Philadelphia Orchestra Begins Bravo! Vail Residency

Online, July 4, 2013 (Newswire.com) - The Philadelphia Orchestra begins a weeklong residency at Bravo! Vail on Friday, July 5, featuring concerts that showcase the Orchestra's distinctive sound and keen ability to capture the imaginations of audiences around the world. Led by Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin, The Philadelphia Orchestra returns to Bravo! Vail for its seventh season featuring masterworks such as Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2, Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, and Verdi's Requiem - a performance that will be broadcast live on Colorado Public Radio stations across the State. Tickets for all Bravo! Vail concerts featuring The Philadelphia Orchestra are now on sale at bravovail.org or by calling 877.812.5700.

"Last year I found the connection between Vail audiences and the Orchestra's music to be truly special, and I look forward to returning this summer," said Philadelphia Orchestra Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin. "The Verdi Requiem is an important masterpiece in the symphonic and choral repertoire, and it also has been extremely meaningful in my life. I am eager for the Vail audience to hear the Orchestra, along with our stellar soloists and the Colorado Symphony Chorus, perform this monumental work, particularly after such successful performances in Philadelphia and New York. It is quite simply some of the most beautiful music ever written."

The Fabulous Philadelphians open their week at Bravo! Vail by turning up the heat with Latin Jazz Night on Friday, July 5 featuring multi Grammy Award-winner Cuban saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera. Also joining The Philadelphia Orchestra during its residency are guest artists whose names are synonymous with the world's great concert halls: violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, cellist Alisa Weilerstein, soprano Angela Meade, tenor John Mac Master (in his Philadelphia Orchestra debut), and pianist Jan Lisiecki, among others.

"We are thrilled to continue such a close partnership with Bravo! Vail," said Philadelphia Orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore. "The combination of full houses in such an intimate space, surrounded by the vast beauty of the Rocky Mountains, inspires our musicians to make some of their best music at Vail. This summer's programs will be no exception - from our opening concert, Latin Jazz Night, to the monumental Verdi Requiem led by Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin that closes the residency, our audiences will find something to love and plenty of reason to cheer."

Music lovers can also experience the artistry of The Philadelphia Orchestra's fabled musicianship at Bravo! Vail's acclaimed Chamber Music Series. Members of The Philadelphia Orchestra will join Bravo! Vail Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott and the Calder Quartet for the series opening night on Thursday, July 11 featuring Dvořák's works for winds, strings and piano. Members of The Philadelphia Orchestra will also be featured in two free concerts, offering the community additional opportunities to enjoy beautiful music in an intimate and relaxed setting.

"Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott and I are thrilled to be welcoming The Philadelphia Orchestra back to Bravo! Vail this summer," said Bravo! Vail Executive Director James W. Palermo. "It is an extraordinarily storied orchestra with a magnificent artistic legacy. Their new maestro, Yannick Nezet-Seguin, is helping the fabulous Philadelphians write the next chapter in their glorious history, and we in Vail are indeed fortunate to be part of the excitement."

THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA AT BRAVO! VAIL

Latin Jazz Night with Paquito D'Rivera: 6 p.m. Friday, July 5, 2013
The dynamic conductor Giancarlo Guerrero and multiple Grammy Award-winner Cuban saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera join forces with the fabulous Philadelphians for an evening of Latin standards and new hits.

Cirque de la Symphonie: 6 p.m. Saturday, July 6, 2013
Back by popular demand for an encore performance of spellbinding acrobatic and aerial feats is Cirque de la Symphonie. Enjoy The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Ravel's Danse general from Daphnis and Chloë, Tchaikovsky's Valse from Swan Lake, and music from the soundtrack to Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone and many more favorites as aerialists, jugglers and contortionists combine enchantment and spectacle.

Nadja and Appalachian Spring: 6 p.m. Sunday, July 7, 2013
Vail favorite Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg takes the stage in performances of two virtuosic French violin works - Ravel's Tzigane and Saint-Saëns's Havanaise. Copland's ballet Appalachian Spring evokes our vast landscape and pioneer spirit. Closing this concert is Roberto Sierra's Sinfonia No. 4.

Yannick Conducts Rachmaninoff: 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, 2013
The electrifying young cellist Alisa Weilerstein, winner of a 2011 MacArthur Genius Award, takes the stage in the profound and highly personal Shostakovich Concerto No. 1. Rachmaninoff's romantic Symphony No. 2 is a perfect vehicle for The Philadelphia Orchestra's legendary string section.

Mozart's Piano Concerto and Mahler's 4th: 6 p.m. Friday, July 12, 2013
Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki makes his local and Philadelphia Orchestra debut in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 2. Concluding the program is Mahler's Symphony No. 4, with its final movement that depicts a child's vision of Heaven.

Verdi's Requiem: 6 p.m. Saturday, July 13, 2013
Reviewing Yannick Nezet-Seguin's performance with The Philadelphia Orchestra of Verdi's Requiem last fall at Carnegie Hall, critic James Oestreich wrote in The New York Times that "he embraced Verdi's theatricality fully, from the recurring Dies Irae thunder, powerfully hurled, to the bass's murmur, 'mors stupebit' ('death shall stand amazed')."

CHAMBER MUSIC WITH MEMBERS OF THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

Dvořák's Works for Winds, Strings and Piano: 6 p.m. Thursday, July 11, 2013
Opening Bravo! Vail's 2013 Chamber Music Series, members of The Philadelphia Orchestra join the Calder Quartet and Bravo! Vail Artistic Director Anne-Marie McDermott for an evening spotlighting beautiful works by the great Czech composer, Antonín Dvořák. From the charming Wind Serenade to the hard driving Piano Quintet, this concert will reveal the melodies, rhythms, and life-affirming character of Dvořák's excellently constructed scores. The Vail Mountain School is the picturesque setting for the Chamber Music Series, offering ample parking in a convenient location.

FREE CONCERTS WITH MEMBERS OF THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

J.S. Bach: Solo Cello Suites with Hai-ye Ni: 1 p.m., Tuesday, July 9, 2013
An exceptional musician renowned for her fluid technique, gorgeous tone, and brilliant, expressive performances, cellist Hai-Ye Ni enjoys a distinguished, multi-faceted career as principal cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and as a sought-after soloist and chamber musician. Featured on this program are the six suites for solo cello by J. S. Bach, which are among the most iconic works of music ever composed.

Chamber Music: Members of The Philadelphia Orchestra: 1 p.m. Thursday, July 11, 2013
Star players from The Philadelphia Orchestra come together in this colorful program of works spanning several centuries. Featured are compositions by Telemann, Stamitz, Ravel, Joplin and Debussy.

How to Purchase Tickets: Concert tickets for the 26th Season of Bravo! Vail are available for purchase at www.bravovail.org or by calling the box office at 877.812.5700. Tickets may also be purchased in person now at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. Orchestral concerts featuring the Dallas, Philadelphia and New York orchestras start at $27 for both lawn and "Saver" pavilion seats. Lawn tickets for children 12 and under are $5. Tickets for the Chamber Music Series are $29 and Silver Oak Series starts at $35. Gala tickets start at $300. Tickets for The Linda and Mitch Hart Soiree Series are $200 and can be purchased only by phone at 877.812.5700.