Wolfgang inspecting Michael Lipman’s fine Italian cello after last night’s dinner.

Wolfgang with his wife Todorka and son Julian, holding my 2014 Schnabl cello.

With Wolfgang, the cello, and his son Julian in the foreground.

The tour will include several “firsts” for the artists and the programs:

• The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Lang Lang will each make their debut at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany; Manfred Honeck and the orchestra will make their first appearance together at this hall.
• The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will make its debut at the Philharmonie de Paris; Manfred Honeck and the orchestra will make their first appearance together at this hall.
• Also, for the first time, Manfred Honeck and the orchestra will perform together in Amsterdam, at The Royal Concertgebouw.
• For the first time, European audiences will hear live performances and European premieres of two Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s commissions:
  • Larghetto for Orchestra by James MacMillan, a commission by the orchestra in honor of the tenth anniversary of Manfred Honeck as Music Director, had its world premiere at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh in October 2017.
  • Resurrexit by Mason Bates was commissioned by the orchestra in celebration of Manfred Honeck’s 60th birthday and had its world premiere at Heinz Hall in September 2018. According to Bates, Honeck challenged him to write a “spiritual opener,” and so he “dreamed up a piece that animates the classic Resurrection narrative with propulsion and drama, rising from a biblical darkness into an exhilarating finale.”

A special pair of concerts will take place in Vienna, home to Manfred Honeck for his childhood and early career with the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra have built a close relationship with the Musikverein in Vienna, having performed there together in nine celebrated performances.

• On October 31, Manfred Honeck and the orchestra will be joined by Igor Levit on a program that will feature the Bates Resurrexit, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 22, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, a recording of which received two GRAMMYs in 2018 (Best Orchestral Performance and Best Engineered Classical Album).
• In an evening dedicated to the brilliance of Bruckner, on November 1 Honeck and the orchestra will perform Bruckner’s haunting Symphony No. 9,  followed by his major sacred work, Te Deum, with Christina Landshamer, soprano, Gerhild Romberger, alto, Werner Güra, tenor, Florian Bösch, baritone and the Wiener Singverein choir.

PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA:
25th ANNIVERSARY EUROPEAN TOUR ITINERARY

25th Anniversary European Tour: Concert 1
Friday, October 25 at 8:00 p.m.
ALTE OPER; FRANKFURT, GERMANY

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Igor Levit, piano

Program
MacMillan, Larghetto for Orchestra
Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5

25th Anniversary European Tour: Concert 2
Saturday, October 26 at 8:00 p.m.
ELBPHILHARMONIE; HAMBURG, GERMANY

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

Program
Bates, Resurrexit
Mozart, Concerto No. 24 in C minor for Piano and Orch, K. 491
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5

25th Anniversary European Tour: Concert 3
Monday, October 28 at 7:30 p.m.
KUPPELSAAL; HANNOVER, GERMANY

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Igor Levit, piano

Program
Mozart, Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major for Piano and Orch, K. 482
Bruckner, Symphony No. 9

25th Anniversary European Tour: Concert 4
Tuesday, October 29 at 8:00 p.m.
PHILHARMONIE; BERLIN, GERMANY

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Igor Levit, piano

Program
Mozart, Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major for Piano and Orch, K. 482
Bruckner, Symphony No. 9

25th Anniversary European Tour: Concert 5
Thursday, October 31 at 7:30 p.m.
MUSIKVEREIN; VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Igor Levit, piano

Program
Bates, Resurrexit
Mozart, Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major for Piano and Orch., K. 482
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5

25th Anniversary European Tour: Concert 6
Friday, November 1 at 7:30 p.m.
MUSIKVEREIN; VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Christina Landshamer, soprano
Gerhild Romberger, alto
Werner Güra, tenor
Florian Bösch, baritone
Wiener Singverein, choir

Program
Bruckner, Symphony No. 9
Bruckner, Te Deum

25th Anniversary European Tour: Concert 7
Sunday, November 3 at 7:00 p.m.
GASTEIG, MUNICH, GERMANY

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Lang Lang, piano

Program
Mozart, Concerto No. 24 in C minor for Piano and Orch, K. 491
Bruckner, Symphony No. 9

25th Anniversary European Tour: Concert 8
Monday, November 4 at 8:15 p.m.
THE ROYAL CONCERTGEBOUW; AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Igor Levit, piano

Program
MacMillan, Larghetto for Orchestra
Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5

25th Anniversary European Tour: Concert 9
Tuesday, November 5 at 8:30 p.m.
PHILHARMONIE DE PARIS; PARIS, FRANCE
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Matthias Goerne, baritone

Program
Bates, Resurrexit
Strauss/Schubert, Selected Lieder
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5

25th Anniversary European Tour: Concert 10
Thursday, November 7 at 8:00 p.m.
BOZAR CENTRE FOR FINE ARTS; BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Igor Levit, piano

Program
MacMillan, Larghetto for Orchestra
Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5

25th Anniversary European Tour: Concert 11
Friday, November 8 at 8:00 p.m.
TONHALLE; DUSSELDORF, GERMANY

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Igor Levit, piano

Program
Bates, Resurrexit
Mozart, Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major for Piano and Orch, K. 482
Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5

“Most of our friends were Dad’s colleagues and we were often at each other’s houses to socialize. During the off-season, friends would come over to play quartets in our living room, or next door where there was a grand piano. Those times were magical. The soundscape of our house was the symphony, opera, and ballet.” His father, Henry Squitieri, joined the Pittsburgh Symphony in 1931, playing second violin for 46 years.

During that time, Noel remembers seeing many of his father’s concerts at the Syria Mosque. “I loved that music hall, for it was where I saw Dad play most often.” He also had the opportunity to see William Steinberg conduct. “The love and respect between Maestro Steinberg and the musicians of the orchestra could be seen and heard as I watched and listened from my seat.”

But concerts are only one of the many wonderful memories. “Dad and his friends coming to school to give short concerts promoting the Young People’s Concerts series. Mordecai Applebaum’s Sears scooter, which he rode wearing a black beret and cape with bright scarlet lining. The tour bus Dad rode in named, ‘Have Cards Will Travel’. Going along with Dad to a house party for Yehudi Menuhin, which was so beat I’ve never forgotten the sights and sounds. Having my photograph taken backstage with Jack Benny after a rehearsal. Helping Mark Pancerev move. Learning backgammon at Dick Holland’s house. Going to the 202 Diner at 2:00 AM for eggs after a concert at the Temple Music Festival.”

What’s one memory that is unexpected? Noel was an honorary member of the unofficial Pittsburgh Symphony Motorcycle Club. “That was another experience altogether!”

Even with all of the musical experiences growing up, Noel didn’t pick up the violin. “Dad tried to teach me, but I was a poor student. Rather, growing up listening to Dad play at home and on stage, I simply couldn’t stand the horrible noises I made, so I avoided making them by never practicing.” He did, however, made it to the stage as a guitarist. “It’s surf music…but I think Dad’s pleased. He always told me I could…and I did! I owe it to Dad because he inspired me to play music after all.”

“When Dad passed away a few years after retiring, the Pittsburgh Symphony hosted a memorial tribute in the Heinz Hall lobby. Many of Dad’s friends played chamber music. The room was jammed, and the feelings of love shown to Dad that day are indelible and will never leave me.”

After being away from Pittsburgh for thirty-two years, one of the first things Noel did after returning was reconnect with the orchestra.

“A number of Dad’s colleagues are still performing, or still live in the area…and I’ve managed to get in touch with many of them to talk about the good old days.”

Now, Noel has a daughter of his own to pass on the Squitieri musical legacy. “My daughter Corradina was born after Dad passed away, but she knows him through my stories and the records I play. She loves everyone in the orchestra, who are all so kind to her. Cory excitedly looks forward to every performance, and always makes sure to greet everyone she can before or after a concert. I’m building a collection for her of photographs with everyone.”

“The Pittsburgh Symphony has been an essential part of my life from the beginning and remains so today.
Sharing the orchestra and musicians with my daughter is one of the great highlights of my life.”

Composed by Kathryn Bostic, the August Wilson Symphony pays tribute to the iconic playwright with music inspired by the 10 Plays Wilson wrote based on his life experiences growing up in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Phylicia Rashad will be the host and narrator for the concert. Ms. Rashad will read passages from August Wilson’s plays before each movement.

Kathryn Bostic scored several August Wilson plays including Gem of the Ocean (Broadway), Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (directed by Phylicia Rashad), and Radio Golf. The August Wilson Center in Pittsburgh hired her to score and sound design scenes from his plays in the 2011 August in August tribute to the playwright. Bostic also scored the PBS American Masters documentary August Wilson – The Ground on Which I Stand, which inspired her to create the August Wilson Symphony and will include narrated excerpts from his plays.

Also featured on the program is 14 year-old cellist, Ifetayo Ali, who was the Junior Division 1st Place Laureate of the 2017 Sphinx Competition, performing Lalo’s Cello Concerto in D minor. The program will also include pianist, composer, and vocalist, Kathryn Bostic, performing her own composition State of Grace, a tribute to playwright August Wilson. A percussion ensemble from the Pittsburgh Cultural Arts Collective, under the direction of Thomas Chatman, will open the program, followed by vocalist Anqwenique who will perform Take My Hand, Precious Lord.

A jazz combo will perform a piece about Teenie Harris called Teenie Time by Jay Ashby that will feature the PSO’s Jeffrey Grubbs on contrabass and Victoria Luperi on clarinet. The Hill District Unity Choir led by Director Jason Washington will close the concert with a special arrangement of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Richard Smallwood’s An Anthem of Praise.

Before the concert, audiences are invited to come to exhibits and pre-concert presentations throughout Heinz Hall. A jazz combo featuring Alton Merrell, Jeffrey Grubbs, James Johnson III, and Anqwenique will play in the Grand Lobby following the concert.

This concert marks a re-launch of a collaboration between the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Hill District community.

*  *  *

The Pittsburgh Symphony would like to recognize and thank the African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania for its supporting partnership of this concert.  This concert is also generously supported by Macedonia FACE.

 PITTSBURGH — Opera and theater director Sam Helfrich joins Music Director Manfred Honeck, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh for the third in a series of collaborations bringing to life great musical masterpieces through a provocative and modern-day lens.  Following staged interpretations of Handel’s Messiah, and Bach’s St. John Passion, Helfrich returns this season to illuminate the “six most famous days in all of history” with a theatrical/symphonic presentation of Haydn’s beloved The Creation, December 1 & 3, 2017 at Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts. Tickets and information can be found online at pittsburghsymphony.org, or by calling (412) 392-4900.

Presented in three acts, Helfrich’s Creation offers a unique twist on the biblical “Creation Story.” The first two acts take place in a schoolroom, where the teacher, Uriel (tenor Werner Gura), begins a lesson about creation, based on Christian religious imagery. Then the students Gabriel (soprano Rachele Gilmore) and Raphael (bass Alexander Elliott) present visual reports on their understanding of creation. Act III is a story about first love. Raphael and Gabriel, now teenagers, sit shyly, getting to know each other, as if at a high school dance. As Uriel, still the teacher, observes from a distance, we are finally led to understand that this is the lesson about creation that he’s been teaching us all along: a celebration of life and love given to us from above.

Throughout the performance, the Heinz Hall stage will be illuminated with video and visual imagery designed by cinematographer Greg Emetaz. Audiences can expect to see abstract photography, scenes of nature and industry, and film footage that reference and enhance the music.

*  *  *

On November 27, 2017 at 8:00 p.m., PSO Music Director Manfred Honeck and Director Sam Helfrich will explore the creative intersection of music, art, and spoken word in PSO @ City of Asylum: “Reimagining Creation,” at Alphabet City (40 W. North Ave) on Pittsburgh’s Northside. Tickets are free, but reservations are required.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, in partnership with the City of Asylum, has created a series of five events in the 2017-18 season that will employ and reflect the expertise and experiences of the artists of these two innovative groups. Themes and content have been jointly created to incorporate composers, musicians, poets, writers, and artists from Pittsburgh and around the globe. Each session ties into a theme on a Pittsburgh Symphony BNY Mellon Grand Classical performance and attendees will receive discounts to these concerts.

*  *  *

The Pittsburgh Symphony would like to recognize and thank BNY Mellon for its 2017-2018 title sponsorship of BNY Mellon Grand Classics.  Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony.  Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the Pittsburgh Symphony.

*  *  *

The PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, known for its artistic excellence for more than 120 years, is credited with a rich history of the world’s finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), Andre Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1995-2004).  This tradition of outstanding international music directors was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The orchestra has been at the forefront of championing new American works, and gave the first performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah” in 1944 and John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine in 1986. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and radio concerts. Its “Pittsburgh Live!” series with Reference Recordings has resulted in back-to-back Grammy Awards in 2015 and 2016. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony broadcast on the airwaves coast-to-coast and in the late 1970s it made the ground breaking PBS series “Previn and the Pittsburgh.” The orchestra has received increased national attention since 1982 through network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900 — including international tours to Europe, the Far East and South America—the Pittsburgh Symphony continues to be critically acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest orchestras.

 HEINZ HALL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc., a non-profit organization, and is the year-round home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cornerstone of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, Heinz Hall hosts many events that do not feature its world-renowned Orchestra including Broadway shows, popular touring artists, comedians, speakers and much more. For a full calendar of upcoming non-symphony events at the hall, visit heinzhall.org.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce that UPMC Health Plan will be the presenting sponsor of three 30-minute mini-concerts to be performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra during “Light Up Night” in downtown Pittsburgh on Friday, November 17, 2017. The concerts, conducted by PSO Associate Conductor Francesco Lecce-Chong, will run every 30 minutes between 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. at Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts. These concerts are free and open to the public.

Each 30-minute concert will feature different selections of holiday-themed classics such as Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” from The Nutcracker, selections from Handel’s Messiah, and the Overture to Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, among others. Each performance will end with Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride. Audiences are invited to come for one concert, or stay for all three.

On Friday, November 24 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 26 at 2:30 p.m., PSO Music Director Manfred Honeck will continue his Thanksgiving tradition by leading BNY Mellon Grand Classics: Vienna & Violin Virtuosity, a program of light-Viennese favorites such as waltzes and polkas by Johann Strauss. This year, joining the PSO on the Heinz Hall stage as a soloist will be 16-year old violinist, Noa Wildschut.

For both of the BNY Mellon Grand Classics concerts on Thanksgiving weekend, UPMC Health Plan will provide free children’s admission. For each adult admission ticket purchased, concert-goers can receive up to two (2) free admission tickets for children ages six to 18. This offer is open to the public and available online, in person at the Heinz Hall box office or by calling 412.392.4900.

“Thanks to generous support from UPMC Health Plan, thousands of first-time patrons will have an opportunity to hear the Pittsburgh Symphony free-of-charge in historic Heinz Hall. These concerts enable the PSO to share its music with a broader audience and contribute to the cultural vitality of downtown Pittsburgh” said PSO President and CEO Melia Tourangeau.

The PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, known for its artistic excellence for more than 120 years, is credited with a rich history of the world’s finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), Andre Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1995-2004).  This tradition of outstanding international music directors was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The orchestra has been at the forefront of championing new American works, and gave the first performance of Leonard Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah” in 1944 and John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine in 1986. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and radio concerts. Its “Pittsburgh Live!” series with Reference Recordings has resulted in back-to-back Grammy Awards in 2015 and 2016. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony broadcast on the airwaves coast-to-coast and in the late 1970s it made the ground breaking PBS series “Previn and the Pittsburgh.” The orchestra has received increased national attention since 1982 through network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900 — including international tours to Europe, the Far East and South America—the Pittsburgh Symphony continues to be critically acclaimed as one of the world’s greatest orchestras.

HEINZ HALL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc., a non-profit organization, and is the year-round home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cornerstone of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, Heinz Hall hosts many events that do not feature its world-renowned Orchestra including Broadway shows, popular touring artists, comedians, speakers and much more. For a full calendar of upcoming non-symphony events at the hall, visit heinzhall.org.

Contact: Laura D. Soldati, Interim Director of Public Relations
Phone: 412.392.4866 | email: lsoldati@pittsburghsymphony.org

Twitter: @pghsymphony | Facebook: facebook.com/PittsburghSymphonyOrchestra