Milwaukee’s Festival City Symphony Announces Its 2014-2015 Concert Season
The schedule for the 2014-2015 “Symphony Sundays—Classical Music for All Ages” series and the “Pajama Jamboree” concert series.
Milwaukee, Wis. — The area’s oldest performing symphony orchestra, Milwaukee’s Festival City Symphony (FCS), has announced the schedule for its upcoming 2014-2015 “Symphony Sundays—Classical Music for All Ages” series and the “Pajama Jamboree” concert series for children, parents, and grandparents. In all, the symphony orchestra will perform seven concerts during the upcoming season.
The 2014-2015 Symphony Sundays series will begin with the concert titled All Beethoven on Sunday, October 19, 2014, with two works of Ludwig van Beethoven, beginning with the joyful “Symphony No. 2.” The second piece, the “Concerto for Piano, Violin, and Cello” better known as the “Triple Concerto,” demands three virtuoso soloists. FCS is pleased to welcome back acclaimed Milwaukee pianist Jeannie Yu, to perform with FCS section leaders Robin Petzold, violin, and Stefan Kartman, cello.
On Sunday, February 15, 2015, the orchestra will perform Seascapes, a concert of three varied works inspired by the sea. First is the “Overture” to Richard Wagner’s dramatic romantic opera “The Flying Dutchman,” followed by British composer Frank Bridge’s “The Sea.” Claude Debussy’s popular “La Mer” will complete the program.
American Masters is the title of FCS’s March 15, 2015, concert. “Through time, American composers often felt inferior to European masters,” said FCS Conductor Monte Perkins. “The three works featured in this program prove this is false.” Aaron Copland’s exuberant “An Outdoor Adventure” will begin the concert, followed by nineteenth-century composer George Whitefield Chadwick’s romantic “Symphony No. 2.” A beautiful new work by contemporary composer John Rutter, the “Suite Lyrique for Harp and Strings,” will feature FCS harpist Ann Lobotzke.
The Symphony Sundays’ season will conclude on May 3, 2015, with Russian Festival. The concert will begin with Alexander Borodin’s “Polovtsian Dances,” which includes the melody now known as “Stranger in Paradise” from Kismet. Next is Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 3,” called the “Polish Symphony” because of its infectious polonaise dance rhythms. Completing the season will be Tchaikovsky’s popular “Marche Slav.”
Symphony Sundays concert performances are held at the Pabst Theater, 144 East Wells Street, at 3 p.m., and include descriptive program information from the stage by Conductor Monte Perkins. FCS welcomes children to these concerts, which are most appropriate for those in second grade and older. Prior to each concert at 2:45 p.m., Jayne Perkins presents “Children’s Program Notes,” offered to help children become familiar with the music they are about to hear.
Admission to each concert is $14 for adults and $8 for children, students, and seniors. Early-bird season ticket packs are available through October 13, 2014, in several categories—a season Family Pack admits an entire family to all four concerts for just $75; Couples Packs admit two people to all four concerts for $72; a Single Adult Pack admits one adult to all four concerts for $50; and a Senior or Student Pack admits one adult over age 60 or a student to all four concerts for $28.
Information about purchasing season packs or group tickets may be obtained by calling Festival City Symphony at 414-365-8861 or by visiting festivalcitysymphony.org. Individual tickets may be purchased by calling the Pabst Theater Box Office at 414-286-3205 or online at pabsttheater.org.
Returning again will also be three free “Pajama Jamboree” classical pops concerts, held on select Wednesday evenings from 7-8 p.m. in the Bradley Pavilion of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, entered through the 123 E. State Street entrance. Hosted by FCS education director Jayne Perkins, these popular concerts welcome children, especially in grades kindergarten through fifth, and their parents or grandparents to attend in casual dress or pajamas for open space floor seating up close to “meet” the orchestra. Conventional seating is also available.
Featuring music and narration, Halloween with Peter & the Wolf will begin the Pajama Jamboree concert series on Wednesday, October 22, 2014. FCS orchestra members will be in costume and invite attendees to do the same. The Pajama Jamboree season will continue on Wednesday, December 10, 2014, with Holiday Storytime, featuring the reading of “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” and “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” with seasonal background music from the orchestra. Attendees are encouraged to bring a nonperishable food donation for Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force. This series concludes on Wednesday, May 6, 2015, with Spring Into Song, a Pajama Jamboree to welcome the season with lively tunes. The popular FCS tradition of young audience members getting a chance to conduct the orchestra’s finale, “Stars and Stripes” by John Philip Sousa, will conclude this concert.
Milwaukee’s Festival City Symphony, the oldest performing symphony orchestra in the area, showcases area professional musicians. Its mission is to extend the reach of classical music in the community with reasonable pricing and informative formats that embrace people of all ages. For more information, visit festivalcitysymphony.org or call 414-365-8861. The full schedule of concerts follows.
“SYMPHONY SUNDAYS” 2014-2015 CONCERTS
SUNDAYS AT 3 P.M. • PABST THEATER
WITH “CHILDREN’S PROGRAM NOTES” AT 2:45 P.M.
SEE FESTIVALCITYSYMPHONY.ORG FOR TICKET INFORMATION
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2014
ALL BEETHOVEN
Two of the greatest yet least heard works of Ludwig van Beethoven:
- The joyous “Symphony No. 2,” filled with youthful gaiety
- “Concerto for Piano, Violin, and Cello,” better known as the “Triple Concerto,” featuring acclaimed Milwaukee pianist Jeannie Yu and FCS section leaders Robin Petzold (violin) and Stefan Kartman (cello)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2015
SEASCAPES
Three works inspired by the sea:
- “Overture” to Richard Wagner’s dramatic romantic opera “The Flying Dutchman”
- British composer Frank Bridge’s “The Sea,” showing the ocean’s beautiful yet dangerous side
- Claude Debussy’s ever popular “La Mer”
SUNDAY, MARCH 15, 2015
AMERICAN MASTERS
Three master works by American composers:
- Aaron Copland’s exuberant “An Outdoor Overture”
- George Whitefield Chadwick’s romantic and tuneful “Symphony No. 2”
- John Rutter’s contemporary “Suite Lyrique for Harp and Strings” featuring FCS harpist Ann Lobotzke
SUNDAY, MAY 3, 2015
RUSSIAN FESTIVAL
Music from the great Russian tradition:
- The brilliantly rhythmic ballet music of Alexander Borodin’s “Polovtsian Dances,” including the melody now known as “Stranger in Paradise” from Kismet
- Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 3,” called the “Polish Symphony” because of its infectious polonaise dance rhythms
- Tchaikovsky’s perennially popular “Marche Slav,” with its concluding song of triumph
“PAJAMA JAMBOREES” FOR 2014-2015 • SELECTED WEDNESDAYS AT 7 P.M.
MARCUS CENTER, BRADLEY PAVILION, 123 E. STATE ST. ENTRANCE
ADMISSION IS FREE
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2014
HALLOWEEN WITH PETER & THE WOLF
Dressed in costume, the orchestra invites attendees to do the same for a celebration of Halloween in an evening of “Peter and the Wolf,” with music and narration.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2014
HOLIDAY STORYTIME
FCS will celebrate the holidays with a reading of “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” and “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” with seasonal background music from the orchestra. Attendees are encouraged to bring a nonperishable food donation for Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015
SPRING INTO SONG
The orchestra will perform lively selections to celebrate spring. Young audience members will have the opportunity to conduct the orchestra’s finale, Sousa’s “Stars & Stripes.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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