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View Winners → California Philharmonic Kicks Off Blockbuster 14th Season at Walt Disney Concert Hall
Arts Jun 13, 2017
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Cal Phil Chorale joins heralded Maestro Victor Vener and his world-class orchestra for first of spectacular five concert summer series. – Courtesy photo / California Philharmonic
Maestro Victor Vener and the acclaimed California Philharmonic present what promises to be another awe-inspiring summer series of concerts at the iconic music destination the Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The magic begins on Sunday, June 25 with Wagner at the Movies, a colossal concert that seamlessly transports the audience from the opera stage to the silver screen. The sensational season opener features some of the most remarkable moments of Wagner’s Tannhauser, Die Meistersinger, and The Flying Dutchman.
Bridging the gap between stage and screen is the luscious score by Brian Tyler for Thor 2: The Dark World, the grandiose music of Conan the Barbarian by Poledouris, John Barry’s iconic score to The Lion in Winter and the timeless score to the Oscar winning film Titanic, by the late James Horner. The beloved Maestro and orchestra are joined by the Cal Phil Chorale under the direction of resident chorus Maestra Marya Basaraba during this epic season opener.
Cal Phil’s 2017 Summer Schedule is as follows:
Sunday, July 9 – Rodgers, Hammerstein, and the Organ
The multi-talented Kevin Earley and rising star Annalise Staudt join Cal Phil for some of the hit songs from Broadway dynamic duo Rodgers and Hammerstein from the musicals Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, Carousel, South Pacific, and The King and I. Who better to unleash the power of the WDCH organ than its curator Phillip Smith. Smith will be performing the relentlessly powerful, and beautiful Organ Symphony by Saint-Saens, along with the rarely performed Festival Prelude by Richard Strauss.
Sunday, July 30 – An Afternoon in Old Vienna With Judith Hill
Among the great Viennese composers, one was the aptly named “Waltz King” Johann Strauss Jr. Some of his most famous works like Tales from the Vienna Woods, Blue Danube, and opera Die Fledermaus will be setting the mood. On the less subtle side, fellow Austrian countryman Bruckner will be heard as we share excerpts of his larger than life romantic symphony. Johannes Brahms will be making an appearance with his ever famous Fifth Hungarian Dance. Finally, the endlessly talented and stunning, Grammy award winning artist Judith Hill joins the Cal Phil once again, gracing us with both standard and original songs. Johann Strauss’ music just makes you feel happy.
Sunday, August 13 – Shakespeare in Love
California Philharmonic and the Cal Phil Chorale explore the many shapes of Shakespeare’s influence as they perform possibly the greatest rendition of Romeo and Juliet of all time, Bernstein’s West Side Story and Hamlet’s new look and sound in Disney’s timeless animated film, The Lion King. Also on the program are Midsummer Night’s Dream by Mendelssohn, and the music of Henry the 5th portrayed by Patrick Doyle. The mesmerizing sound of soloist Sara Andon on flute pays heed to the Hamlet Suite by Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota’s Romeo and Juliet.
Sunday, August 20 – World’s Best Marches
What better way to end a larger than life summer season than with a bang! Cal Phil’s 2017 summer season finale features Tchaikovsky’s extraordinary Marche Slave as well as Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance. Special guest virtuoso pianist Daniel Lessner dazzles with the immortalized Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini. We can’t have a march concert without the king of marches, and possibly the most celebrated American composer in history, John Philip Sousa. Come hear some of his most popular marches, and his most iconic work Stars and Stripes Forever.
Cal Phil at Walt Disney Concert Hall performances start at 2:00pm, with the intimate pre-concert Talks With The Maestro at 1:00pm in BP Hall.
The California Philharmonic is supported by the California Philharmonia Society, a non-profit community benefit organization whose main emphasis at this time is to support the California Philharmonic.
Tickets for Walt Disney Concert Hall are available for purchase at the Music Center’s website.
For further information or to schedule a time to speak with Maestro Victor Vener, please contact Lauren Lewis at (818) 970.0052 or llewispr@aol.com.
