SEASON TICKETS:   

Season tickets on sale now to the general public.
Choose from Saturday evenings or Sunday matinees.
Season tickets are sold at the Symphony Box Office. Call (808) 792-2000 (weekdays) or (808) 524-0815 ext. 245 (evenings) for more information.
www.honolulusymphony.com

HONOLULU – The Honolulu Symphony today announced the magnificent new 2009-2010 Halekulani MasterWorks season featuring exhilarating programming and beloved classics. Sales are now open to the general public and new patrons receive a very special offer: 50 percent off the price of their season tickets. New patrons now have access to packages priced as low as $99 for 12 concerts, making season tickets to the Symphony affordable for families, seniors and music lovers of all ages. In anticipation of the exciting new season, more than 1,200 current season ticket holders have already renewed their Symphony subscriptions.

Halekulani MasterWorks 2009-2010 Season:

•  Maestro Andreas Delfs, in his third season as principal conductor, opens the season with new music that is taking the country by storm: the Fleck-Meyer-Hussain Triple Concerto.
• Throughout the season, light and entertaining classics are in the spotlight with Debussy’s Clair de lune and La mer, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Suite, Poulenc’s The Story of Babar, Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, Bach’s Suite No. 3 in D “Air on the G String,” a special evening of songs from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and much more.
• Superstar violinist Anne Akiko Meyers joins the orchestra for a violin double-bill featuring Vaughan William’s Lark Ascending and Ravel’s Tzigane.
• Celebrated pianist Arnaldo Cohen shares the poetry of Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
• International celebrity guest conductors Gerard Schwarz, John Nelson, Jorge Mester and Naoto Otomo join the Symphony for four exclusive concert weekends.
• The sensational Jennifer Frautschi introduces audiences to the beauty of Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2, a work of exquisite grace and charm.
• Renowned pianist and NPR “From the Top” host Christopher O’Riley performs Beethoven’s dramatic Piano Concerto No. 1.
• Maestro Delfs leads the orchestra in the new Mostly Mozart festival, featuring Mozart’s final four symphonies including the “Prague” and “Jupiter.”

HONOLULU SYMPHONY SEASON TICKETS – ON SALE NOW!

• Season ticket packages start from $198 for 12 concerts.
• Season ticket prices remain unchanged for the third season in a row.
• New patrons receive 50 percent off their selected season ticket package.
• Season ticket holders enjoy special benefits, including ticket exchanges, invitations to exclusive backstage events and priority seating.
• The Symphony’s family-friendly Sunday afternoon concerts, beginning at 4 p.m., continue to offer the perfect outing for all generations. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to share the concert experience with children and teens this season.

HALEKULANI MASTERWORKS 2009-2010 SEASON:

Honolulu Symphony Opening Night!
Saturday, September 19, 2009 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, September 20, 2009 at 4 p.m.
Andreas Delfs, conductor
Béla Fleck, banjo
Edgar Meyer, bass
Zakir Hussain, tabla
Program:
Ravel: Alborada del Gracioso
Meyer: Triple Concerto
Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition
The rich Spanish melodies of Ravel’s Alborada del Gracioso (from “Miroirs”) continue to delight with the golden essence of a morning serenade. Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition is a masterpiece that conveys a wealth of vivid images as we “tour” the exhibit together. Orchestrated by Ravel, Pictures captivates the spirit of imagination embodied by the creative soul. Then – a Honolulu Symphony first – bassist Edgar Meyer, banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck and the famed Zakir Hussain perform a new Triple Concerto, a blend of American folk and classical Indian music.

Family Classics with the Stars of “LOST”
Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, October 4, 2009 at 4 p.m.
Andreas Delfs, conductor
Program:
Debussy: Clair de lune (arr. Carmen Dragon)
Poulenc: The Story of Babar the Elephant (L'histoire de Babar, le petit éléphant, melodrama for narrator and orchestra)
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Suite
Debussy’s wistful Clair de lune is a gentle indulgence that conjures up a dreamy escape to a world of twilight and romance. The adored children’s tale of Babar the Elephant comes to life as stars of ABC’s “LOST” join the orchestra to narrate Poulenc’s masterwork of lightness and jollity. Tchaikovsky’s magical suite from the ballet Swan Lake is the perfect finale to this evening of magic and childlike delight.

 
Arnaldo Cohen and Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2
Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 4 p.m.
Gerard Schwarz, conductor
Arnaldo Cohen, piano
Program:
Shostakovich: October (tone poem)
Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2
Tchaikovsky: Symphonie Pathétique
Acclaimed pianist Arnaldo Cohen makes his debut with Liszt’s virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 2. Brimming with originality and adventure, the Concerto is a poetic journey from beginning to end. Guest conductor Gerard Schwarz leads the orchestra in the mystical Symphonie Pathétique, which represents Tchaikovsky at the peak of his creative powers. It would prove to be the composer’s last and most poignant masterwork.

Haydn’s Creation
Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 8, 2009 at 4 p.m.
John Nelson, conductor
Guest artists to be announced.
Program:
Haydn: The Creation
Haydn’s great oratorio, The Creation, is a story of optimism that celebrates peace and balance in a world of universal harmony. Haydn, who considered The Creation to represent the pinnacle of his career, imbued the choral masterpiece with a foundation of hopefulness that belies even the world’s darkest of forces. Audiences will relish the fusion of elegance and exuberance that, even after 200 years, still delivers a wonderfully moving experience.

Violinist Jennifer Frautschi
Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 4 p.m.
Andreas Delfs, conductor
Jennifer Frautschi, violin
Program:
Warbeck: Princess Ka‘iulani Suite
Wieniawski: Violin Concerto No. 2
Debussy: La Mer
Celebrate Hawaii’s 50th Anniversary of Statehood with Stephen Warbeck’s “Princess Ka`iulani Suite” from the upcoming film. Debussy’s opulent portrayal of the ocean, La mer, sparkles with aquamarine waves and shimmering light as the orchestra captures the spirit of the sea. Sensational violinist Jennifer Frautschi makes her debut with Wieniawski’s lyrical Violin Concerto No. 2. A work of immense feeling, poetic beauty and virtuosic challenge, the Concerto is a rare indulgence. It is music like this that makes us fall in love with the violin all over again.

Pianist Christopher O’Riley
Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 4 p.m.
Andreas Delfs, conductor
Christopher O’Riley, piano
Program:
Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1
Brahms: Symphony No. 2
Celebrated pianist and NPR “From the Top” host Christopher O’Riley makes his own debut with Beethoven’s irrepressible and dramatic First Piano Concerto. Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra is the perfect “overture” to the orchestra’s family of instruments. Music lovers will be charmed by this inventive work that continues to enchant people of all ages. Then, Brahms takes us on a grand tour of golden strings, mighty brass and wonderful solo woodwinds with the mesmerizing Second Symphony.

Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers
Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 4 p.m.
Naoto Otomo, conductor
Anne Akiko Meyers, violin
Program:
Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
Ravel: Tzigane
Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra
World-renowned violinist Anne Akiko Meyers joins the Honolulu Symphony for must-attend performances of two hallmark classics. A work of pure emotion that invokes the beauty of days gone by, Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending offers an escape from the fast pace of today’s world. Ravel’s rhapsodic and challenging Tzigane shines with dancing fire to showcase the virtuoso’s gifts. Completing this magnificent evening filled with Hungarian gypsy flare is the breathtaking Bartok Concerto for Orchestra.

Quinn Kelsey Sings “Porgy and Bess”
Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 4 p.m.
Andreas Delfs, conductor
Quinn Kelsey, baritone
Additional guest artists to be announced.
Program:
Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 “New World”
Gershwin: Highlights from “Porgy and Bess”
George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess in a very special evening. Featuring music that has established itself in the hearts of music lovers, Porgy and Bess is among opera’s most down-to-earth, enjoyable and accessible works. From songs such as “Summertime” to “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” Porgy and Bess is a true American classic.

Schumann’s Piano Concerto
Friday, April 9, 2010 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 8 p.m.
Jorge Mester, piano
Hai-Kyung Suh, piano
Program:
Shostakovich: Festive Overture
Schumann: Piano Concerto
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 “Italian”
Take an imaginative voyage that begins with Schumann’s high-spirited Piano Concerto in this evening of orchestral treasures featuring the debut of pianist Hai-Kyung Suh. Schumann weaves a tapestry of endless happiness, framed by felicitous tunes in his one-and-only Piano Concerto. Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 “Italian” sketches the sunny landscapes, luscious flavors and vibrant atmosphere of Italy.

Honolulu Symphony Season Finale
Saturday, May 15, 2010 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 4 p.m.
Andreas Delfs, conductor
Program:
Bach: Suite No. 3 in D
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 “Titan”
Bach’s supreme craftsmanship is reflected in his beloved Suite No. 3 and its famous second movement, “Air on the G String.” A cornerstone of the Baroque orchestral repertoire, the Suite No. 3 brings to mind the lightness of clouds in a perfect blue sky. Next, witness how Mahler’s visionary Symphony No. 1 “Titan” changed the very definition of the symphony.

HONOLULU SYMPHONY MOSTLY MOZART FESTIVAL: SPRING 2010
Andreas Delfs, conductor

The “Prague” Symphony
Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 8 p.m.
Joseph Johnson, cello
Mozart: Symphony No. 38 “Prague”
Dvorak: Cello Concerto
Mozart’s “Prague” Symphony No. 38 abounds with Bohemian charm and affection, while reflecting the composer’s wit, maturity and confidence. Next, a true masterpiece. Laced with passion and bliss, the legendary themes of Dvorak’s sublime Cello Concerto make this an irresistible evening.

Mozart’s Symphony No. 39
Sunday, March 14, 2010 at 4 p.m.
Mozart: Symphony No. 39
Haydn: Trumpet Concerto
The delights of the Mostly Mozart Festival continue with Symphony No. 39, which captures the brilliance of Mozart in his finest hour. Haydn’s resplendent Trumpet Concerto is featured in a rare performance of this glorious masterwork whose flourishes and triumphant fanfares are guaranteed to thrill one and all.

Mozart’s Symphony No. 40
Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 8 p.m.
Sean Kennard, piano
Mozart: Symphony No. 40
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
Mozart’s great triumph, the Symphony No. 40, is the centerpiece of an evening that evokes the ancient courts of Europe. Written during the summer of 1778 during a frenzy of creativity, it is counted amongst Mozart’s most ingenious masterworks. To complete the experience, Sean Kennard returns to the Honolulu Symphony stage with Tchaikovsky’s brilliant Piano Concerto No. 1.

 
The “Jupiter” Symphony
Sunday, May 9, 2010 at 4 p.m.
Ignace Jang, violin
Mozart: Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter:
Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
An endearing favorite, Mendelssohn’s magnificent Violin Concerto is the crowning jewel of the evening. Violinist Ignace Jang performs this riveting masterpiece that is regarded as one of the greatest concertos in the repertoire. From the innocent slow movement to the elfin finale, the Violin Concerto is an experience unlike any other. Then, Mozart’s final symphony, “Jupiter,” is celebrated for its many splendors and most especially, its famous fugue. Think you don’t know Mozart? Think again.