From operas to concertos, the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus hosts a wide variety of classical events you do not want to miss! See below for selections of upcoming classical programming, including performances from Opera Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, FREE programming, and more!
The Philadelphia Orchestra — BeethovenNOW: Emanual Ax
February 6—8, Verizon Hall
The Philadelphia Orchestra presents ‘BeethovenNOW: Emanual Ax’, with rising star and Curtis Institute of Music graduate Karina Canellakis conducting in her Philadelphia Orchestra debut. The program includes Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and No. 3, performed by pianist Emanual Ax. Ax describes Beethoven’s work as “the most positive music ever written, containing every emotion known to man.” The program also includes Di Castri’s Lineage and Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra.
FREE Organ Demonstrations
February 8, March 14, April 18, & June 20, Verizon Hall
As part of a FREE Kimmel Center tour, join us for a Fred J. Cooper Memorial Organ demonstration! Once a month, the 1pm tour will start with a 15-minute organ demonstration of the instrument's unparalleled and dramatic sounds live in Verizon Hall. Don't miss the opporutnity to see the largest mechanical-action concert hall organ in the United States! (February 8, March 14, April 18, June 20, Verizon Hall)
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society — Ritz Chamber Players
February 9, Perelman Theater
The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presents Ritz Chamber Players, the first chamber music ensemble composed solely of accomplished African musicians. Spotlighting repertoire by African American composers, including Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson and George Walker, their PCMS debut program promises novel sounds.
The Philadelphia Orchestra — Symphonie fantastique
February 20 – 22, Verizon Hall
The Philadelphia Orchestra presents ‘Symphonie fantastique,’ conducted by Herbert Blomstedt and featuring young French pianist Lise de la Salle. The program begins with Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 2, a piece full of joy and described as “piano fireworks” by Mendelssohn himself. Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique is full of passion and a colorful composition.
Grand Organ Celebration
February 26, Verizon Hall
The Kimmel Center presents the Grand Organ Celebration, featuring Organists Wayne Marshall, Olivier Latry, and David Briggs performing the music of Bach, Widor, Liszt, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, and Gershwin. The concert will culminate in a three-way improvisation by the organists, based on subjects suggested by you!
The Curtis Institute of Music — Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring
March 5 – 8, Perelman Theater
The Curtis Institute of Music presents Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring, a performance part of their Opera Theatre program. To honor virtuous youth, local officials bestow the title of May King on a shy shop clerk, with comical consequences. Accepting his honor, the timid Albert is first giddy, then despondent as he becomes aware of his inexperience with love and life. Britten’s quirky hero resolves to spend his prize money on adventure, stays out all night, and concocts a wild explanation that shocks his elders and wins the admiration of his peers.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society — Ana María Martínez and Craig Terry
March 13, Perelman Theater
The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presents an all-Spanish recital, starring Grammy Award-winning soprano Ana María Martínez and Craig Terry on the piano. The recital features works by Rodrigo, Granados, Lecuona, de Falla, Moré, Capó, and selected zarzuela.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society — The Julliard Quartet
April 7, Perelman Theater
The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presents the Julliard Quartet. Widely considered to be the quintessential American string quartet, they return for an incredible 45th appearance on the PCMS series. The program includes pieces by Mozart, Dutilleux, and Brahms.
The Philadelphia Orchestra — Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony
April 23 – 25, Verizon Hall
The Philadelphia Orchestra presents Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, featuring Italian conductor Fabio Luisi. The program begins with Bent Sørensen’s Evening Land. The piece was inspired by an image of the evening light that Sørensen recalled from his childhood in Denmark. Famous for its ingenious use of a “fate” theme, Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony progresses from a somber beginning to an uplifting, triumphant march in the final movement.
Opera Philadelphia — Puccini’s Madame Butterfly
April 24 – May 3, Academy of Music
Opera Philadelphia presents Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, the famous tragedy of the young geisha Cio-Cio San and the American naval officer who pursues, then betrays, her. Experience Puccini’s beloved masterpiece from Cio-Cio San’s perspective as she transforms from an object of lust into a fully realized woman, wife, and mother. Grounded in the original historical setting of the mid-19th century, the achingly beautiful music soars above a modern-day commentary on power dynamics and western exploitation.
Philadelphia Chamber Music Society — Musical Fund Society 200th Anniversary Concert
April 26, Perelman Theater
The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presents the Musical Fund Society 200th Anniversary Concert, a celebration of the bicentennial of a Philadelphia musical treasure with a concert of world-premiere chamber works by four of America’s finest living composers. Performed by four leading Philadelphia ensembles, the newly-commissioned works are all rooted in the history of our city, connecting audiences with the rich musical life of past and present Philadelphia.
Learn more about performances and other offerings on our Cultural Campus at: kimmelcenter.org