2014 with three New Year’s Eve With New Philharmonic concerts on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 1, 5 and 9 p.m. Lyric Opera Ryan Center for Young Artists’ John Irvin’s soaring tenor will infuse works by Johann Strauss, R. Stoltz, Von Suppe, and Mozart. The New Year’s Eve performances will also feature the customary NP campagne toasts, confetti and some wonderful must-see surprises. Performance tickets are $55 for the Wednesday, Dec. 31, 1 p.m. performance and $65 for the Wednesday, Dec. 31, 5 & 9 p.m. performances.
NP’s first concert of 2015 includes the works of Maurice Ravel and Sergei Rachmaninoff as showcased in an incredible blend of two concerti in one program, featuring critically acclaimed guest pianist Winston Choi, Saturday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. Choi, Laureate of the 2003 Honens International Piano Competition and winner of France’s 2002 Concours International de Piano, lends his award-winning musicianship to pieces such as Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini†and Ravel’s “Concerto for the Left Hand.†The program will also feature Rodion Shchedrin’s “Carmen Suite for Percussion and Strings†and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Capriccio Espagnol.†Performance tickets are $46. There will be a free MAC Chat prior to each performance.
NP completes its 2014-2015 season with Bach to Bock, Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 19 at 3 p.m. These performances will feature a range of enchanting pieces including Johan Sabastian Bach’s “Double Concerto for Oboe and Violin†and Jerry Bock and John William’s Cadenzas from “Fiddler on the Roof†featuring guest violinist David Taylor, Assistant Concertmaster of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The program will also include Ralph Vaughn-Williams’ “The Lark Ascending,†and Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 and “Wedding March from “Midsummer Night’s Dream.†Performance tickets are $46. There will be a free MAC Chat prior to each performance.
In keeping with NP tradition, NP 2014-2015 concert audiences will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with Maestro Muspratt, members of New Philharmonic and guest artists during the “Cookies with Kirk†receptions in the lobby, sponsored in part by Brookdale, following each performance.
New for NP’s 2014-2015 Season: in an effort to showcase the talents of local youth, NP will feature seven young musicians in dedicated Youth Performance Spotlight segments in three of NP’s 2014-2015 concerts. The musicians were selected through an audition competition this past May and are as follows: for the Oct. 11 & 12 Oktoberfest concerts—Wheaton’s Ben Graves (cellist); for the Saturday, Feb. 7, 8 p.m. Ravel and Rachmaninoff concert—violin trio and Wheaton’s own Ben Fefferman, Kevin Li and Luke Mondia; for the Sunday, Feb. 8, 3 p.m. Ravel and Rachmaninoff concert—Naperville vocalist Madison Perry; and for the April 18 & 19 Bach to Bock concerts—violin duo Sophia Lekas (Willowbrook) and Hugo Zoells (Hinsdale). This initiative is funded in part by a grant by The DuPage Community Foundation’s JCS Fund for Arts and Education.
New Philharmonic is a fully-professional, 80-member orchestra that has inspired classical music enthusiasts in Chicago and the suburbs for three decades. Under the direction of Music Director and Conductor Kirk Muspratt, named a 2006 Chicagoan of the Year by the Chicago Tribune, New Philharmonic gives innovative treatment to both classic compositions and modern works and strives to make the music accessible to new audiences and youth through a variety of educational efforts. New Philharmonic is a professional ensemble in residence at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill., and performs a complete season annually.
New Philharmonic’s 2014-2015 performances are funded in part by a grant by The DuPage Community Foundation’s JCS Fund for Arts and Education and the Illinois Arts Council.
New Philharmonic is supported in part by the College of DuPage Foundation through its New Philharmonic Fund. Established as a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit.cod.edu/foundation or call 630.942.2462.
The MAC began major renovations in fall 2012 to update its three performance spaces, construct a new art gallery and outdoor pavilion, and make improvements to the infrastructure, teaching and learning spaces and patron service areas. The MAC renovation was funded as part of the $168 million referendum that voters of District 502 passed in November 2010. The MAC completed its 14-month, $35 million renovation in December 2013 and officially opened its doors to the public with the MAC Madness Celebration on March 8. The MAC’s 2014-2015 Season is its first full season following the landmark renovations.
The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit AtTheMAC.org. You can also learn more about the MAC on Facebook at facebook.com/AtTheMAC or on twitter at twitter.com/AtTheMAC.
McAninch Arts Center (MAC) is supported in part by the College of DuPage Foundation. Established as a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit cod.edu/foundation or call 630.942.2462.
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