Tis the season
What's the hot ticket in Nashville?
The Nashville Symphony kicks off this weekend, and Nashville Ballet and Opera are not far behind. So here’s a rundown of what looks good in the big arts seasons in Nashville this year.
If you want a weekly reminder of what’s getting performed in town, your resource is Classical615. You won’t miss a beat in Nashville when you sign up for their emails and follow them on Instagram.
Nashville Symphony
The big story at the orchestra this year is the impending exit of conductors Giancarlo Guerrero and Enrico Lopez-Yañez. And while seeing those hometown favorites on the podium for multiple Mahler symphonies and pops favorites like Pink Martini will likely be a priority, there’s also some good visitors scheduled as well.
Joyce Yang joins the orchestra this weekend for Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini paired with Mahler’s 5th symphony - opening with a nice moment for the relatively new principal trumpeter William Leathers. And of course that Adagietto.
Highlights:
Conductor Lidiya Yankovskaya visits later this month with violinist Simone Porter for a program that includes both Prokofiev’s first violin concerto, Dvorak’s 7th symphony, and the Missy Mazzoli work Orpheus Undone.
The Symphony Chorus is in for an all Vivaldi program in October, with the Gloria paired with a concertmaster-led Four Seasons featuring concertmaster Peter Otto.
The Bang on a Can All Stars join the orchestra for a live recording of Julia Wolfe’s Flower Power, alongside Beethoven’s 7th Symphony in January.
A concerto by John Williams will be performed by Branford Marsalis in March with works by Joan Tower and Rachmaninoff.
A concertante for four winds by Jasmine Barnes will be taken on by principal oboist Titus Underwood along with Anthony and Demarre McGill on clarinet and flute, plus Andrew Brady on bassoon. This April concert, led by Anthony Parthner, also features Tu-Jia Dance by Joan Huang.
The Schermerhorn Symphony Center
In addition to being the home of the Nashville Symphony, the Schermerhorn also hosts other performances throughout the year.
Herbie Hancock performs this fall.
Silkroad Ensemble, now led by Rhiannon Giddens, will make an appearance.
Bridgerton fans can be excited about a visit from Vitamin String Quartet.
Local audiences may remember Karen Slack from The Jonah People, and she returns for a solo recital that is sure to be extraordinary.
Nashville Ballet
Perfect for October, the ballet revives Paul Vasterling’s take on Dracula set to music by Bohuslav Martinu. This is somewhat lightened by the pairing of Balanchine’s Serenade, featuring music by Tchaikovsky.
If you haven’t yet seen Nashville’s Nutcracker, you’ll enjoy its local setting with historic easter eggs all through the opening act. I interviewed Paul Vasterling about it in the first year of the podcast Classically Speaking.
If that wasn’t enough of a fairy tale for you, there’s always The Sleeping Beauty. And the annual new works in this year’s Attitude performance include new music by local composer Jordan Lehning.
Nashville Opera
I’ll admit that I was hooked by the marketing for Nashville Opera’s season opener.
It’s funny because it’s true.
Sure to start a conversation, you can take in Bizet’s Carmen at the end of this month. And, sorry for the spoiler, but the season is bookended with the dramatic downfalls of women, as it is set to end this spring with Lucia di Lammermoor.
I was most excited to see The Cook Off as part of this season. Composer Shawn Okpebholo is on a roll, with a recent Grammy nomination. So it’s about time his music is getting put on stage in Nashville. And with the Opera’s tendency to make signature cocktails for their performances at the intimate Noah Liff Opera Studio, I’m excited to see what’s coming for a work that prominently features chocolate cake.
I’m a bona fide Gilbert and Sullivan fan, so I’ll be on deck (ha!) for H. M. S. Pinafore this January.
Other Highlights
Vox Grata joins ALIAS Chamber Ensemble for Andrea Ramsey’s Suffrage Cantata in a free concert at Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church in October.
Congolese choreographer Faustin Linyekula performs at OZ Arts with trumpeter Heru Shabaka-Ra of the Sun Ra Arkestra in January.
Some smaller groups are still announcing what’s coming. When it comes to classical concerts per capita, Music City, as one would expect, punches far above our weight. So there’s always a reason to be finding your next ticket, and planning that next night out.
-Colleen
you’ve confused Yuja Wang with Joyce Yang.