In anticipation of the City of Philadelphia’s recommendation that all large gatherings be suspended to limit community transmission of COVID-19, all scheduled Philadelphia Orchestra rehearsals, performances, and events through March 23, 2020, are cancelled. The health and safety of all is our top priority.
This impacts the following performances at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the Academy of Music:
- BeethovenNOW: Symphonies 5 & 6 (March 12, 14, and 15)
- BeethovenNOW: Symphonies 2 & 3 (March 19, 21, and 22)
- Sound All Around: Ensemble (March 21 and 23)
Options if you have tickets to a cancelled event:
- Exchange your tickets to an upcoming performance. To offer increased flexibility, we are waiving all ticket exchange fees through May 2, 2020.
- Donate your tickets. You will receive a tax receipt for your generous contribution.
- Please contact Patron Services to discuss additional options.
Ticket exchanges and donations can be completed in My Account, or by contacting Patron Services at 215-893-1999 or patronservices@ticketphiladelphia.org.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
PROGRAM
Habibi Jeder Baum spricht WORLD PREMIERE - PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA COMMISSION
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
INTERMISSION
Beethoven Symphony No. 6 ("Pastoral")
The indelible four-note opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony lays the foundation for a truly fateful symphonic journey. Written in 1804, and on the program when The Philadelphia Orchestra gave its first concert in 1900, it's an epic tour de force that resonates in 2020. Following its rousing conclusion come the verdant valleys and sweet smells of the woods and the Austrian countryside, an exposition of Beethoven's love of nature. Composed and premiered at the same time, the “Pastoral” offers a striking contrast to the assertive Fifth.
The year 2020 marks the 250th birthday of Beethoven. The Philadelphia Orchestra celebrates this milestone by performing music by composers of today in dialogue with Beethoven's symphonies. Composer-in- Residence Gabriela Lena Frank, and a diverse group of composers from her Creative Academy of Music, offer newly written works that inspire and push boundaries—to elevate the context in which Beethoven's legacy is understood today.