Watch the 2020-21 Season Sizzle Reel Here
LAS VEGAS (May 1, 2020) – Las Vegas Philharmonic (LVP) and Music Director Donato Cabrera announced and previewed the 2020-21 concert season today on both the LVP’s Facebook and YouTube pages. Cabrera was joined by a roster of the season’s exciting guest artists and LVP musicians to introduce each program, discuss the music and inspiration behind them and share performance clips. Joining Cabrera as co-host was Joshua Roman, cellist, composer and curator. This marks Roman’s first official appearance as the LVP’s newly official Artist in Residence for the next three years. As the Artist in Residence, Roman will curate the LVP’s chamber music programs and presentations as well as cultivate new, powerful collaborations with various institutions that serve the well-being of the Las Vegas community at large (be it artistic, social justice or education based).
The 22nd season for the LVP will include 10 performances from October 16, 2020 through April 10, 2021 at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts. Cabrera has curated a season full of dynamic works kicking off with a two-day musical festival celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday, female composers and artists who have made their mark in classical music, two distinctive holiday concerts sure to inspire joy in the hearts of all ages, the music of jazz legends, a fascinating exploration of Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony in a mash-up with some of the band Coldplay’s best-known songs with conductor, Steve Hackman, a post-modern Cabaret diva and a finale full of French fantasy and a piano concerto for the left hand. The season’s roster of guest artists includes Bella Hristova, Joshua Roman, David Fung, Sirena Huang, Mary Elizabeth Bowden, Stewart Goodyear, Jennifer Cho, Meow Meow and Till Hoffmann. Guest conductors joining the LVP this season include Carolyn Kuan for October’s Beethoven Fest and Steve Hackman for Beethoven v. Coldplay, his original production.
The 2020-21 season powerfully underscores the Philharmonic’s steadfast commitment to its pillars of music, culture and education. Cabrera’s selections depict a deep appreciation for celebrated composers and works from the classical realm that are universal audience favorites in addition to contemporary works by living composers while spotlighting members of the orchestra along with other celebrated local singers and musicians. Cabrera and the LVP’s shared desire to highlight female composers has been part of the organization’s artistic legacy and continue to expose Las Vegas audiences to the diverse world of classical music, from Beethoven and beyond.
Music Director Donato Cabrera and guest artists will continue to host pre-concert conversations one hour prior to each performance in Reynolds Hall to discuss the works to be performed and the history behind the music, offering deeper insight and increased enjoyment of the evening’s program and artists.
Subscriptions are on sale now starting at just $106 for a four-concert package. Subscribers save up to 12% when they renew before June 3 and can choose among three different subscription series or customize their own at five different price points. In addition, subscribers can purchase additional single tickets with their subscription order at the same discount. Single tickets will go on sale later this summer. For more information or to place a subscription order, call patron services at 702-462-2008 or visit www.lvphil.org or The Smith Center Box Office.
The Las Vegas Philharmonic will continue to offer its shuttle bus services from its Henderson and Summerlin locations in Las Vegas to its evening performances during the 2020-21 concert season.
2020-21 Concert Line-up / Calendar Listings:
Opening Weekend – Beethoven Fest
Friday, October 16 - 7:30pm
Pre-concert conversation at 6:30pm in Reynolds Hall
Carolyn Kuan, guest conductor
Bella Hristova, violin
Joshua Roman, cello
David Fung, piano
Beethoven Egmont Overture
Beethoven Symphony No. 8
Beethoven Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin and Cello
Opening Weekend – Beethoven Fest
Saturday, October 17 - 7:30pm
Pre-concert conversation at 6:30pm in Reynolds Hall
Carolyn Kuan, guest conductor
Sirena Huang, violin
Beethoven Symphony No. 1
Beethoven Romance No. 1 for Violin in G Major
Beethoven Romance No. 2 for Violin in F Major
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Our 2020-21 season opens with a celebration of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 250th birthday. Las Vegas Philharmonic presents an unprecedented two-night festival showcasing seven of Beethoven’s greatest works.
Spotify playlists: https://tinyurl.com/lvphiloct16 and https://tinyurl.com/lvphiloct17
The American Woman
Saturday, November 14 - 7:30pm
Pre-concert conversation at 6:30pm in Reynolds Hall
Donato Cabrera, conductor
De Ann Letourneau, violin
Mary Elizabeth Bowden, trumpet
Joan Tower Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman
Peggy Stuart Coolidge Pioneer Dances
Florence Price Violin Concerto No. 2
Jennifer Higdon Loco
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich American Concerto
Joan Tower Made in America
The American Woman pays homage to female composers who have made an indelible mark on classical music.
Spotify playlist: https://tinyurl.com/lvphilnov14
Handel’s Messiah
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4 - 7:30pm
Pre-concert conversation at 6:30pm in Reynolds Hall
Donato Cabrera, conductor
Las Vegas Master Singers, David Weiller, director
Handel Messiah
Choral and orchestral hearts unite in Handel’s most famous oratorio, Messiah. Behold the resplendent beauty of this spiritually uplifting work, which has become a musical rite of the holiday season.
Spotify playlist: https://tinyurl.com/lvphildec4
A Very Vegas Holiday
Saturday, DECEMBER 5 – 2:00pm & 7:30pm
Pre-concert conversations at 1:00pm and 6:30pm in Reynolds Hall
Donato Cabrera, conductor
Keith Thompson, host
The season will shine merry and bright when the talented performers from last year’s Very Vegas Showcase return to sing classic seasonal favorites and local originals with the orchestra.
Gershwin & Ellington
Saturday, January 23 - 7:30pm
Pre-concert conversation at 6:30pm in Reynolds Hall
Donato Cabrera, conductor
Stewart Goodyear, piano
Antheil Hot Time Dance
Gershwin Piano Concerto in F
Ellington Black, Brown and Beige Suite
Gershwin An American in Paris
Classical form and jazz rhythms collide in this dynamic program featuring works by three composers that helped define the American classical tradition.
Spotify playlist: https://tinyurl.com/lvphiljan23
Appalachian Spring & Grand Canyon Suites
Saturday, February 20 – 7:30pm
Pre-concert conversation at 6:30pm in Reynolds Hall
Donato Cabrera, conductor
Jennifer Cho, violin
Grofé Grand Canyon Suite
Jennifer Higdon Violin Concerto
Copland Appalachian Spring
The spirit and beauty of the American frontier are captured in these selections that embody the sounds of nature, the virtuosity of the violin and the Shaker-inspired melody of Appalachian Spring.
Spotify playlist: https://tinyurl.com/lvphilfeb20
Beethoven V. Coldplay
Saturday, March 6 – 7:30pm
Pre-concert conversation at 6:30pm in Reynolds Hall
Steve Hackman, conductor
Would Beethoven have appreciated the music of Coldplay? Composer and conductor, Steve Hackman explores this notion by fusing classical and pop elements in his symphonic mash-up of Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony and some of Coldplay’s best-known songs. Note, Coldplay will not be performing in this concert.
Spotify playlist: https://tinyurl.com/lvphilmarch6
Meow Meow’s Pandemonium
Saturday, March 20 - 7:30pm
Pre-concert conversation at 6:30pm in Reynolds Hall
Donato Cabrera, conductor
Meow Meow, vocals
Post-post-modern diva Meow Meow has dazzled audiences around the globe with her sultry vocals and devilishly funny wit. See the torch-singing superstar deliver cabaret standards with a contemporary twist in her hilariously inventive show, Pandemonium.
Spotify playlist: https://tinyurl.com/lvphilmarch20
SEASON FINALE – Symphonie Fantastique
Saturday, April 10 - 7:30pm
Pre-concert conversation at 6:30pm in Reynolds Hall
Donato Cabrera, conductor
Till Hoffman, piano (American German Cultural Exchange Fellowship Soloist)
Boulanger D’un matin de printemps
Ravel Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique
Experience the passion, power and tenderness of our grand finale featuring Lili Boulanger’s playful Of A Spring Morning, Ravel’s profoundly moving piano concerto and Berlioz’s tour de force, Symphonie Fantastique.
Spotify playlist: https://tinyurl.com/lvphilapril10
About Las Vegas Philharmonic
The Las Vegas Philharmonic, led by Music Director, Donato Cabrera, established its presence in Southern Nevada in 1998. The mission of the Las Vegas Philharmonic is to inspire a lifelong appreciation of music through performances and educational experiences for our community that enhance the lives of our residents and the culture of our city.
Music education and engagement are the cornerstones of the Philharmonic’s commitment to community. Our Youth Concert Series brings thousands of children annually into the concert hall for a vital music education program, and our Cox Communications Young Artists’ Concerto Competition recognizes and encourages emerging talent among Nevada youth in the area of music performance.
Our season of concerts showcases local talents alongside stellar nationally and internationally known guest artists on the magnificent Reynolds Hall stage. At the orchestra’s core are 76 contracted professional musicians, many of whom are esteemed educators who also perform in other professional productions in Las Vegas, bringing depth and variety to the organization.
As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Philharmonic’s community, education, and artistic programs are made possible by the generous donations and support of individuals and corporations. To join us in our mission or learn more, visit lvphil.org or call 702.258.5438.
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