News and Stories - Erie Philharmonic: Recent Episodes
Erie Philharmonic
ERIE PHILHARMONIC ANNOUNCES RETURN OF POPULAR FREE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
After a record-breaking season with eight sold-out performances, the Erie Philharmonic is thrilled to announce the return of free music this summer with the continuation of the popular In Your Hometown concert series. Eight concerts will take place in parks across the region as the tour makes stops throughout northwestern Pennsylvania in June, July and August.
Kicking off on Wednesday, June 28 at Gibson Park in North East, PA, the tour will feature one of three different ensembles, including a string quartet, full orchestra and brass band. All eight concerts are scheduled to take place at outdoor parks and venues, with backup indoor rain locations available as needed. Additionally, all three of the full-orchestra performances will include on-site instrumental petting zoos, allowing children and their families to get up close with various orchestral instruments.
“We are beyond excited for the return of our In Your Hometown series. After a season that saw us reach a record number of patrons inside the Warner Theatre, we are ready to take the group on the road, visiting thousands of audience members in their own backyard. Whether it be the full Erie Philharmonic with Music Director Daniel Meyer or our incredible brass ensemble, we have an amazing collection of music planned for this summer!”
— Steve Weiser, Executive Director View fullsize
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Like in previous years, the opening night of the tour will take place at Gibson Park in North East, a location that will host two additional performances throughout the tour. Going back to 2019, the Philharmonic has visited North East multiple times thanks to the support of several local businesses, the North East Community Foundation, the North East Arts Council, the Borough of North East and Red Letter Hospitality. Those concerts laid the groundwork for our continued relationship with the North East community and have led to the continuation of the orchestra’s summer concert series across our region.
In addition to three visits to Gibson Park in North East, the tour will feature stops at Corry City Park in Corry, Diamond Park in Meadville, Pleasant Ridge Park in Fairview, Gridley Park in Erie and Scheide Park in Titusville.
All concerts begin at 7pm, and are free and open to the public.
String Quarter: A light-classical performance from our world-class string quartet.
June 28 Gibson Park, North East
Full Orchestra: The perfect family concert with a full orchestra performing Russell Peck’s The Thrill of the Orchestra!
July 12 Gibson Park, North East
July 13 Corry City Park, Corry
July 14 Diamond Park, Meadville
Brass Ensemble: A 16-person brass ensemble performing everything from Sousa and patriotic favorites to music from Chicago and Scott Joplin
July 31 Pleasant Ridge Park, Fairview
August 2 Gibson Park, North East
August 3 Gridley Park, Erie
August 7 Scheide Park, Titusville
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
ERIE JUNIOR PHILHARMONIC WELCOMES JERRY ANDERSON AS MUSIC DIRECTOR
The Erie Junior Philharmonic is delighted to welcome beloved music educator Jerry Anderson as its new Music Director, effective immediately.
Anderson has been teaching music in the Millcreek Township School District for 35 years. During that time, he has taught at the elementary, middle and high school levels. At McDowell High School, his orchestra students consistently placed in the PMEA All-State orchestra as well as the NAfME All-East and National Honors Orchestra. Anderson is a graduate of Mercyhurst College, where he studied under Robert Dolwick and James DeSano. He lives in Millcreek with his wife Sharon. Sharon and his son Austin are both alumni of the Junior Philharmonic.
“I am extremely honored and excited to be chosen to lead the Erie Junior Philharmonic into the future. The historic legacy of this orchestra speaks for itself and I look forward to sharing my passion for music and teaching to provide our students with the highest quality musical experience.”
— Jerry Anderson Anderson receiving the Golden Apple Teacher Award in 2017.
The Erie Junior Philharmonic, in existence since 1947, is one of the longest-running youth orchestras in the country. With entry level programs for string and wind students in addition to upper-level ensembles, the Junior Philharmonic offers world-class training for students of all ages and ability levels. Graduates are now playing in orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, the Columbus Symphony, the Erie Philharmonic and many other ensembles across the country.
The ensemble traditionally offers weekly rehearsals at Strong Vincent Middle School, with sectional coaching, advanced chamber ensembles for members of the string, brass, woodwind and percussion sections of the orchestra. Performance opportunities include annual winter and spring concerts, a tour of schools, ensemble performances, an annual concerto competition and a performance with the Erie Philharmonic on stage at the historic Warner Theatre.
The Erie Junior Philharmonic is under the umbrella of the Erie Philharmonic and its mission to enrich, entertain and educate.
Learn more about the Junior Philharmonic
Our good friend Brian Hannah from WQLN had the chance to chat with legendary violinist Midori ahead of her visit to Erie on March 25. Enjoy!
March 25 Concert info Midori is a visionary artist, activist and educator who explores and builds connections between music and the human experience and breaks with traditional boundaries, which makes her one of the most outstanding violinists of our time. She will mark the 40th anniversary of her professional debut this season, celebrating a remarkable career that began in 1982, when she debuted with the New York Philharmonic at age 11.
In concert around the world, Midori transfixes audiences, bringing together graceful precision and intimate expression. Midori has performed with, among others, the London, Chicago, and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras; the Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks; the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics; the Mahler Chamber Orchestra; and Festival Strings Lucerne. She has collaborated with such outstanding musicians as Claudio Abbado, Emanuel Ax, Leonard Bernstein, Jonathan Biss, Constantinos Carydis, Christoph Eschenbach, Daniel Harding, Paavo Järvi, Mariss Jansons, Yo‑Yo Ma, Susanna Mälkki, Joana Mallwitz, Antonello Manacorda, Zubin Mehta, Tarmo Peltokoski, Donald Runnicles, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Omer Meir Wellber.
This anniversary season is marked by a new recording of the complete Beethoven sonatas for piano and violin performed by Midori and the celebrated pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet – a landmark recording of two artists at the height of their careers (Warner Classics). Coinciding with the new release, Midori and Thibaudet perform all ten sonatas over three concerts at Dartmouth College and a single concert of three of the sonatas in Chicago. Another highlight of the anniversary season is a project that combines two lifelong passions – the music of Bach and newly commissioned music – in a solo recital tour featuring Bach’s six sonatas and partitas for solo violin alongside works by contemporary composers; the tour includes a return to Carnegie Hall in February and concerts in Washington, DC, Seattle and Vancouver, and in San Francisco, Irvine and La Jolla in California. Midori also appears this season with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Toledo Symphony and Glacier Symphony (in Montana).
Learn more about Midori
It’s here: The Erie Philharmonic has officially announced its 2023-24 line-up, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this magical season with you!
Check out our 2023-24 Season Preview!
The orchestra’s season will kick off on September 23, 2023, at the Philharmonic’s musical home, the Warner Theatre, with A Night at the Opera featuring renowned bass-baritone Eric Owens. Other classical pieces performed throughout the season include Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and George Li's rendition of Rachmaninoff’s beloved Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Fans of rock and roll can look forward to The Police Deranged for Orchestra featuring drummer Stewart Copeland, while fantasy fanatics can get their fill with back-to-back screenings of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert. The season will conclude on May 11, 2024, with orchestral and vocal masterpiece Carmina Burana. Our entire line-up includes:
- September 23: A Night at the Opera featuring bass-baritone Eric Owens
- October 21-22: The Police Deranged with Stewart Copelamd
- November 4-5: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert™
- November 11: George Li Plays Rachmaninoff
- December 2-3: Come Home for the Holidays
- January 20: Mahler 3
- February 24-25: Greatest Fantasy Hits II with host John de Lancie
- March 23: Pictures at an Exhibition
- April 13-14: Broadway in Concert
- May 11: Carmina Burana
Season Lineup With record-breaking numbers of subscribers and sell-outs increasing, the Philharmonic is also thrilled to announce the addition of a performance series: the Pops Sunday Series. All five scheduled Pops Series performances will include Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon concerts, bringing the total number of performances to 15 for the regular season.
Erie Philharmonic Executive Director Steve Weiser expressed his excitement over the upcoming season, saying, "We are honored to be one of the only orchestras in the region who is seeing an increase in audience attendance. Between numerous sold-out concerts each season to our brand-new Sunday Pops Series, we truly have the best, most dedicated patron base in this part of the country. We can’t wait to share these exciting concerts with our growing family of music lovers!”
Subscription renewals launch on March 1, 2023, with the new subscriptions on sale April 3, 2023. CLICK HERE for more information on renewing your subscription or becoming a sbubscriber.
As the Erie Philharmonic anticipates its upcoming season, the orchestra still has several exciting performances left in its current 2022-23 season, including a performance by famed violinist Midori and Troupe Vertigo's Cirque acrobatics set to live music.
The Erie Philharmonic has been bringing top-quality orchestral performances to the Erie community since 1913, and with this announcement, the orchestra continues to focus on its mission: to entertain, enrich, and educate.
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Music Director Daniel Meyer previews our upcoming March 25 concert, featuring:
Strauss Emperor WaltzesSchumann Violin Concerto
Brahms Symphony No. 3
Program also features a performance from legendary violinist Midori as well as a performance from our Erie Junior Philharmonic.
Learn more
Special Guest: MidoriMidori is a visionary artist, activist and educator who explores and builds connections between music and the human experience and breaks with traditional boundaries, which makes her one of the most outstanding violinists of our time. She will mark the 40th anniversary of her professional debut this season, celebrating a remarkable career that began in 1982, when she debuted with the New York Philharmonic at age 11.
In concert around the world, Midori transfixes audiences, bringing together graceful precision and intimate expression. Midori has performed with, among others, the London, Chicago, and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras; the Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks; the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics; the Mahler Chamber Orchestra; and Festival Strings Lucerne. She has collaborated with such outstanding musicians as Claudio Abbado, Emanuel Ax, Leonard Bernstein, Jonathan Biss, Constantinos Carydis, Christoph Eschenbach, Daniel Harding, Paavo Järvi, Mariss Jansons, Yo‑Yo Ma, Susanna Mälkki, Joana Mallwitz, Antonello Manacorda, Zubin Mehta, Tarmo Peltokoski, Donald Runnicles, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Omer Meir Wellber.
This anniversary season is marked by a new recording of the complete Beethoven sonatas for piano and violin performed by Midori and the celebrated pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet – a landmark recording of two artists at the height of their careers (Warner Classics). Coinciding with the new release, Midori and Thibaudet perform all ten sonatas over three concerts at Dartmouth College and a single concert of three of the sonatas in Chicago. Another highlight of the anniversary season is a project that combines two lifelong passions – the music of Bach and newly commissioned music – in a solo recital tour featuring Bach’s six sonatas and partitas for solo violin alongside works by contemporary composers; the tour includes a return to Carnegie Hall in February and concerts in Washington, DC, Seattle and Vancouver, and in San Francisco, Irvine and La Jolla in California. Midori also appears this season with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Toledo Symphony and Glacier Symphony (in Montana).
Midori’s European engagements this season include Brahms’ Violin Concerto at the Moritzburg and Schleswig-Holstein Music Festivals; a residency with the Volksoper Wien Orchestra and an appearance with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin; chamber music concerts in Köln, Hamburg and London; and solo Bach programs at major German festivals in Dresden, Bonn and Ludwigsburg. In addition to other concerts in Europe and Asia, she appears in residency at Suntory Hall in Tokyo in November.
Midori’s diverse discography includes the 2020 recording with the Festival Strings Lucerne of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and two Romances on Warner Classics; recordings on Sony Classical, Ondine and Onyx include the music of Bloch, Janáček and Shostakovich and a Grammy Award-winning recording of Hindemith’s Violin Concerto with Christoph Eschenbach conducting the NDR Symphony Orchestra as well as Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin filmed at Köthen Castle, which was recorded also for DVD (Accentus).
As someone deeply committed to furthering humanitarian and educational goals, she has founded several non-profit organizations, and last season, she was able to offer programs in person for the first time in two years. Midori & Friends, celebrating its 30th year of service this season, provides music programs for New York City youth and communities, and MUSIC SHARING, a Japan-based foundation, brings both western classical and Japanese music traditions to children and adults in Japan and throughout Asia by presenting programs in schools, institutions, and hospitals. For her Orchestra Residencies Program (ORP), Midori commissioned composer Derek Bermel to write a new piece, “Spring Cadenzas,” which was premiered (mostly virtually) by student orchestras in 2021 and continues to be performed by ORP participants. Through Partners in Performance (PiP), Midori co-presents chamber music concerts around the U.S., focusing on smaller communities that are outside the radius of major urban centers and have limited resources.
In recognition of her work as an artist and humanitarian, she serves as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Last season, she participated in a panel discussion, hosted by The Peace Studio, about what music can teach us about peaceful communication, alongside Joyce DiDonato and Wynton Marsalis; she delivered the Kim and Judy Davis Dean’s Lecture in the Humanities at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute (about non-profit leadership and volunteering); and she was awarded the Asian Cultural Council’s John D. Rockefeller 3rd Award for her contributions to the field of arts and cultural exchange. In 2022, Midori was also awarded the Brahms Prize by the Schleswig-Holstein Brahms Society. In recognition of her lifetime of contributions to American culture, Midori is a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and was celebrated by Yo-Yo Ma, Bette Midler and John Lithgow, among others, during the May 2021 Honors ceremonies in Washington, DC.
Last season’s concert highlights included the premiere of Detlev Glanert’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Midori’s appearance in Carnegie Hall’s benefit Concert for Ukraine.
Midori was born in Osaka in 1971 and began her violin studies with her mother, Setsu Goto, at an early age. In 1982, conductor Zubin Mehta invited the then 11-year-old Midori to perform with the New York Philharmonic in the orchestra’s annual New Year’s Eve concert, where the foundation was laid for her following career. Midori is the Dorothy Richard Starling Chair in Violin Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and is a Distinguished Visiting Artist at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.
Midori plays the 1734 Guarnerius del Gesù ‘ex-Huberman’. She uses four bows – two by Dominique Peccatte, one by François Peccatte and one by Paul Siefried.
The Erie Philharmonic and their audience members focused on giving back in a new way this holiday season, and their generosity will benefit the students of Strong Vincent Middle School (SVMS) this winter.
The orchestra participated in the United Way of Erie’s Community Schools Drive in the months of October, November, and December. Between their Board of Governors, staff, and audience members, over 3000 items were delivered to the students at SVMS on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. From sweatshirts to hats, gloves to socks, toiletries and more, these items will provide supplies to students so they can focus on simply being students without the worry of staying warm through Erie’s cold winter months.
The United Way’s drive was for all community schools in Erie County, but the orchestra focused on SVMS as it is the “home” of the Erie Junior Philharmonic. They worked with Katrina Byrd, the Community School Director for SVMS to ensure the items received would best benefit their students in need.
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“It’s no secret that we appreciate our audience members when they’re filling the seats of the Warner Theatre, but our audience’s generosity to these students has surpassed our greatest expectations. People were bringing items to our offices, concerts at the Warner or churches, meetings, and more. We even had many families that are currently in the Junior Philharmonic participating too. We’re just blown away with everyone’s ability to give a little extra this holiday season.”
— Julia Grandinetti, Community Programs Manager
“Whether they’ve opened the school for concerts, rehearsals, events, or summer camps, [the administration and staff] have been generous with their time and resources in order for our Junior Philharmonic to truly feel supported at Strong Vincent and have a place to reside. We were looking for a way to give back, so jumping on board with the United Way’s drive seemed like the natural thing to do.”
— Steve Weiser, Executive Director
This May, the Erie Philharmonic will conclude its successful 2022-23 season with Mozart’s beloved Requiem in lieu of the originally planned Alexander Nevsky, composed by Sergei Prokofiev. Furthermore, the Philharmonic is dedicating this performance to the victims of the war in Ukraine and will donate 10% of ticket sales to the Erie United for Ukraine Fund at the Erie Community Foundation.
If you have tickets for the May 13 performance, you will be issued new tickets reflecting the repertoire change in the coming weeks.
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“While we were very much looking forward to performing Prokofiev’s composition, we understand that this a sensitive work to perform at this juncture in light of the current war in Ukraine. While ‘Alexander Nevsky’ tells the story of a historical war, the current Russian administration is using it for propaganda purposes. We appreciate that music can have a powerful ability to unite communities, and we have chosen instead to perform Mozart’s Requiem to celebrate the spirit of the Ukrainian people and commemorate those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of peace.”
— Daniel Meyer, Music Director For historical context, Sergei Prokofiev's film score and later cantata, Alexander Nevsky, was utilized as propaganda within the Soviet Union to promote Soviet ideals and used the historical figure of Alexander Nevsky to draw parallels with Soviet-era leadership. The continued use of these metaphors, plus the piece's glorification of Russia's military prowess and even an overt call to arms, continues to have relevance given Russia's current war on Ukraine.
The Erie United for Ukraine Fund was established in March 2022, by the Erie Community Foundation and the United Way of Erie.
“While we continue to be devastated by the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, the Erie Community Foundation is proud of Erie’s generosity in providing aid to those who need it most through #ErieUnitedforUkraine. Thanks to our partnership with United Way, we are confident that every dollar raised will help to address the heartbreaking struggles faced by refugees and we are grateful that the Erie Philharmonic community is joining us in that effort. Our collective power as a community shines through efforts like this one.”
— Karen Bilowith, President and CEO, Erie Community Foundation
“We at United Way of Erie County, recognize this difficult decision by the Erie Philharmonic, and appreciate and support their sensitivity and compassion. This an opportunity to continue to unite communities to help with the ongoing humanitarian relief efforts of the Ukrainian people. United Way of Erie County, in partnership with our friends at United Way of Southwest Pennsylvania, United Way Worldwide and The Erie County Foundation, will be able to direct the contributions from this concert to the organizations with expertise in humanitarian relief efforts: United Way Romania, United Way Hungary and Fundacja Dobrych Inicjatyw (Good Initiatives Foundation) in Poland.”
— Julie Chacona, UWEC Chief Development Officer and Erie Philharmonic Board Member The first half of this performance, scheduled for Saturday, May 13, will feature renowned pianist Adam Golka performing Tchaikovsky’s monumental Piano Concerto No. 1. Golka, along with Music Director Meyer and pianist Nathan Hess, traveled to the Steinway factory in New York City in Summer 2021 to select the Philharmonic’s brand-new grand piano. Golka will be performing on this very piano in May.
Tickets are still available for this performance. The concert starts at 8 pm, and doors will open at 7 pm. Concert attendees are not required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination, and masks will only be required if Erie County is in a high community spread level.
MOre INfo Mozart’s RequiemSat, May 13th at 8pm
Warner Theatre | Erie, PA
o Requiem replaces previously announced performance of Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevskyo
o In support of Ukraine, 10% of ticket sales will be donated to Erie United for Ukraine Fund
o Season finale for the Erie Philharmonic’s 2022-23 season
Get your tickets online at eriephil.org, via phone at 814-455-1375 or in-person at 23 W 10th Street, Erie, PA 16501.
From Erie Philharmonic Keyboardist Beth Etter
"I was there...the night the Erie Philharmonic played Star Wars."
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I'm certain folks will be saying this in years to come. It was one of those nights, for all of us.
I'm in the orchestra. I know what I did to make sure my part was all it could be. But every single one of us did the same…and for Star Wars, it was a lot.
Musicians talk to each other in anticipation of the next show. Once in a while, it's a piece of cake. Star Wars, on the other hand, is masterful music from a living composer nearly everyone knows. If you are in the brass or woodwind section, you know it means serious chops and hours of extra practice. For all of us on stage, it means don't ever for one single second think about dinner or your trip home or your kids. Because if you do, for two or three bars, you will be lost and have a hard time getting back on.
For our maestro - responsible for keeping all of us on track, and inspiring us to soar or hush - and for making sure every single second corresponds with the movie exactly, the task is superhuman.
The whooshing wave of cheers, bravos, whistles and clapping we experienced after both shows is a sound we on the stage long for, and our audience craves too. Why? Because we all want something to take us beyond where we imagine we can be.
Music can do that. Last weekend, it did. It's possible even the stars heard us.
And smiled.
Experience the magic yourself
From composer Timothy Adams
Harriet: Journey to Freedom (2022)
Commissioned by the Erie Philharmonic with additional support from the Akron Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Naples Philharmonic, the Niagara Symphony, the San Jose Chamber Orchestra and the Sewanee Music Festival. The May 14 performance is the world premiere of this work.
After George Floyd’s murder, Music Director Daniel Meyer and I were speaking about the state of the world at that moment in time. We have known each other for over 20 years and have performed some wonderful concerts together throughout our time with the Pittsburgh Symphony. Our discussion led us to a question, “how can orchestras bring hope, understanding, and peace into our communities in this country?” We all can find our life’s story in orchestral music. In my 31 years of playing in orchestras, I performed the music of only 3 Black Composers. These composers were only performed during the Gospel, Martin Luther King Jr., or Black History Month Concerts. We both agreed that this is and has been an unfortunate practice for many years. Thus, the lack of diversity in orchestra audiences.
I told Daniel that I would love to write a piece of music that would not only bring people of color into the concert hall, but bring in an audience of people that would not normally attend orchestra concerts. My feeling was Harriet Tubman’s life would be the perfect story to spark interest. The most compelling aspect of her story for me, is the fact that she returned multiple times to free enslaved people she did not know. Harriet Tubman’s humanity, compassion, love, determination and courage are qualities for all of us to imitate. After our discussion, Daniel said that he would like to commission me to compose this narrative in music. We agreed that text would be an important element of the sounds heard from the stage to tell her story. At that point, I decided the combination of instruments that would best move her story to the audience was a double string orchestra with percussion. Daniel gave me suggestions of some performances of this combination of instruments to study. In my attempt to tell her story, the text drives the music in this composition.
The piece is divided into 8 sections. The A section starts with solo cello playing a popular melody from the Black Church hummed by a deacon during the devotional before prayer. The strings play a chord to set the mood. The melody comes back again with the strings tremolo as the narrator tells Harriet’s feeling of being in the fields and knowing it is time to leave. The B section starts with pizzicato in the strings and adds percussion as the text deals with the urgency of fleeing from bondage. The C section has the strings playing lyrically with dissonance to accompany the plea of Harriet’s asking for the Lord’s strength to move. The D section has the strings playing pizzicato in the feeling of 7/8 when the time is actually 4/4 in a fast tempo. At this point, Harriet starts her escape to freedom with power. The E section has the strings arco playing forte, with the percussion taking on the characters of Harriet, the slave owner, other slave owners helping with the chase, dogs, and other white people from the area who just want her caught and killed. Harriet is running by night through swamps, rain, dealing with wolves, snakes, spiders and everything that could possibly hurt her. The F section shows her seeing the promised land and feeling blessed by the sight of freedom. There is a short 8 bar interlude from the percussion section that leads us into the G section where Harriet has reached freedom! The melody in the strings is reminiscent of Rachmaninoff ‘s 2nd Piano Concerto and the Civil Rights Anthem, We Shall Overcome. The H section has Harriet going back to free her people. The last section gives reflection on our human condition through the words of Amanda Gorman or my words, depending on the orchestras in the consortium’s preference. In addition, there is an audio track that is played softly throughout the composition. The sounds you will hear are chains that represent the bondage of enslaved black folks and the oscillating drone is the souls of people of color whose lives have been taken throughout our country’s history.
World premiere narrator Harry Lennix from NBC’s The Blacklist, Justice League, Matrix Revolutions and more
It was an honor and a privilege to put these sounds on paper to your ears. I appreciate Daniel’s confidence in allowing me the opportunity to write for his orchestra. I would like to thank Steve Weiser for putting the consortium together and also believing in this project. I dedicated this composition to the memory of my father who passed during its creation and thank him for exposing me to orchestra music at a very young age. The person who made all of this possible is my wife, Kim, the love of my life, who truly sees me and makes my life worth living. And finally, our beautiful son, who is our world and for whom I write every note.
May 14 World Premiere Info
Learn more about Tim Adams
FREE CULTURAL LOOP TROLLEY SET TO RESTART APRIL 30 April 19, 2022 – After a short hiatus, the free park-and-ride trolley service – the Cultural Loop – is scheduled to begin again April 30th.
This service is a brand-new partnership between Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Erie Philharmonic. The Loop will run on Saturday evenings from 5pm to 12am and will service popular events and activities in Erie’s downtown area.
The Cultural Loop’s route will service many of downtown Erie’s attractions such as the Erie Art Museum, expERIEnce Children’s Museum, Erie Insurance Arena, the Warner Theatre, PACA, and the Erie Playhouse. The route travels south on French Street to 14th Street, west on 14th Street to State Street, north to 11th Street, west on 11th Street to Peach Street, north on Peach Street to 10th Street, east on 10th Street to State Street, north on State Street to Perry Square, around Perry Square and north on State Street, returning to the Intermodal Transportation Center.
Patrons can enjoy free parking located at the Intermodal Transportation Center, Liberty Park and Ride, and the new EMTA parking ramp at 125 East 14th Street.
You can track where the Loop is using the MyStop Transit Tracker. This app is available on both Andriod and iPhone and allows you to track your bus in real-time, find your stop, plan your trip, or set service alerts.
“The Philharmonic and the EMTA are honored to make an investment in our community benefitting all patrons. Regardless if you’re attending concerts at the Warner Theatre, the Playhouse, PACA, or any of the other fabulous locations up and down State and French Streets, this service will prove beneficial to thousands each year.
A rising tide lifts all ships.”
— Steve Weiser, Erie Philharmonic Executive Director
The first event this service will be running for is the Erie Philharmonic’s Star Wars: A New Hope film-with-live- orchestra concert on April 30th. This sold out show will welcome more than 2,100 people alone to downtown Erie and is the perfect opportunity to relaunch this community service.
Learn more
THE ERIE PHILHARMONIC HOSTS A FREE LIVE CONCERT AND FASCINATING SPACES TV BROADCAST ON WQLN PBS March 24, 2022— The Erie Philharmonic’s initiative, Fascinating Spaces, continues with their second broadcasted television concert of the 2021-22 season. This unique program will explore how jazz, blues, work songs and spirituals have blended with European classical tradition to create a uniquely American voice in the concert hall. The concert will initially be held in person , and then subsequently recorded and broadcasted on WQLN PBS.
The free, in-person concert will be hosted at Edinboro University’s Cole Auditorium on Wednesday, April 13, 7:30pm, where everyone is welcome to experience and enjoy the works of African American composers Duke Ellington, William Grant Still and Adolphus Hailstork along with music from beloved Edinboro University composer William Alexander. These works will be featured alongside sensational Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear, who is joining the Philharmonic in his Erie debut.
Renowned pianist Stewart Goodyear to visit Erie this April!
“As a recognized and gifted composer, Dr. William Alexander established the William and Mary Alexander Music Performance Fund which provides funding for at least two concerts on the Edinboro campus each year. The Edinboro University Foundation is proud to invite the Erie Philharmonic once again on campus to share a live performance for the campus community featuring a work of Dr. William Alexander.”
— Chuck Scalise, Executive Director, Edinboro University Foundation
The following day, this concert will be recorded on stage in the stunning, newly renovated Warner Theatre and later broadcasted on WQLN PBS as the second part of the Erie Philharmonic’s Fascinating Spaces initiative on May 26. The footage from this event will also be repurposed for the Philharmonic’s free virtual Youth Concert that will be distributed to all regional schools at no cost.
For both the televised concert and virtual Youth Concert, the orchestra will also explore the life of Erie’s hometown musical hero, Harry T. Burleigh, and trace some of the important spaces in which he launched his life in music. These exclusive performances will feature renowned Burleigh expert Eddie Pleasant, baritone, as well as Erie Philharmonic musicians Eri Snowden-Rodríguez, cello, and Beth Etter, piano.
This will be the first concert in the free Fascinating Spaces series that offers an in-person, live experience. After the free, 17-concert tour in Summer 2021, titled In Your Hometown, the Philharmonic has recognized the significant impact that free music brings to our communities outside of the Warner Theatre, and they look forward to bringing this joy in and outside your homes with their TV concert initiatives and their upcoming 2022 free summer concert series.
CONCERT SCHEDULE:
IN-PERSON:
- Wednesday, April 13, 7:30 PM: Cole Auditorium, Edinboro University
- FREE and open to the public
- Please note: masks are not required for this performance, but they are highly recommended.
- Vaccines will not be required.
WQLN BROADCASTS:
- Thursday, May 26, 8:00 PM: WQLN PBS, Facebook LIVE and WQLN.org
- Sunday, May 29, 2:00 PM: WQLN PBS, Facebook LIVE and WQLN.org
For any questions regarding the free, in-person, performance or broadcasts please contact the Erie Philharmonic Box Office at 814.455.1375, open Monday-Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Links to media content:
- Soloist, Stewart Goodyear: https://www.stewartgoodyearpiano.com
- In-person concert information: https://eriephil.org/calendar/edinboro
With a spirit of solidarity, the leading arts presenters in Erie have banded together to develop a consistent COVID-19 policy in the face of relaxing restrictions from the CDC. It is our hope this unified policy allows for the greatest ease and consistency for all patrons.
In accordance with changes in guidelines from the CDC, masks are recommended but no longer required* for performances from the following organizations, effective April 1, 2022:
- Erie Philharmonic
- Erie Playhouse
- All an Act
- Dramashop
- PACA
- Jefferson Educational Society
- MIAC
As long as Erie County, PA, remains in Low or Medium Community Levels, as determined by the CDC, this new masking policy will remain in effect. Should Erie County return to a High Community Level, masking will revert to mandatory. These levels will be monitored by the partners on a bi-weekly basis.
At this time, proof of vaccination or a negative test is still required to attend all events.This policy will be reevaluated on a rolling basis by the partners as well.
All staff, volunteers, and security will continue to be required to wear masks and to be fully vaccinated.
For more information on partner COVID-19 Safety Protocols, please visit the organization’s websites.
For the full Erie Philharmonic safety plan, please click below:
Erie Philharmonic Safety pLan
* This updated policy is at the discretion of visiting guest artists and may be changed accordingly. Please be sure to check applicable protocols when purchasing tickets with each respective organization.
March 19 Concert Details
ERIE PHILHARMONIC ANNOUNCES SOLOIST CHANGE FOR RACHMANINOFF
March 17, 2022 – Renowned pianist George Li is set to make his Erie Philharmonic debut with Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 this weekend, replacing the originally scheduled Olga Kern who removed herself from the concert due to illness.
Praised by The Washington Post for combining “staggering technical prowess, a sense of command, and depth of expression,” pianist George Li possesses brilliant virtuosity and effortless grace far beyond his years. Since winning the Silver Medal at the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition and being named the recipient of the 2016 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Li has rapidly established a major international reputation as he performs regularly with some of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors, such as Gustavo Dudamel, James Gaffigan, Gustavo Gimeno, Manfred Honeck, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Kirill Petrenko, David Robertson, Leonard Slatkin, Yuri Temirkanov, Vladimir Spivakov, Michael Tilson Thomas, Long Yu, and Xian Zhang.
“We are honored to welcome someone of George’s stature to Erie, especially when it comes to performing a work as daunting as Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Piano Concerto,” stated Executive Director Steve Weiser. “If we’ve learned anything over the last few years, it’s that we have to be ready to adjust, pivot and adapt all hours of the day. This is how we ended up presenting a free season of music on TV during the pandemic and how we’re able to still perform this amazing concerto this weekend.”
Learn more about George Li
All subsequent outreach events originally scheduled with Olga Kern have been canceled, including the piano master class (March 17) and the Live from Studio Q (March 18).
As always, the Philharmonic is looking ahead. "I'm very sad that Olga had to cancel, and our whole Philharmonic family joins me in wishing her a speedy recovery as well as looking forward to introducing her to Erie audiences in the near future," said Music Director Daniel Meyer. "I am however very excited that we could secure this incredibly talented artist to perform Rachmaninoff with us this weekend. Our audiences are in for an amazing treat!”
Considered one of the most challenging pieces ever written for piano and orchestra, Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Piano Concerto was the inspiration for the Academy-Award-Winning film, Shine (1996), starring Geoffrey Rush as pianist David Helfgott. In addition to the Rachmaninoff, the orchestra will also perform Along the Western Shore, by renowned American composer Elinor Remick Warren, as well as Richard Wagner’s tragically beautiful Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde.
Doors open 90 minutes prior to the performance (6:30pm). Tickets are available and range in price $23 - $56. Student tickets are $12. All concert attendees are required to show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test, and must wear a mask throughout the entire event.
For more information regarding tickets or our COVID-19 Safety Plan, please visit our website at eriephil.org.
Saturday, March 19, 2022
- George Li performs Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3
- Warner Theatre, 811 State Street, Erie PA
- 8:00pm; doors open at 6:30pm
- Renowned pianist George Li takes the stage with the Erie Philharmonic in the newly-renovated Warner Theatre. The orchestra will perform Rachmaninoff’s legendary Piano Concerto No. 3 along with works from Wagner and Elinor Remick Warren.
March 19 Concert Details
ERIE PHILHARMONIC WELCOMES WORLD-RENOWNED PIANIST OLGA KERN TO THE STAGE
March 14, 2022– On Saturday, March 19, the Erie Philharmonic welcomes pianist Olga Kern, “one of our generation’s great artists,” to the Warner Theatre stage.
With direct family connections to Rachmaninoff, as well as being the first woman to win the Gold Medal at the vaunted Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in more than 30 years, Ms. Kern brings an unprecedented level of talent, passion, and knowledge to the stage for her performance of Rachmaninoff’s legendary Piano Concerto No. 3.
Considered one of the most challenging pieces ever written for piano and orchestra, Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Piano Concerto was the inspiration for the Academy-Award-Winning film, Shine (1996), starring Geoffrey Rush as pianist David Helfgott.
Ms. Kern will be performing this iconic concerto on the Philharmonic’s brand-new Steinway piano, hand-selected from the factory showroom this past summer. “The storyline for this concert is made even more special given that Olga will be performing such a legendary piece of music on this stunning new instrument,” remarked Executive Director Steve Weiser. “I simply can’t think of a more perfect work to showcase the power, sensitivity, and grandeur of our new piano. We are indebted to the Scibetta family for their generous gift that allowed us to purchase this spectacular instrument.”
Pianist Adam Golka, Music Director Daniel Meyer and Philharmonic keyboardist Nathan Hess at the Steinway factory in NYC this past August.
In addition to the Rachmaninoff, the orchestra will also perform Along the Western Shore, by renowned American composer Elinor Remick Warren, as well as Richard Wagner’s tragically beautiful Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde.
Doors open 90 minutes prior to the performance (6:30pm). Tickets are available and range in price $23 - $56. Student tickets are $12. All concert attendees are required to show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test, and must wear a mask throughout the entire event.
For more information regarding tickets or our COVID-19 Safety Plan, please visit our website at eriephil.org/safetyplan.
Prior to Ms. Kern’s performance with the orchestra on March 19, she will present two free events in the community, the first of their kind in two years: a piano master class, hosted at the Blasco Library, as well as a Live from Studio Q with an in-house audience at the WQLN radio studios.
Please see below for residency details. Information can also be found at here.
Thursday, March 17, 2022
- Olga Kern Piano Master Class
- Hirt Auditorium, Blasco Library, 160 East Front Street, Erie PA
- 6:00 pm
- Watch pianist Olga Kern, one of our “generation’s great artists,” work with local and regional piano students in a workshop setting. The audience will be treated to amazing performances from our guest artists, after which Ms. Kern will offer professional advice and critique in a unique, collaborative environment.
- Our COVID-19 Safety plan is still in effect and can be found at eriephil.org/safetyplan.
Friday, March 18, 2022
- Olga Kern Live from Studio Q
- WQLN Studios, 8425 Peach Street, Erie PA
- Live on 93.1 FM, WQLN.org and Facebook
- 12:00 pm
- Join host Brian Hannah and world-renowned pianist Olga Kern for an exciting hour of music and stories live in the WQLN studios.
Saturday, March 19, 2022
- Olga Kern performs Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3
- Warner Theatre, 811 State Street, Erie PA
- 8:00 pm; doors open at 6:30pm
- World-renowned pianist Olga Kern takes the stage with the Erie Philharmonic in the newly-renovated Warner Theatre. The orchestra will perform Rachmaninoff’s legendary Piano Concerto No. 3 along with works from Wagner and Elinor Remick Warren.
2022-23 Season Lineup
February 23, 2022: Music Director Daniel Meyer announced the Erie Philharmonic’s exciting 2022-23 lineup on Wednesday, February 23, at a 1pm news conference held in the Meiser Building, home of the orchestra’s administrative offices. The orchestra will begin its first full season of music in the newly renovated Warner Theatre on October 1 with legendary pop icon Sheena Easton, and will conclude this historic season on May 13 with a monumental presentation of Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky.
“With our brand new acoustical shell, beautifully-renovated back stage, new percussion equipment, a celeste, a new concert organ, and two Steinway grand pianos, we are poised to sound bigger and better than ever. You have come to expect the very best of us, and we aim to deliver through world-class concert experiences with violinist Midori, Grammy-winning baritone Mark Steven Doss, northwest Pennsylvania native Cameron Carpenter, Sheena Easton, Darth Vader, and Woody (From Toy Story)!”
— Music Director Daniel Meyer
The orchestra is especially honored to welcome both Midori and Cameron Carpenter to the Warner Theatre stage this season. Both these iconic artists were slated to perform with the Philharmonic during the current 2021-22 season, but had to postpone their performances due to COVID-19-related delays.
“From the moment we had to postpone the performances of Midori and Cameron, we started working behind-the-scenes to ensure we could bring both of them to Erie as soon as possible. To have two artists of this world-renowned caliber agree to come be a part of the magic we’re creating here in Erie speaks volumes for the support our community continually shows towards the orchestra. We definitely have the best audiences in the region, and I’m confident we’ve created a season that will simply blow everyone away!”
— Executive Director Steve Weiser
With an unprecedented number of new season pass holders, more than 800, the Philharmonic is in the midst a triumphant return to a newly renovated Warner Theatre. With more than 4,000 people having attended the first two performances in the new theatre, and other concerts selling out months in advance, the Philharmonic recognizes the special nature of this moment in the history of the orchestra.
“We are at a watershed moment for the Philharmonic, and the Erie community as a whole,” says Weiser. “Erie now has a venue unique in the nation, combining the grandeur of a 1930s movie palace with a state-of-the-art performing arts center. Orchestras 10 times our size would relish the chance to perform just once where our musicians get to play on regular basis. We are lucky and blessed, and will continue to present world-class concert experiences worthy of our magnificent home.”
Subscription renewals launch March 1, 2022, and will be available for sale to the general public on March 21, 2022. All concerts will take place at the Warner Theatre, located at 811 State Street in downtown Erie, PA.
2022-23 Season Highlights Saturday, October 1 · 8pm*
+ Rock n’ Radio with Sheena Easton (from the creators of *Music of the Knights*)
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Saturday, October 22 · 8pm
- Beethoven’s Ode to Joy with the Erie Philharmonic Chorus
- Erie native, Grammy-winning baritone, Mark Steven Doss
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Saturday, November 5 · 8pm & Sunday, November 6 · 3pm
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Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert
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Saturday, November 12 · 8pm
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Cameron Carpenter, organ
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Saturday, December 3 · 3pm & 8pm
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Come Home for the Holidays, A Soulful Christmas
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Saturday, January 28 · 8pm
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The Planets
- Hanzhi Wang, accordion
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Saturday, February 18 · 8pm & Sunday, February 19 · 3pm
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Pixar’s Toy Story in Concert
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Saturday, March 25 · 8pm
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Midori, violin
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Saturday, April 15 · 8pm
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Cirque at the Symphony with Troupe Vertigo
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Saturday, May 13 · 8pm
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Alexander Nevsky with the Erie Philharmonic Chorus
- Adam Golka, piano
Written by Michael E. DeSanctisChair, Erie Philharmonic Board of GovernorsOriginally featured on GoErie.com on February 12, 2022, as well the print edition of the Erie Times News on February 13, 2022.
Click here to learn more about Michael and his storied career.
The late Yale architectural historian, Vincent Scully (1920-2017), was fond of describing the art of building in strictly moral terms.
For Scully, great buildings and the cities that arose from them were the products of great men and women—good and courageous ones, at least, less interested in making a quick buck at the expense of others than in promoting the wellbeing of everyone in their communities.
“Nothing shows up more definitively in a building than a lack of love, unless it is a love of money,” Scully asserted in a 1985 essay for the New York Times lamenting the sad state of his beloved artform nationally and what it revealed about the American soul.
Though cynics might quibble with Scully’s observation, it’s hard not to agree that something gravely wrong has happened to the built environment in which Americans now find themselves.
To tour the cities and towns of our country nowadays is to encounter communities whose once-handsome urban cores have been left to decay for lack of the sort of popular attachment to place once considered an integral part of “civic-mindedness.”
Who can disagree that even in Erie, more often than not, we’ve been guilty of under-loving those parts of our city regarded too clunky, old-fashioned or reflective of the values of previous generations to warrant anything but a wrecking ball?
One wonders, for instance, what the profile of our downtown area might look like today as a welcome move toward historic preservation seems finally to be overtaking the city, had we not long ago torn down with blinding short-sightedness structures like the Commerce Building, the old Central Market or the Koehler Brewery, to name a few.
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Commerce Building
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Central Market
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Koehler Brewery
Which brings me to the recent completion of the Warner Theater renovation.
By all accounts, Erieites are thrilled with the improvements to the Warner.
The buzz generated by the mere lighting of the theater’s restored marquee—a month even before its doors were reopened to the public—suggests that the building holds a special place in the hearts of people throughout the Erie area.
After a spectacular, grand reopening matinee performance on January 23 by the Erie Philharmonic and, less than a week later, a sold-out “Music of the Knights” event likewise provided by the Phil, word has spread quickly not only that the Warner is the place to be for world-class stage entertainment but, more generally, that maybe it really is possible for a community to pour new wine into existing wineskins.
Native Erieites, especially, who remember the Warner primarily as a Depression-era movie house, are bound to be amazed by the improvements made to the theater’s stage, a deeper, higher and more resonant space than they’re likely to have experienced previously.
It is bright and beautiful, too, when its wood-paneled shell is inserted for symphonic and choral performances.
What the Warner’s rejuvenation means to Erie cannot be overestimated.
From my perspective as a trained architectural historian and the current chair of the Erie Philharmonic Board of Governors, it’s the harbinger of a new way of thinking about Erie set in opposition of the defeatism that has too long sold this city and it residents short in the marketplace of possibilities.
All around the city right now, in fact, there’s evidence of a can-do spirit taking hold, one more respectful of the past than prevailed during the decades when “urban renewal” projects of one kind or another were regarded the only way of saving a rusting, heavy-manufacturing town like ours.
West 6th Street Renovations
The string of historic buildings along Erie’s so-called Millionaire’s Row on West 6th Street to have recently undergone restoration, alone, is impressive, not to mention the ongoing transformation of the parcels comprising North Park Row and planned restoration of the Richard Arms towers.
The collection of first-rate buildings on the Bayfront is truly beginning to coalesce.
And who hasn’t marveled at the sheer scale at which the Erie Insurance Company continues to transform its corporate campus and surroundings to the benefit of more than just its employees.
The affection we hold for our city, briefly ritualized each August during the CelebrateErie days, underlies the greater season of pride and accomplishment into which we’re now entering.
The Warner’s renovated frame stands prominently at its start, a thing to be loved and boasted about—and with it the whole of this scrappy, little city of ours, where, for better or worse, our respective lives and fortunes are intertwined.
Come see the Warner for yourself
ERIE JUNIOR PHILHARMONIC WELCOMES MATT SALVAGGIO AS MUSIC DIRECTOR
February 1st, 2022– The Erie Junior Philharmonic (EJP) is delighted to announce Mathew Salvaggio as the new permanent Music Director and Conductor. Salvaggio served in this capacity in an interim role beginning in October, 2021, and helped to usher in a new era of music-making for the organization as it launched its memorable 75th season.
In addition to his work with the EJP, Salvaggio is the founder and Music Director of the Cleveland Repertory Orchestra. The 2021-22 season marks his fifth season as Music Director of the Euclid Symphony Orchestra. Matt was the 2021 Second Prize winner of the American Prize in wind conducting and a 2015 semi-finalist in the National Band Association’s Young Conductor Mentor Project. In 2019, he was a finalist for conducting positions with both the United States Army and Air Force Bands – an honor reserved for a select few each year.
“Getting to work with the students of the Jr. Phil has been an incredible experience - they are hard-working, driven and really love music. Erie is so fortunate to have this program that provides musical opportunities for students of all ages, and I’m so excited to be leading the Jr. Phil through its 75th season and beyond,” says Salvaggio.
Celebrating its 75th season, the Erie Junior Philharmonic has been an orchestra for young people since 1947 and is one of the oldest youth orchestras in the United States. Graduates are now playing in numerous orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic, the Columbus Symphony, the Erie Philharmonic and many other music organizations across the country.
The Erie Junior Philharmonic traditionally offers weekly rehearsals at Strong Vincent Middle School, with sectional coaching and advanced chamber ensembles for members of the string, brass, woodwind and percussion sections of the orchestra. Performance opportunities include annual winter and spring concerts, a tour of schools, ensemble performances, an annual concerto competition and a performance on the stage of the historic Warner Theater side-by-side with the Erie Philharmonic.
Along with the Erie Philharmonic Chorus, the Erie Junior Philharmonic Chorus and the newly formed Youth Chorale, the Erie Junior Philharmonic is under the umbrella of the Erie Philharmonic and its mission is to enrich, entertain and educate.
Links for Media Content:
- Erie Junior Philharmonic website: www.eriephil.org/jr-phil
- Join the Junior Philharmonic: https://eriephil.org/jrphilauditions
- Erie Philharmonic Webpage: https://eriephil.org/home
FIRST ERIE PHILHARMONIC SELL OUT OF THE SEASON WITH THE MUSIC OF THE KNIGHTS
The stunning, newly renovated Warner Theatre stage
January 28th, 2022– On Saturday, January 29th the Erie Philharmonic presents Music of the Knights, a thrilling musical celebration of Britain’s three legendary songwriters Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney. The performance will celebrate the best hits of all three of these great composers and performers with an iconic lineup of songs including “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Circle of Life”, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”, “Yesterday”, and “Hey Jude”.
This exciting blend of the three knights’ compositions will be celebrated Saturday night with Maestro Daniel Meyer leading the Erie Philharmonic and four acclaimed vocalists who will bring their lyrics to life on the newly renovated Warner Theatre stage. Soloists John Boswell, Scott Coulter, Kelli Rabke, and Lorinda Lisitza will be joining us from New York City, all of whom have extensive and impressive resumes. Their credits include multiple Broadway productions, an array of awards, and appearances on sitcoms like The Facts of Life.
Adding to the excitement will be the debut of guest ‘Baton’ conductor Mike Batchelor. Once a year, a community member is selected to take the helm of the Philharmonic as a fundraiser for the orchestra’s life-changing educational outreach activities, including youth concerts, instrumental petting zoos, virtual reality experiences and more. The orchestra is proud to announce Mr. Batchelor has raised $20,000 towards these initiatives. He will lead the full orchestra in a stirring performance of the Beatles’ classic “The Long and Winding Road.”
“I am honored to help our Philharmonic celebrate their return to the renovated Warner Theatre,” said Batchelor. “As Tammy and I review our long history in Erie, some of our fondest memories are associated with the Erie Philharmonic and the Warner. I know that funds raised will help the Phil continue their community outreach and to build audiences that will secure their future for generations to come”.
The show is sold out and tickets are no longer available. Doors open an hour and a half prior to the performance, at 6:30 PM. All concert attendees are required to show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test. Masks are required throughout the entire event.
Concert DetailsSaturday, January 29, 2022 @ 8pm - SOLD OUT
- Music of the Knights
- Warner Theatre, 811 State Street
- More info: https://eriephil.org/calendar/knights
- Erie Philharmonic Box Office - 814.455.1375 (available Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm)
Links for Additional Media Content:
- 2021-22 Season: https://eriephil.org/21-22
- 2021-22 COVID policy: https://eriephil.org/safetyplan
Patrons will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test upon arrival (PCR within 72 hours, antigen within 24 hours). All patrons must wear their mask when inside a concert venue. Visit eriephil.org/safetyplan for full details.
ERIE PHILHARMONIC RETURNS HOME TO THE WARNER THEATRE WITH OPENING SYMPHONIC SERIES CONCERT
Emaunel Ax and Music Director Daniel Meyer, 2017
January 21, 2022– On Sunday, January 23rd the Erie Philharmonic will return to its newly renovated home, the Warner Theatre, for the first time in almost two years. Leading the concert is celebrated pianist, Emanuel Ax.
The renovations made to the Warner Theatre have been nearly 25 years in the making, with extraordinary new additions to the stage area, including a stunning new acoustical shell.
The show will begin with a performance of Christopher Rouse’s Rapture (2000). Rouse describes this work as depicting a world entirely devoid of darkness– the piece strays away from Rouse’s usual dark works and “looks toward the light”. Ax will then join the orchestra for a performance of Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.2. Ax will be returning to Erie for his second performance with the Philharmonic, where he will be the first to perform on our brand-new, freshly installed, Steinway Model D grand piano. The performance will conclude with Stravinsky’s epic, Russian folklore-inspired ballet, The Firebird (1945 Version).
The Erie Philharmonic, under the direction of Music Director Daniel Meyer, is delighted to finally return home to the Warner Theatre this weekend. “From televised concerts in your living room to free summer concerts in your community, we are grateful for the continued support of our fabulous audience over the last 22 months,” states Music Director Daniel Meyer. “Now, after years of anticipation and a season on the road, we can finally celebrate coming home to the Warner together. And we can’t wait!”
Doors open an hour and a half prior to the performance (1:30 PM). Limited tickets are available ranging in prices from $23 - $56. Student tickets are $12. All concert attendees are required to show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test, and must wear a mask throughout the entire event.
For more information regarding tickets or our COVID-19 Safety Plan, please visit our website at eriephil.org.
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Concert details:
Sunday, January 23, 2022
- Doors open at 1:30pm, concert starts at 3pm
- Emanuel Ax at the Grand Re-Opening of the Warner Theatre
- Warner Theatre | 811 State Street, Erie PA
- Emanuel Ax takes the stage with the Erie Philharmonic in the newly-renovated Warner Theatre for a historic and brilliant evening. The orchestra will perform Christopher Rouse’s Rapture, Frédéric Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.2, Opus 21, and Stravinsky’s The Firebird.
Patrons aged 5 and older will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination (14 days post final shot) or a negative test (PCR test within 72 hours of performance or antigen test within 24 hours of performance) upon arrival in addition to wearing a mask.
On the day of the event, anyone who will not comply with these guidelines will not be admitted into the concert and will not receive a refund.
An exclusive preview performance from the new Warner Theatre stage following a massive, two-year renovation. This concert features two performances of Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man performed on the exact same spot, seven months apart.
Be there for the grand reopening of the Warner Theatre on Sunday, January 23 at 3pm!
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Learn more
ERIE PHILHARMONIC WELCOMES GUEST ‘BATON’ CONDUCTOR TO TAKE THE STAGE DURING SOLD-OUT PERFORMANCE
December 20, 2021 – The Erie Philharmonic continues its decades-long tradition of passing the ‘Baton’ with guest conductor Mike Batchelor taking the stage during the SOLD-OUT Music of the Knights performance on January 29, 2022.
Once a year, a community member is selected to take the helm of the Philharmonic as a fundraiser for the orchestra’s life-changing educational outreach activities, including youth concerts, instrumental petting zoos, virtual reality experiences and more.
Originally scheduled for 2020, this concert was postponed and later canceled due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In what can only be described as a storybook ending to this journey back to the Warner Theatre, Batchelor will now lead the Philharmonic in a performance of The Beatles’ song “The Long and Winding Road” during the orchestra’s second performance in the newly renovated Warner Theatre. “I am honored to help our Philharmonic celebrate their return to the renovated Warner Theatre,” said Batchelor. “As Tammy and I review our long history in Erie, some of our fondest memories are associated with the Erie Philharmonic and the Warner. I know that funds raised will help the Phil continue their community outreach and to build audiences that will secure their future for generations to come,” he said.
Batchelor, who recently retired after more than 30 years at the Erie Community Foundation, leaves behind an impressive legacy of fundraising and community support. Between the creation of Erie Gives Day to the expansion of Community Foundation assets from $20 million to $350 million, he has set the gold standard in creating public awareness for the true power of philanthropy.
Friends, colleagues and community members can make donations in Batchelor’s honor to support the Philharmonic’s educational outreach opportunities at https://eriephil.org/baton or by clicking below.
Since 1969, the orchestra has been led by more than 45 individuals from across the region. This list includes Noel Burgoyne, Chuck Furr, Mili Hanes, Linda Stevenson, Katie Denlinger, Lou Baxter, Wally Faas, Charlie Ingram, John Vanco, Christie Ferrier, Marlene Mosco, Don Baxter, Chuck Harris, Bruce Kern, John Baldwin, Pauline Scott, Peggy Richardson, Tom Vicary, Wally Knox, Al Renkis, Sandra Jarecki, James McKibben, Brady Louis, Robert Ferrier, Bob Merwin and many more.
The Philharmonic has reserved a block of tickets for this SOLD OUT performance set aside for donors in Batchelor’s honor.
Please contact Elizabeth Valkanas at 814.455.1375, ext. 114 or elizabeth@eriephil.org to make a donation.
Donate here
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Concert DetailsSaturday, January 29, 2022 @ 8pm - SOLD OUT
- Music of the Knights
- Warner Theatre, 811 State Street
- More info: https://eriephil.org/calendar/knights
- Erie Philharmonic Box Office - 814.455.1375 (available Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm)
Please note - the box office will be closed from December 20-January 2. If you have any immediate questions please email info@eriephil.org.
Links for Additional Media Content:
- 2021-22 Season: https://eriephil.org/21-22
- 2021-22 COVID policy: https://eriephil.org/safetyplan
Patrons will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test upon arrival (PCR within 72 hours, antigen within 24 hours). All patrons must wear their mask when inside a concert venue. Visit eriephil.org/safetyplan for full details.
THE ERIE PHILHARMONIC BRINGS A HOLIDAY CONCERT YOU WON’T WANT TO ‘MESSIAH’ OUT ON!
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December 8, 2021 – Handel’s Messiah Returns! After a pandemic instilled hiatus in 2020, George Frideric Handel’s Messiah is back with two performances for what is promised to be a powerful and moving production at the First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant on Saturday, December 11 at 3pm and 8pm.
Handel’s Messiah, thrilling audiences every time it’s performed, is the most performed and perhaps most beloved of all the great choral masterworks. You may have heard bits of Messiah ringing out from churches, concert halls or radios around Easter and Christmas, particularly the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus and ‘For Unto Us A Child Is Born’. Performing the piece around Yuletide became a national obsession in Britain in the Victorian era –– and that obsession has never quite abated.
Legend has it that Handel composed Messiah in just 24 days without getting much sleep or food. While writing the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus Handel’s servant discovered him with tears in his eyes and he exclaimed, “I did think I did see all Heaven before me, and the great God Himself seated on His throne, with his company of Angels.” Messiah, in short, tells a story of humanity’s redemption, a pointed and appropriate message for yet another holiday season in the midst of a pandemic.
Patrons will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test upon arrival (PCR within 72 hours, antigen within 24 hours including at-home tests). All patrons must wear their mask when inside a concert venue.
The concert will be led by Erie Philharmonic Chorus Director Thomas Brooks, and soloists will include soprano Elizabeth Baldwin, mezzo soprano Joan Marie Peitscher, baritone Eddie Pleasant and tenor Wesley Lawrence.
Elizabeth Baldwin
Joan Peitscher
Wesley Lawrence
Eddie Pleasant
Baldwin has been called "ferociously talented" by the San Francisco Examiner and "mesmerizingly vulnerable" by the New York Times. Peitscher is known for her "rich sound and moving performances," and Edward Pleasant is considered "one of the most versatile performers of his generation." Wesley Lawrence has appeared in shows across America and Europe. His accomplishments include performing as Rodolfo in Puccini's La Bohème in Italy and the solos in Dubois' Seven Last Words of Christ.
Join the Erie Philharmonic and the Philharmonic Chorus to revel in history, beauty and significance this holiday season with the return of Handel’s Messiah!
Messiah Events:
Thursday, December 9, 2021 @ 6:30pm
- Erie Philharmonic Chorus’s Holiday Soiree Fundraiser
- Ambassador Conference Center
- More info: https://eriephil.org/calendar/holidaysoiree
Friday, December 10, 2021 @ 12pm
- Live from Studio Q with Messiah soloists
- WQLN 91.3 FM
- More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/673756090700696
Saturday, December 11, 2021 @ 3pm & 8pm
- Handel’s Messiah
- First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant (250 W 7th Street, Downtown Erie)
- More info: https://eriephil.org/messiah
ERIE PHILHARMONIC RETURNS TO THE STAGE AFTER NEARLY TWO YEARS WITH COME HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
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November 29, 2021 – For the Erie Philharmonic, the music has finally returned. After the closing notes sounded on March 7, 2020, at the Warner Theatre, the future of the orchestra was unknown. With the onset of the COVID-19 lockdown over those next few weeks, arts organizations across the country closed up shop, in some cases for good.
Not your Erie Philharmonic.
17 television broadcasts and 16 free summer concerts later, the orchestra is back, thanks to the heroic generosity and dedication of countless individuals across the region. The orchestra not only survived; they thrived, adapted and pivoted, and are ready for a comeback concert for the ages.
This comeback launches on December 4 with two performances of the beloved Come Home for the Holidays concert (3pm & 8pm). Showing resilience yet again, the orchestra was forced to pivot last minute by switching venues to the Erie Insurance Arena. A move, described by Executive Director Steve Weiser, not as disruptive as it may seem. “Lost in the chaos of 2020 was the concept that our pre-COVID 2020-21 season was planned entirely with the Erie Insurance Arena in mind. Between ornate curtaining and lighting to an upgraded sound system, 99% of the work was already done in terms of concert planning. Once we knew for sure the concert needed to be moved to the arena, our team worked around the clock to facilitate the change and to start preparing for this memorable concert.”
Memorable certainly seems correct. The Philharmonic has assembled a cast of hundreds for these two exciting, identical holiday performances (in previous years, the afternoon performance was shortened). Alongside the return of Maestro Daniel Meyer, Concertmaster Ken Johnston, the Erie Philharmonic, the Philharmonic Chorus and Junior Philharmonic Chorus, this concert will also feature the grand debut of the orchestra’s newly formed Youth Chorale, under the direction of Sharon Downey.
Patrons will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or negative test upon arrival (PCR within 72 hours, antigen within 24 hours). All patrons must wear their mask when inside a concert venue.
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Highlighting the program is another memorable star – renowned Broadway singer Ashley Brown (pictured above). Ms. Brown originated the title role in Mary Poppins on Broadway for which she received Outer Critics, Drama League and Drama Desk nominations for Best Actress. Ms. Brown also starred as Mary Poppins in the national tour of Mary Poppins where she was awarded a 2010 Garland award for “Best Performance in a Musical.” Ms. Brown’s other Broadway credits include Belle in The Beauty and The Beast and she has starred in the national tour of Disney's On The Record.
With selections from O Holy Night and White Christmas to Chanukah Lights and the crowd-favorite sing-along, the Philharmonic is indeed coming home for the holidays. Maybe not the home the orchestra was expecting, at least not yet anyway, but the home that Erie needs right now.
A home (read: hockey arena) full of singing, laughter, joy and, finally, music.
COVID-19 SAfety Plan
As we’ve expressed before, we are extremely grateful to you, our dedicated audience. The support you have shown us over the past 21 months is inspirational, and we cannot wait to show our gratitude when we take the stage together in the coming months at the newly-renovated Warner Theatre.
I’m here today with three important announcements regarding our historic 2021-22 season. While we are all bursting with excitement to take the stage at the Warner Theatre this December, it looks as if we’ll have to take one more detour before finally coming home.
Today, I am announcing that our 2021 Come Home for the Holidays concerts will be presented at the Erie Insurance Arena on December 4. They will remain at the same times – 3pm and 8pm and the same date as originally planned.
“With the combined forces of the Erie Philharmonic, the Philharmonic Chorus, the Junior Philharmonic Chorus, our brand-new Youth Chorale and Broadway Star Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast), this program will fill you with holiday spirit as we perform our first full orchestra performance in almost two years.”
— Maestro Meyer
If you have already purchased tickets for either concert, we will reseat you with similar seats in the Arena. No need to contact us – we will simply print your new tickets and mail them to you.
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Ashley Brown originated the award-winning role of Mary Poppins on Broadway!
The Come Home for the Holidays concert will now take place at the Erie Insurance Arena, with concerts scheduled for 3pm and 8pm. Ticket sales for these concerts will be suspended from October 29 to November 8 to give Philharmonic staff time to reseat the audience.
Sales will reopen on Monday, November 8.
Current ticket-holders will be placed in correlating seats in the Arena and new tickets will be mailed. Please do not call the box office to move your tickets to allow for staff to quickly make this change.
We are now also able to release our plan to keep audiences safe this season. The health of our musicians, patrons, volunteers and staff is paramount. By committing to a safe environment for all, the Erie Philharmonic has joined a growing coalition of performing arts organizations across the country in adopting safety protocols to ensure your visit to the Philharmonic is safe and sound. Patrons will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test upon arrival, and we ask that all patrons wear their mask when inside a concert venue. Please visit eriephil.org/safetyplan for more information as we look to do our part in keeping the concert hall a safe place this season.
COVID-19 SAfety Plan
Finally, we have one more exciting update to share with you, and we’re asking you to pivot with us one more time. Our opening night Symphonic celebration in the Warner Theatre will now take place two weeks later than originally planned, on Sunday, January 23 at 3pm.
Emanuel Ax performed for a SOLD OUT crowd back in 2017!
In what can only be described as a storybook ending to this long journey away from the Warner Theatre, legendary pianist Emanuel Ax will return to Erie to help us christen our renovated home and our brand-new Steinway piano. Additionally, we are happy to announce internationally-renowned violinist Midori will be returning as part of our 2022-23 season.
The box office is working around the clock to facilitate these changes – if you have already have tickets to this performance, please check your mail for forthcoming communications and newly-printed tickets.
Buy tickets for the grand opening
All ticket-holders for the originally scheduled January 8 concert will be mailed new tickets for the concert on Sunday, January 23. The Erie Philharmonic box office requests patrons refrain from calling the office with ticketing questions until new tickets are distributed.
The biggest thing we need to remember today is that on December 4, the music will return.
“The Erie Philharmonic thrives on not where we perform, rather, through the gathering and sharing of our love for music. As we have proven over the last 21 months, the orchestra is alive and well outside the walls of our venues. We are in your parks, your bandshells, your living rooms and your television screens…anywhere music can exist, so can the Erie Philharmonic. ”
— Maestro Meyer
Thank you for your patience and understanding. Together we will be able to celebrate the return of live music, and we appreciate your willingness to help us reach that triumphant moment.
Daniel Meyer
Music Director, Erie Philharmonic
Founded in 1951, the Erie Philharmonic Chorus has a storied history of providing high-quality choral music opportunities to singers around the Erie region. From collaborative performances with the Erie Philharmonic to independent concerts, the Chorus has become a part of many family traditions – from multiple generations of membership to yearly performances of Handel’s Messiah.
This past year has challenged the Chorus to stay engaged through an 18-month pause of rehearsals. However, after virtual happy hours, educational videos and virtual lectures covering topics from Harry Burleigh to Arthurian legends, rehearsals have officially resumed. The ninety singers, all distanced and masked, were excited to jump in to the repertoire that lays ahead this season, including Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Handel’s Messiah, the well-loved show tunes of Rodgers & Hammerstein and more.
“We’ve been waiting for this moment for quite a while. It certainly has been a challenge getting everyone back together, but we’ve had great help from the Erie Philharmonic and the medical professionals in the Chorus. We finally get to do what we do best – make music together!”
— Tom Brooks, Chorus Director
Rehearsals aren’t just starting up for the Erie Philharmonic Chorus; weekly practices have also begun for the Junior Philharmonic Chorus and newly formed Youth Chorale. These ensembles, in partnership with the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Paul in downtown Erie, have drawn students from across the region and will include choral rehearsals and group piano lessons in a state-of-the-art Roland piano lab.
“Our students have a great opportunity to expand their horizons and become leaders in their own school ensembles. We’re finally establishing something that we’ve wanted for a while: ensemble opportunities for singers of all ages. It’s an exciting time.”
— Brooks
The Erie Philharmonic Youth Chorale, designed for students in second through eighth grade and conducted by Cathedral of St. Paul Music Director Sharon Downey, has wait-list spots available. The Erie Junior Philharmonic Chorus, made up of high school singers, still has spots available. To sign up for an audition, please click below:
Learn more
The first performance for these three ensembles will take place at the Erie Philharmonic’s Come Home for the Holidays concert on Saturday, December 4.
Season Brochure
2021-22 Season
Guest Artist Profile: Cameron Carpenter
Our 2021-22 Season
With his exceptional musicality, sheer endless technical ability and pioneering spirit, the extraordinary organist Cameron Carpenter is already leaving his mark on recent music history.
Since the completion of his own instrument, the International Touring Organ (ITO) in 2014, Cameron defies initial skepticism towards this digital instrument and established the ITO on the world’s most prestigious stages.
By now, he almost exclusively performs on the ITO, be it in recital or concerto appearances. This tailor-made instrument, based on Carpenter’s own plans, allows him to perform at almost any location worldwide.
Thus far, he has taken it on tour to Australia, New Zealand, Russia and Asia in addition to numerous appearances around Europe and the US.
While he is in Erie, though, Cameron will be performing on our recently-donated organ from Dennis and Margaret Unks, a 1500-piece Wurlitzer Theatre Organ that is currently being refurbished and outfitted for the Warner Theatre during renovations. This will truly be a concert for the ages. Mark your calendars now for February 26, 2022.
Local TalentBorn in 1981 in Titusville, Pennsylvania, Carpenter had his first piano and organ lessons starting in 1986 with Dr. Beth Etter, who still performs with the Erie Philharmonic frequently. Besides this mentorship, Cameron also studied with John Bertalot and James Litton. Additionally, at the North Carolina School of Arts, he studied composition and organ with John E. Mitchener.
Local teacher recalls teaching virtuoso Carpenter
Of course, I went. I sat in the first row, the middle rows — left, right and center, as far back as I could go and more in order to assess his sound in the spectacular, circular hall. I watched and marveled at the maniacal yet methodical, intensely focused, organized rehearsal which didn’t end until he was satisfied with nuances often hard to detect. What do you expect from a young talent whose ambition is to change the position of the organ in the entire world — forever?
- Dr. Beth Etter
Read the article
Learn more about Cameron
How do I see Cameron live?!Due to extremely high demand for subscriptions for next season, the best way to guarantee a seat is currently with a subscription. New subscribers save 10% - call to redeem this offer.
If you would like individual tickets, those will go on sale October 12.
Subscriptions such as a Full, Symphonic, Compose Your Own, or Flex 4 could all include our February 26 concert featuring Cameron and the debut of the Unks organ.
The Erie Philharmonic remote box office is currently open 9am-5pm Monday through Thursday. You can call (814) 455-1375 for more information.
Our 2021-22 season
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Subscription Information
A special message from Music Director Daniel MeyerThank you for standing by us this past year, as we ventured both into your home and in your hometown. Between 16 televised broadcasts on WQLN PBS and 16 concerts in parks, tents and pavilions across the region, the Philharmonic has reached more people with the gift of music than ever before.
Now, as we prepare for the grand reopening of the Warner Theatre this December, I have three special announcements to share with you, so let’s get started!
“We have amazing news to share - we have secured an anonymous matching gift for Erie Gives Day this August 10th. Simply put – every dollar you donate to the Erie Philharmonic will be matched dollar for dollar, doubling your gift.”
— Daniel Meyer, Music Director
Whether you’ve enjoyed our free concerts over the last 12 months, or are anxiously awaiting opening night in the Warner Theatre, this Erie Gives Day is the best way for you to show your support for the Philharmonic. Donations can be made between 8am and 8pm on Tuesday, August 10th. Please visit eriegives.org to learn more.
Next, we are delighted to announce that the Erie Philharmonic will be returning to your TV screens this fall. We are launching an innovative new concert series, where we will present a free performance in venues across the city, highlighting music, stories, architecture and more from our neighborhoods. This concert will also be recorded and presented a few weeks later as an hour-long TV special on WQLN PBS. Please stay tuned for more specific details on the first concert in this series, coming up on Friday, October 15th, featuring the stunning St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
Finally, we have a little bit of celebrity news to share. Renowned actor Harry Lennix will make a trip to Erie this spring to perform as part of a brand-new piece of music we have commissioned about the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman by composer Timothy Adams. From NBC’s The Blacklist to the action-packed Justice League, we are honored to welcome Mr. Lennix to Erie for this landmark event in May, 2022.
So there you have it…a famous actor makes his way to Erie, the Philharmonic returns to television this November, and all donations to the orchestra will be matched dollar for dollar on Erie Gives Day, coming up on Tuesday, August 10th.
Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to the Philharmonic! We can’t wait to see you back at the Warner Theatre.
Daniel Meyer
Music Director, Erie Philharmonic
Our 2021-22 Season
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Subscription Information
Guest Artist Profile: Midori Goto aka "Midori"
Our 2021-22 Season
There are a few celebrities who go by just one name - Oprah, Madonna, Beyoncé, Rihanna - but Midori is the classical music world's own one-moniker celebrity. From her debut with the Boston Symphony at just 14 with the legendary Leonard Bernstein, to her 2021 Kennedy Center Honor, she's been a star of the orchestra world for generations.
Scroll down to read and view some of the incredible work she's done but don't forget - she'll be in Erie January 8, 2022! Learn how you can guarantee a seat below.
Girl, 14, Conquers Tanglewood with 3 Violins*Published in The New York Times, July 28, 1986
"... in the heat of the long and complex fifth and final movement, Miss Dori broke her E string. She quickly turned to Malcolm Lowe, the concertmaster, who looked nonplussed but finally handed over his Stradivarius. There was a moment's pause while Miss Dori fitted her chin rest onto the new violin. But then she proceeded absolutely unfazed.*
Then it happened again - another snapped E string. By this time Mr. Lowe was playing the Guadagnini of the acting associate concertmaster, Max Hobart, and Mr. Hobart had retuned Miss Dori's violin and was playing it, ''faking'' his way around the missing E string."
Read the article
Kennedy Center Honoree“The Kennedy Center Honors serves as a moment to celebrate the remarkable artists who have spent their lives elevating the cultural history of our nation and world,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein. “With an international presence for over 35 years, violinist Midori combines graceful precision and expression for performances building connections between art and the human experience”
2021 Kennedy Center honorees. Front row: Debbie Allen, Dick Van Dyke, Midori. Back row: Joan Baez, Garth Brooks.
PhilanthropyMidori is deeply committed to furthering humanitarian and educational goals. She has founded and manages several non-profit organizations, including Midori & Friends, which provides music programs for New York City youth and communities, and MUSIC SHARING, a Japan-based foundation that brings both western classical and Japanese music traditions into young lives by presenting programs in schools, institutions, and hospitals. In recognition of such commitments, she serves as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
Learn more
Midori reflects on her quintessential prodigy story and what it means to be a performer Midori plays Bach - Chaconne, Partita No. 2 How do I see Midori live?!Due to extremely high demand for subscriptions for next season, the best way to guarantee a seat is currently with a subscription. New subscribers save 10% - call to redeem this offer.
If you would like individual tickets, those will go on sale in the fall. Subscriptions such as a Full, Symphonic, Compose Your Own, or Flex 4 could all include our January 8 concert featuring Midori.
The Erie Philharmonic remote box office is currently open 9am-5pm Monday through Thursday. You can call (814) 455-1375 for more information.
If you opted to push your subscription forward from our canceled 2020-21 season, you may have a credit on your account. In order to finalize your subscription, you must confirm that you plan to attend and use your subscription seats. Please call the box office for more information.
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After a series of five June concerts, the Erie Philharmonic is back with more free In Your Hometown summer concerts. Each June performance featured a “local celebrity” narrator from long-time educator Armendia Dixon of Meadville to Erie News Now anchor and Erie Philharmonic board president Lisa Adams. The concerts saw an average of 600 attendees for a total of almost 3,000 people. Narrators received standing ovations and engaged kids from all across the Northwest PA region.
In Meadville, one family was so grateful to bring their granddaughter to see Peter and the Wolf that they sent a very touching, handwritten note:
Dear Erie Philharmonic,
Thank you for all you have done to keep the music alive this past year and a half – and for bringing it to Meadville and Crawford County last Friday.
And especially thank you for introducing our 5 year old granddaughter to Peter and the Wolf. She is our only grandchild so far. She lives in Bridgeville. It has long been our dream of taking her to hear Peter and the Wolf (we both loved it as children and we played it for our sons on an LP – Peter Ustinov narrated it – often). We had no idea when or where. Then, lo and behold, you brought it to Meadville!
It was an occasion we will never forget – including, we think, our granddaughter. At 5 years old, she was not clinging to every word or note, but she really felt the music and the characters and understood the story.
Also it was the occasion to have her come and spend the night (two of them) with us without her parents – for the first time.
Thank you for the event of a lifetime – from all of us, for all of us.
More music will continue through Monday, July 12 at the Ed Myer Complex in Titusville, with a 16-person brass ensemble playing patriotic and pops favorites. August will feature a light-classical chamber concert with nine musicians performing selections from Carmen, Rossini, Prokofiev and more.
If inclement weather occurs, concerts will not be rescheduled and guests are encouraged to attend the next scheduled performance. Please check social media and email for all concert updates.
Daniel & Lisa Adams
Opening night June 23 in North East
Armendia Dixon & Daniel
Daniel & Rick Scaletta
Eddie Ocasio
Rev. Shawn Clerkin
A 16-person brass ensemble performing everything from Sousa and patriotic favorites to music from Henry Mancini and Scott Joplin
- July 9 - WQLN, Erie
- July 12 - Ed Myer Complex, Titusville (6pm)
A light-classical chamber concert with nine musicians guaranteed to have you dancing in the park, including selections from Carmen, Rossini, Bolero and more
- August 10 - Edinboro University, Edinboro
- August 11 - Gibson Park, North East
- August 15 - Perry Square, Erie (12pm)
- August 17 - Asbury Woods, Erie
- August 18 - Lake Erie Community Park, Girard
An encore performance from the Erie Phil Strings!
- September 8 - Gibson Park, North East (6:30pm)
Erie Philharmonic Box Office · 814.455.1375 · info@eriephil.org
Available Monday - Thursday 9am-5pm
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Bring your lawn chair or blanket, and get ready for a summer of live music! The Erie Philharmonic is proud to announce its schedule for an unprecedented, free 17-concert tour titled In Your Hometown. From Meadville to North East, and everywhere in between, the music is heading directly to your hometown. Beginning on June 23 and running through September 8, different ensembles, such as a full orchestra family-style concert or a large brass choir, will perform concerts in parks and outdoor venues all free of charge.
“If you enjoyed our free televised season of music this past year, we sincerely hope you’ll come out and join us in your hometown this summer. We’re only able to do these concerts because of the heroic generosity shown by our patrons, sponsors, volunteers and advertisers. These concerts are our thank you to the region for supporting us over the last year and a half.”
— Executive Director Steve Weiser
The concerts begin at Gibson Park in North East, PA, a special and recurring location throughout this summer. During the summer of 2019, the Philharmonic visited North East for multiple summer concerts, in partnership with Red Letter Hospitality, the North East Community Foundation, and the support of many businesses. These concerts laid the groundwork for the return of four concerts in North East this year, with the summer tour in opening and closing in beautiful Gibson Park.
The Erie Philharmonic created a voting website in the spring where community members could vote and leave suggestions for locations for summer concerts. The locations selected via this voting process include downtown Erie, Fairview, Titusville, Edinboro, Meadville, and more. We are grateful for the community’s help in selecting the myriad of venues we’ll be visiting this summer, many for the first time!
Concerts will be free and open to the public. The safety of musicians and attendees is the orchestra’s biggest priority, so all mandated COVID-safety policies will be in place.
Please see below for concert schedule. All concerts begin at 7pm unless noted.
The perfect family concert with a full orchestra performing the beloved tale of Peter and the Wolf and more, including pre-concert activities from the Erie Playhouse and the expERIEnce Children’s Museum one hour prior to concert.
- June 23 - Gibson Park, North East, Lisa Adams, narrator
- June 24 - Goodell Gardens, Edinboro, Richard Scaletta, narrator
- June 25 - Diamond Park, Meadville, Armendia Dixon, narrator
- June 26 - Horan Garden Apartments, Erie, TBD, narrator
- June 27 - Gridley Park, Erie (3pm), Shawn Clerkin, narrator
A 16-person brass ensemble performing everything from Sousa and patriotic favorites to music from Henry Mancini and Scott Joplin
- July 5 - Pleasant Ridge Park, Fairview
- July 7 - Gibson Park, North East
- July 8 - Perry Square, Erie
- July 9 - WQLN, Erie (televised on WQLN PBS)
- July 12 - Ed Myer Complex, Titusville (6pm)
A light-classical chamber concert with nine musicians guaranteed to have you dancing in the park, including selections from Carmen, Rossini, Bolero and more
- August 10 - Edinboro University, Edinboro
- August 11 - Gibson Park, North East
- August 15 - Perry Square, Erie (12PM)
- August 17 - Asbury Woods, Erie
- August 18 - Lake Erie Community Park, Girard
An encore performance from the Erie Phil Strings!
- September 8 - Gibson Park, North East
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Erie Philharmonic Box Office · 814.455.1375 · info@eriephil.org
Available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
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The Erie Philharmonic announced its concert lineup for the 2021-22 season on Thursday, April 15, at the conclusion of their season finale concert, broadcasted on WQLN PBS and streamed online. The orchestra will begin a historic season in December 2021 with its annual Come Home for the Holidays concert, following the completion of long-awaited Warner Theatre stage renovations.
“I cannot wait to return to the Warner stage and share the sheer sonic and visual force of the entire Erie Philharmonic playing together again. I don’t think I am exaggerating to say that we will be playing on the edge of our seat, thrilled to be back making the music we love so dearly in our home, the beautifully-renovated Warner Theatre.”
— Music Director Daniel Meyer
It has been over a year since the Philharmonic last graced the Warner Theatre stage to perform a live concert with an in-person audience. Since that time, the orchestra has recorded eight television concerts, free for the community, that have reached audiences from across the country.
“While these televised concerts on WQLN PBS have been one of the most uplifting experiences in my tenure here with the orchestra, we are beyond excited to get back on stage at the Warner Theatre to show off just how amazing this new stage is going to be,” said Executive Director Steve Weiser. “The stage is going to be bigger, the lights are going to be brighter, and the sound is going to be vastly improved…every aspect of the performance side of the Philharmonic will be enhanced. And, we’ll be debuting a newly-installed 1,500-piece pipe organ and a brand-new Steinway piano.”
In the meantime, the orchestra is planning an expansive outdoor free summer concert series titled In Your Hometown. While the COVID-19 pandemic shut down events in the summer of 2020, the orchestra is prepared to bring the music directly to audiences with numerous concerts planned from June - August. A full listing of events will be announced in the coming weeks on the orchestra’s website and social media pages.
Even with this busy summer schedule, the Philharmonic remains committed to completing the journey home, back to the Warner Theatre.
“It feels good to know we can finally showcase the blockbuster film concerts and award-winning artists from the canceled season. We only get the chance to open a newly-renovated stage once in a lifetime, and we’re ready to present a season for the record books. But, we’re also going to have increased safety measures in partnership with Erie Events to ensure everyone can come back safely for this season full of amazing, live music.”
— Executive Director Steve Weiser
Subscription packages for the upcoming season will be available mid-May, with single tickets going on sale for the general public in the fall. For the latest updates and season information, people are encouraged to sign up for Erie Philharmonic emails here.
See below for the 2021-22 season and website information. All concerts will take place at the Warner Theatre, located at 811 State Street in downtown Erie, PA.
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Come Home for the Holidays
- Saturday, December 4, 2021 @ 3PM
- Saturday, December 4, 2021 @ 8PM
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Midori
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Saturday, January 8, 2022 @ 8PM
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Music of the Knights
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Saturday, January 29, 2022 @ 8PM
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Cameron Carpenter
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Saturday, February 26, 2022 @ 8PM
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Rachmaninoff
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Saturday, March 19, 2022 @ 8PM
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Mary Poppins film with live orchestra
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Saturday, April 9, 2022 @ 8PM
- Sunday, April 10, 2022 @ 3PM
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Star Wars: A New Hope film with live orchestra
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Saturday, April 30, 2022 @ 8PM
- Sunday, May 1, 2022 @ 3PM
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Beethoven 7
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Saturday, May 14, 2022 @ 8PM
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Rodgers & Hammerstein in concert
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Sunday, June 12, 2022 @ 3PM
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Mahler’s Resurrection
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Sunday, June 26, 2022 @ 3PM
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Erie Philharmonic Remote Box Office · 814.455.1375 · info@eriephil.org
Available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
Links for Media Content:
2021-22 Season
Video Preview
Video Vault
The Erie Philharmonic will end its In Your Home broadcasted concert series on Thursday, April 15 at 8:00pm with pianist-composer Michael Brown and cellist Nicholas Canellakis. The broadcast will end with a preview video of the lineup for the 2021-22 concert season back in the Warner Theater. Additionally, the orchestra is encouraging local viewers to support restaurants again and order takeout for that evening.
Patrons interested in supporting restaurants in Erie or Crawford County are encouraged to order food ahead of time and coordinate pickup from restaurants the same day as the concert before the broadcast at 8pm. Featured restaurants and concert information can be found at eriephil.org/tango. The list includes everything from barbeque to Syrian cuisine.
The broadcasts on April 15, 2021 and April 18, 2021 mark the Philharmonic’s eighth broadcast performance in partnership with WQLN PBS as well as the season finale before the orchestra transitions to small, outdoor summer concerts. The concert will feature music from Bach, Tchaikovsky, Elgar and contemporary composer George Walker.
“We are beyond grateful to have thousands of people watching our concerts from home. Our partnership with WQLN PBS and Edinboro University made this season possible and accessible to so many. Much of what we’ve been able to initiate and accomplish this year will pop up again in future seasons.”
— Executive Director Steve Weiser
See below for concert and website information.
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Thursday, April 15, 2021
- 8pm It Takes Two to Tango: Episode 2 Broadcast
- WQLN PBS | wqln.org/eriephil
- World-renowned cellist Nicholas Canellakis and pianist Michael Brown join the string section of the Philharmonic again for music of Bach, Tchaikovsky, Walker and more.
- This concert will be re-broadcast on Sunday, April 18 at 2pm.
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Erie Philharmonic Remote Box Office · 814.455.1375 · info@eriephil.org
Available Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm
Links for Media Content:
Michael Brown website: michaelbrownmusic.com
Nicholas Canellakis website: nicholascanellakis.com
Conversations with Nicholas Canellakis: youtube.com/watch?v=QKCpCzntriE
April 15 concert and restaurant information: eriephil.org/tango
Livestream link for concerts: wqln.org/eriephil
Archive of FREE 2020-21 Season: eriephil.org/videovault
The Erie Philharmonic is delighted to welcome back world-renowned pianist-composer Michael Brown and cellist Nicholas Canellakis for its penultimate broadcast concert this Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 8:00pm.
This episode, titled It Takes Two to Tango, will also re-broadcast on Sunday, March 28, 2021 at 2:00pm. All concerts are accessible for free on WQLN PBS as well as online through the Erie Philharmonic and WQLN social media channels and websites.
The first episode featuring the duo will include music from Handel, Beethoven, Cindy McTee and more. Canellakis and Brown will each perform solos with the Philharmonic string section in addition to a combined performance of the third movement of Beethoven’s Cello Sonata in A Major.
The second episode, also with guest soloists, will be on April 15, 2021 and April 18, 2021, and marks the Philharmonic’s eighth broadcast performance in partnership with WQLN PBS as well as the season finale before the orchestra transitions to small, outdoor summer concerts.
For those unfamiliar with Canellakis and Brown, the duo has worked with some of the largest names in the orchestral world and have been featured on stages from coast to coast. If you'd like a preview of their lighthearted and charming personalities, look at the YouTube series, Conversations with Nick Canellakis, featuring Michael Brown as they interview and host discussions with guests such as Ithzak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, and other talented musicians from around the globe. Their parody approach is not seen often in most classical musicians but celebrated and appreciated by many.
With thousands of people watching from home each concert, the Philharmonic is grateful and proud to partner with WQLN PBS to record and broadcast these concerts as well as Edinboro University for serving as host for the recording sessions and rehearsals.
“Erie is a special community, and our concerts are not easily reproduced across the country. After only a few discussions with other orchestras, we quickly realized our community works together and supports one another in an extremely unique and important way. These partnerships are even stronger than a year ago and will make each organization better as we take the next steps forward beyond this pandemic. Much of what we’ve been able to initiate and accomplish this year will pop up again in future seasons.”
— Executive Director Steve Weiser
See below for concert and website information.
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Thursday, March 25, 2021
- 8pm It Takes Two to Tango: Episode 1 Broadcast
- WQLN PBS | wqln.org/eriephil
- World-renowned cellist Nicholas Canellakis and pianist Michael Brown join the string section of the Philharmonic for two concerts that will simply blow you away.
- This concert will be re-broadcast on Sunday, March 28 at 2pm.
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Erie Philharmonic Remote Box Office · 814.455.1375 · info@eriephil.org
Available Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm
Links for Media Content:
Michael Brown website: michaelbrownmusic.com
Nicholas Canellakis website: nicholascanellakis.com
Conversations with Nicholas Canellakis: youtube.com/watch?v=QKCpCzntriE
March 25 Concert information: eriephil.org/calendar/tvmarch25
Livestream link for concerts: wqln.org/eriephil
Website for FREE 2020-21 Season: eriephil.org/inyourhome
Composer Cindy McTee says hello!We’ll be performing her Adagio for String Orchestra on our March 25 & 28 televised concerts on WQLN PBS.
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Cindy McTee
Greetings from St. Louis where I remain at home with my husband, looking forward to the day when we can all experience live performances, without restrictions, in a concert hall. In the meantime, forward-thinking musicians, board members, and administrators continue to find creative ways to present music, and I would like to thank the Erie Philharmonic for doing just that.
I thought I would begin with a few comments about my creative process. Where does music come from? What provides the initial inspiration? Does a lightning bolt strike? For me, ideas generally come gradually. Sometimes I begin by conceptualizing the larger aspects of form and content. Then I work in layers to create the infrastructure. But most often I compose more organically, starting with what I call germ seeds or sound objects—a single sonority or a sequence of short melodic/rhythmic events. And then I “encourage” the larger gestures and textures to evolve out of these materials.
I should also say that the impulse to compose often begins as a rhythmical stirring and leads to a physical response—tensing muscles, gesturing with hands and arms, or quite literally, dancing. It might have been Stravinsky who said that “music either sings or dances.” Some of my pieces (for example, my Adagio) focus on singing lyricism and free, elongated melodic lines, while others rely more heavily on pulse and shorter, tightly controlled rhythmic ideas often closely associated with jazz.
We all relate to music in various ways—intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and physically—mind, heart, soul, and body. About seven years of ballroom dance lessons in the ’90s helped me to get in touch with the physical aspects of music—breath, tension, and release—and “tap” into my intuition to connect musical time and space in ways I could not have imagined otherwise.
Although I have never made a conscious attempt to create “American” music, I would have to agree with those who have said that my music generally reflects my American roots more than my European-based training. Charles Ward of the Houston Chronicle helped me to understand this in a review of my Circuits:
Circuits . . . was a charging, churning celebration of the musical and cultural energy of modern-day America. From repetitive ideas reminiscent of Steve Reich to walking bass lines straight from jazz, Circuits refracted important American musical styles of this century. Similarly, the kaleidoscope of melodies, musical “licks” and fragmented form aptly illustrated the electric, almost convulsive nature of American society near the start of the 21st century.
My Adagio, however, represents another “Americanism” having to do with the presentation of diverse, even conflicting, musical materials in the same piece—something I attribute to Charles Ives. For example, in the opening of this work, one hears a dissonant, atonal, tension-filled counterpoint of melodies that eventually give way later on in the piece to harmonic consonance.
As a composer, I came of age in the ’70s, a time of turning on both political and artistic fronts. I experienced crossing the Berlin Wall and living behind it as a student in Poland. Soon after, I broke away from my modernist training to a place somewhere in between it and the world I had known as a kid—jazz, Gershwin, and (from my dad's collection of recordings) turn-of-the-century romantic composers like Respighi, Rachmaninoff, and Sibelius.
I consider myself lucky to have composed during a time when anything is possible and composers can speak in multiple languages if they want to, sometimes in the same piece. I would like my music to communicate an integrated and balanced approach between formalism and spontaneity, objectivity and subjectivity, brain and heart. I hope my Adagio achieves these objectives on some level for those who listen to it—and I thank you for engaging with me through music, especially during these difficult times.
Better days are just around the corner. All the best to you. —Cindy
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Pianist-composer Michael Brown and cellist Nick Canellakis share what they’re listening to!
Nick’s Playlist Picks
Nick Canellakis
Scriabin: Prometheus - Chicago Symphony
I came across this piece by accident in the car. I had never even heard of it, and it blew me away. It's probably the most out there, weird Scriabin you're going to find, and has one of the greatest final cadences I've ever heard. The final chord made my jaw drop.
Franck Symphony in D minor: Berlin Philharmonic with Lorin Mazell
I hadn't heard this piece since I played it as a student at the Curtis Institute, and for some reason I decided to revisit it recently. I love Franck, and this is quintessentially him. Passionate, dark, and heart on the sleeve romantic.
Mendelssohn String Quartet in A minor, Op. 13 - Guarneri Quartet
I recently played this piece for the first time, so I naturally went to the Guarneri Quartet to study up. I, along with most string players I know, grew up listening to their recordings, and they still represent the gold standard for me. First violinist Arnold Steinhardt's way of turning a melody goes straight to my heart.
(For a totally different, but equally brilliant approach, check out Quartuor Ebene)
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto no. 2 - William Kapell and Pittsburgh Symphony with William Steinberg
My best friend and recital partner Michael Brown introduced me to this recording. I'm a sucker for this piece, and this recording is worth a listen not just for Kapell's brilliance, but the gorgeous orchestra playing of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
Last Leaf - Danish String Quartet
The Danish Quartet performs innovative programs that mix classics by composers like Beethoven and Mozart with traditional Danish folk music. This is a CD of all folk music, and it's incredibly fun to listen to.
Michael’s Playlist Picks
Michael Brown
Nikolai Medtner: Piano Concerto No. 2,
Geoffrey Tozer, Piano, Neeme Järvi, Conductor, London Philharmonic Orchestra. Medtner was a brilliant Russian composer-pianist and close friend of Sergei Rachmaninoff. I'm obsessed with the alluring freshness and vitality of his music and this Concerto is a riveting experience from start to finish. For another spellbinding recording of the work, check out Medtner's own performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2p-PUA0fGs&t=656s
Strauss/arr. Schulz-Evler: The Blue Danube
Josef Lhévinne, piano. This is one of my desert island recordings--it knocks my socks off every time. To think it was only one take!.
Solo Monk
Thelonius Monk, piano. This entire album is worth checking out--its brilliance has kept me company on many nights during the pandemic.
Anton Arensky: Waltz from Suite No. 1 for Two Pianos, Op. 15
Harold Bauer/Ossip Gabrilowitsch, pianists. These two "golden age" pianists from the turn of the 20th century had fascinating lives, knew everybody, and left rich musical legacies. They play this delightful waltz as one, with a lightness and spirit that is unparalleled.
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1
Leonard Bernstein: Piano and Conductor. New York Philharmonic, 1960. Leonard Bernstein play/conducting Beethoven's First Piano Concerto with the New York Philharmonic takes my breath away. The performance fearlessly embraces humor, tenderness, and drama and he makes me feel that I’m hearing this work for the very first time.
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Dr. Jean Snyder is the author of the book Harry T. Burleigh: From the Spiritual to the Harlem Renaissance.
Below is our interview with her about Harry T. Burleigh and how she came to study the Erie native’s history.
Can you explain for people who don’t know him already, who was Harry Burleigh?
Dr. Jean Snyder
Burleigh was famous as a fine baritone, first in Erie, where he was born and spent his first 25 years. In the several years before he left for New York City, he was known as one of the best singers in Erie. When he went to New York City to study at the National Conservatory of Music, he was immediately welcomed in the black music community as “the celebrated Western baritone.” He was the first African American composer to publish a significant catalog of secular art songs; many famous American and European opera and recital singers such as Irish tenor John McCormack sang his songs. McCormack performed at last 27 of his songs, and was a good friend. Burleigh was a music editor at the New York office of the Ricordi Music Publishing Company based in Milan, Italy. As an editor there, he had extraordinary access to the publication of his art songs. He was a pioneer in arranging spirituals for concert use, and many of the singers who had been singing his art songs immediately added his spiritual arrangements to their repertoire. He was also a mentor to younger singers and composer who are better known today, such as tenor Roland Hayes, contralto Marian Anderson, and bass-baritone Paul Robeson, as well as composers William Grant Still, Jester Hairston, Florence Price, and others.
Can you talk about his journey to New York and his relationship with Dvorak?
Burleigh took the train to New York City in January of 1892 to audition for a scholarship for the Artist’s Course at the National Conservatory of Music. There were 200 applicants for the four scholarships, and Burleigh was awarded one of them. Antonin Dvorak came to be the director of the conservatory in September of 1892, as Burleigh was beginning his second semester. When Dvorak heard him sing, he invited him to come to the apartment where he lived with his family to sing the songs he’d learned from his grandfather, who’d been a slave. Burleigh described how he’d sit down at the piano (loaned to Dvorak by William Steinway) and accompany himself while he sang. Dvorak would stop him and demand, “Is that really the way the slaves sang it?” He listened so carefully that he was able to write a melody for his New World Symphony, the Largo theme of the second movement that was so much like a spiritual that many people think he copied a spiritual. But it was his own melody. Twenty minutes after he’d written it, he played it for one of his composition students, saying, “Is it not beautiful music? It is for my symphony--but it is not symphonic music.” Burleigh played double bass and timpani in the orchestra under Dvorak’s direction and was orchestra librarian. He often accompanied Dvorak on his walks through the city, and his beautiful penmanship and music manuscript writing made him an ideal assistant; he helped prepare the parts for the first performance of the New World Symphony, as it had not yet been published.
Watch Dr. Snyder and baritone Eddie Pleasant discuss the legacy of Harry Burleigh on Facebook LIVE on Tuesday, November 17 @ 7pm!
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What’s your favorite Burleigh piece?
That’s a difficult question: there are so many lovely songs. One of his last art songs, “Lovely Dark and Lonely One,” is a setting of a Langston Hughes poem; I also love his second song cycle, the Five Songs of Laurence Hope, as well as“The Trees Have Grown So,” “Have You Been to Lons?” and others. There are some lovely sacred choral pieces that are not well known, such as “Christ Be With Me (St. Patrick’s Breastplate),” and a beautiful setting of the Lord’s Prayer, which has only recently been published. There are some wonderful choral arrangements of spirituals: “I’ve Been in the Storm So Long,” “You Hear the Lambs A-Cryin’,” “There Is a Balm in Gilead,” “Wade in the Water.” Then there’s the delightful “Mister Banjo.” I could go on. Many people know his spiritual arrangements, but there are a couple that aren’t in the anthology that many singers know, such as his arrangement of “Dry Bones,” which he wrote for Paul Robeson. I’m pleased that many singers are discovering his art songs, and you can find more and more of them on YouTube as well as on fine recordings.
Did Burleigh ever return to Erie?
Burleigh returned to Erie quite often to sing, especially in the early years. I’m still working on documenting every return to Erie, but he spent time in Erie in 1893, and he came numerous times to sing in the early 1900s—at least seven times between 1900 and 1909 (1900, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1908, 1909); then in 1914, twice in the 1920s, once in the 1930s, and in 1944 and in 1946. From the 19-teens on he was very busy with his work in New York City; he was much in demand as a soloist, singing recitals, singing at St. George’s Episcopal Church and Temple Emanu-El, composing his art songs, working as music editor at Ricordi. When he began publishing his spiritual arrangements in the 1916-1917 recital season, he started giving lecture-recitals on the spirituals, and he sang spirituals and spoke about them on the radio.
How did you begin studying his life and how did you first hear of him?
I taught in Kenya from 1966 to 1969, and I sang in the choir at the Nairobi Baptist Church with Catherine MBathi, who was a fine contralto. Several years later when I took my mother to see her first grandchild in Zambia, where my brother and his wife were teaching, I asked Catherine what I should bring her. She said, “I need some spirituals. I don’t care what they are, just so they are arranged by H. T. Burleigh.” I thought, “Who’s H. T. Burleigh? I’m a singer, I should know who he is.” So when I went up to the opera in Chicago, I went to one of the music stores on Wabash Avenue, and I found a small anthology of Burleigh spirituals. I bought one for Catherine and one for myself, gave Catherine hers and forgot about it. When I taught in at a Teacher’s Training College in Zambia, I discovered ethnomusicology. I came to the University of Pittsburgh to do my doctorate in ethnomusicology, and one of my first seminars was in African American Music with Dr. Nathan Davis. Burleigh’s name was on the list of composers we could study, so I chose him for my project. I found so much in the Carnegie Library, including two 78 rpm recordings of his music: Nellie Melba singing “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” and an English soprano, Maggie Teyte, singing “Just You,” one of his art songs. I was delighted to discover that he had written many lovely art songs as well as spiritual arrangements, and I was hooked!
Burleigh’s grandson, Dr. Harry T. Burleigh II, was a veterinarian in Clarksburg, West Virginia, but I knew no one had gotten help from the family. Rollo Turner, one of my mentors in the Black Studies Department, said, “That doesn’t mean you can’t!” So I wrote to Dr. Burleigh. One Sunday afternoon the phone rang, and a voice said, “This is Harry Burleigh!” Dr. Burleigh and his wife were very helpful to me, and that made a big difference. I also had a great deal of help from Burleigh’s niece, Grace Blackwell, who lived in East Orange, New Jersey. She was very close to him in the last years of his life, and she told me wonderful stories that helped make him more human, not just the famous man, the public figure.
Since writing your book, have you discovered anything new about him or his music?
There’s always more to learn. I didn’t know that Burleigh write orchestrations of any of his songs, though some orchestrations of his art songs and spiritual arrangements were written by others. But in fact, he wrote orchestrations of several of his spiritual arrangements, and Lynne Foote, the co-founder and president of the Harry T. Burleigh Society in New York City, who is working on her doctorate at Oxford University in England, has just discovered an unfinished orchestration of “Oh, Didn’t It Rain” that we knew nothing about. We had a great Zooming time on Sunday talking about this and what else we might discover.
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From Erie Philharmonic Marketing Manager Brigit Stack
Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975)
The term “protest music” typically conjures images and sounds of the 60’s folk and rock music that we come to associate with counter-culture and social movements of that era. But to anyone who’s ever listened to Dmitri Shostakovich’s music, the term applies to many pieces of orchestral music as well. In the orchestral world, in fact, there’s many instances of radical music – oftentimes without words – that spoke to political movements, uprisings, tragedies and more. Sometimes the music was composed posthumously, but it was nevertheless revolutionary and sometimes dangerous to publish or perform.
Throughout the history of classical music, there is no better example of this than composer Dmitri Shostakovich. So much of what he wrote spoke to Joseph Stalin’s regime in what we now know as Russia and criticized it, even when the focus of his music was not outwardly named to be referencing that environment. Below I want to recommend some of what I believe to be the most powerful and daring music Shostakovich composed to protest the morally corrupt and apprehensible things he lived through. Much of Shostakovich’s music becomes clearly more relevant today and underscores how some of Russia’s history is playing out again in our current moment, standing as “protest music.” His music showcases that in times of strife and despair at a larger, governmental level, there are two types of this protest music: covert themes and musical styles and overt protest through topics and dedications.
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5
When Joseph Stalin was still reigning over the Soviet Union, Shostakovich often tried to hide his protests as hidden “covert” messages and themes in his music. One of the pieces that illustrated this was his Symphony No. 5. The piece was written after a newspaper article condemned his opera, Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. His opera was denounced in the newspaper Pravda, in an article titled “Muddle Instead of Music.” Solomon Volkov wrote, “the Party newspaper…carried out a sentence that was to be final (and not subject to appeal): ‘This is music intentionally made inside out…This is leftist muddle.’ As will be shown, these angry opinions belonged personally to Stalin, the country’s main cultural arbiter” (34). Shostakovich immediately began to fear for his life and his family’s safety, sleeping in the stairwell in case Stalin’s police came to take him away in the middle of the night. To illustrate the fear of dying in Stalin’s Soviet Union, “Someone said then ‘it used to be a lottery now it’s a queue’” (Volkov 213). Before his composition of the 5th Symphony, his older sister had been arrested and his mother-in-law sent to a concentration camp. His music was too vulgar and dark and Stalin wanted the Soviet Union and its history to remain in a positive light – whether it meant glorifying its heroes or more “optimistic” sounding music. Although the music has its darker moments, it ends with a triumphant and more positive tone/major key (the same key as Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”), keeping the overall message of the symphony tongue in cheek. This interpretation is depicted especially in the audience’s response to its premiere. “By the end of the symphony, the entire audience was standing, applauding wildly through their tears” (Volkov 150). The standing ovation was said to last for more than 30 minutes. The apparent “joyful” final movement of the piece turns around, however, and mocks the very thing Shostakovich was trying to save himself from. The terror felt by many under Stalin was so profound that even the joy and appreciation felt towards their leaders and country was often forced out of necessity and not true patriotism. Shostakovich later said, “I think it is clear to everyone what happens in the Fifth [Symphony]. The rejoicing is forced, created under threat, as in Boris Gudunov. It’s as if someone were beating you with a stick and saying. ‘Your business is rejoicing, your business is rejoicing,’ and you rise, shaky, and go marching off, muttering. ‘Our business is rejoicing, our business is rejoicing.’” (qtd. in Volkov 183). News had also reached Stalin that Shostakovich was depressed and contemplating suicide after the Pravda article, which made him consider taking further action against him. Volkov wrote, “Shostakovich’s suicide could turn into an international scandal with unpredictable ramifications” (117). Shostakovich’s new symphony gave Stalin the chance to keep the composer around and still maintain his cultural authority – to praise the piece and set all back to normal, however terrifying that might still be for Shostakovich.
Shostakovich plays a fragment of Symphony No. 7 on piano
Another composition of Shostakovich’s that illustrates his covert protests of his government is Symphony No. 7, dubbed “Leningrad” and linked with the Siege of Leningrad by Hitler’s forces. Although the piece was mobilized as propaganda to bolster the war effort, it was composed under different intentions and still qualifies as protest music. The onset of the siege of Leningrad allowed him to hide his intentions even more, and Shostakovich also smuggled the piece outside of the country to be performed in the United States and England. Arturo Toscanini – an anti-fascist himself – premiered the piece with the NBC Radio Orchestra. The enemy within their own country was disguised as the enemy outside – the Axis powers now invading and terrorizing the Soviet Union. Due to Shostakovich’s son’s confirmation of events and the practice of “glasnost” (openness about Russia’s history) under Mikhail Gorbachev, much was revealed about the motives and messages behind Symphony No. 7. Testimony by Solomon Volkov was a contested source on so much of Shostakovich’s intentions behind his works, disputed by some to be Volkov’s words more than the late composer’s. Later, however, Maxim Shostakovich (his son) confirmed that many of the political views detailed were indeed his father’s. Musicologist Ludmila Mikheyeva claimed that the themes of this symphony were played for his students before the war with Germany even began. Later, Shostakovich said, “Even before the war, there probably wasn't a single family who hadn't lost someone, a father, a brother, or if not a relative, then a close friend. Everyone had someone to cry over, but you had to cry silently, under the blanket, so no one would see. Everyone feared everyone else, and the sorrow oppressed and suffocated us. It suffocated me, too. I had to write about it, I felt it was my responsibility, my duty. I had to write a requiem for all those who died, who had suffered. I had to describe the horrible extermination machine and express protest against it” (qtd. in Volkov 172). The actual siege by outside forces simply gave the piece a disguise to wear as it expressed so much of the loss all, including Shostakovich, had felt.
Shostakovich on the cover of TIME magazine - the composer was used as wartime propaganda in Russia.
Shostakovich dressed and posed on a roof as a firefighter for after bombing raids, although he never served in the war
After Stalin’s death in 1953, Shostakovich began using more overt methods to protest the brutality and mistreatment of people under Stalin and fascism. One of the most overt representations of this was his String Quartet No. 8., written and finished in 1960 in only 3 days. The dedication made his intentions clear: it was dedicated to “the victims of fascism and war,” and composed shortly after the composer reluctantly joined the Communist Party. His son, Maxim, claims the dedication was for all victims of totalitarian, fascist regimes while his daughter Galina claims that Shostakovich meant it for himself. Both interpretations have merit; many of the melodies of the string quartet were taken from Jewish folk tradition and although we often learn of the anti-Semitism in Hitler’s Germany, it was far more rampant than we think. It permeated the United States as well as Stalin’s Soviet Union. As Shostakovich had said, “Jewish folk music has made a most powerful impression on me. I never tire of delighting in it. It can appear to be happy while it is tragic. It’s almost always laughter through tears. Jews became a symbol for me. I tried to convey that feeling in my music. It was a bad time for Jews then. In fact, it’s always a bad time for them” (qtd. in Civetta). His daughter’s interpretation carries the same merit because Shostakovich’s musical motif is repeated in every movement of this string quartet. This motif is known as the DSCH motif, standing for the notes of D, E flat, C, and B natural. In German musical notation this would be written as D, Es, C, and H, resembling D. Sch, or Dmitri Shostakovich. He often added it to his music to represent himself and it is no coincidence that he would be frequently represented in a piece dedicated to the victims of fascism and war: he himself was one. Since Stalin upheld these policies of anti-Semitism and often singled out Shostakovich’s music for its vulgar, dark nature, this composition after the ruler’s death was a breath of fresh air. It stands as a true protest against the pressures and sorrows Shostakovich had felt his whole life, feelings he often felt mutually expressed in Jewish music. The second movement especially mobilizes one to stand up for what is right, to take down that which oppresses and hurts and to perhaps understand through music other’s lived experiences.
“Bloody Sunday” at the Winter Palace in Russia, 1905
Perhaps the most relevant and protest-oriented composition of Dmitri Shostakovich’s is his Symphony No. 11, “The Year 1905.” The historic events that inspired it conjure images of the last few weeks of protests across our country and the world. The dedication of the piece is a telling enough introduction, with movements titled after the events of the 1905 protests and rebellion against the Tsar and the Russian monarchy. These protests proceeded the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, Lenin’s rise to power and the eventual leadership under Joseph Stalin. 1905 was a time of unrest involving everyone from the peasant to the working class, the military and more. One of the main events of this revolution was “Bloody Sunday,” where protestors led a march to the Winter Palace to deliver a petition to the Tsar. As they advanced, guards fired upon them, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Protests, strikes, and looting erupted once again in response. Tens of thousands of people would die as the government attempted to restore peace. The opening movement of Symphony No. 11 is titled “The Palace Square,” and introduces the foreboding sense of calm before the violence, which is depicted so well in the second movement, called “The 9th of January,” titled so after the event’s date. The third movement pays homage to those who perished as a result of Bloody Sunday, using the funeral march “You fell as victims,” while the final movement foreshadows that the seeds of the 1917 revolution have been sown.
The ending is both foreboding and yet triumphant – a warning and a rallying cry. Revolutionary texts were also heavily cited in the melodies of the movements, not lyrically, but the melodies were known by many as most people grew up singing or hearing those songs. One such song was the march “You fell as victims.” Another was “Rage, Tyrants,” which tolls, “Let our call thunder like a thunderbolt, […] As the sun of freedom will look from behind a cloud, - To death! To death! To your death, tyrants!” Symphony No. 11 was often called a “film score without a film,” because it so aptly and tangibly expresses through music the fear, violence, and oppression of the events on January 9. One could argue that so much of Dmitri Shostakovich’s music does. These overt protestations after Stalin’s death came as protests to his memory – to the history and glorification he wanted so much for the Soviet Union and himself. Shostakovich and his music outlived the cruel ruler, and helped to rewrite his image in the eyes of his countrymen and the world.
These symphonies and string quartets certainly connect to the many things we see protested and mourned today. Though we may not have Russia’s history, we have our own. We have the Boston Massacre, the American Revolution, the Civil War, the Montgomery Bus Boycotts, the Freedom Rides, the Farmworker’s Union strikes, the March on Washington and many other events, including today’s protests. Although most of us might not live in fear of disappearing from our homes in the night, we still find ourselves fighting for some of the same liberties, freedoms, and comforts. Stalin saw arts and culture as an integral tool in emboldening and influencing the society around him – and he was right. At the same time that a piece of music could claim to bow its head respectfully towards a leader, it could also mock and hide its meaning in subtle ways and key signatures. We can mobilize music again to share our feelings and look ahead towards a time where we no longer feel the constant barrage of these negativities.
Perhaps most important of all, we can sympathize with and try to understand the pain and oppression of others. As conductor Kurt Sanderling said, “The quartets are messages to all his friends. The symphonies are messages to mankind” (qtd. in Anderson 374). Shostakovich managed to bottle up the visceral feelings of fear, pain, injustice, anger and sorrow and express them so often wordlessly through music. Music can once again be a revolutionary act to stand up, stand out and express things we often cannot put into words or share plainly and openly.
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Associate Principal Violin Sandro Leal-Santiesteban and First Violin Josh Huang join Music Director Daniel Meyer for our latest Coffee Chat - enjoy!
The music returns
From Home Series
Our Tuesday night online series contiunes with a Coffee Chat hosted by Music Director Daniel Meyer. This week's program includes special guests Heather Storey, Second Oboe, and Sarah Lee, Second Bassoon.
Stay safe and healthy everyone - hope to see you soon!!
From Home Series
Don't miss Music Director Daniel Meyer, Executive Director Steve Weiser and WQLN host Brian Hannah as they discuss this week's breaking news!
2020-21 season update
From Home Series
Erie Philharmonic cellist Jeff Singler is back with another amazing performance just for you, featuring Popper Etude #22.
Stay safe and healthy everyone!
From Home Series
A classical music power hour with Music Director Daniel Meyer, Marketing Manager Brigit Stack and Board Member Adam McClelland.
Enjoy, and please stay safe and healthy!
From Home Series
Our third online Coffee Chat hosted by Music Director Daniel Meyer, featuring special guests Tom Brooks, Philharmonic Chorus Director, and Megan Kelly, Community Programs Manager.
Stay safe and healthy everyone - hope to see you soon!!
From Home Series
Celebrating our 50th From Home episode with a fabulous Coffee Chat with Music Director Daniel Meyer, Principal Clarinet Amitai Vardi and French Horn Emily Shelley.
Stay safe and healthy everyone - hope to see you soon!!
From Home Series
Pines of Rome like you’ve never seen it before!
Be sure to move your mouse/cursor around on the video!!
From Home Series
Our weekly online Coffee Chat with Music Director Daniel Meyer, this time featuring the cellos! Thanks to Jeff Singler and Will Teegarden for joining us.
Looking forward to getting back to live music soon!!
From Home Series
Our Tuesday night online series continues with a Coffee Chat hosted by the Maestro and featuring special guests Sarah Poe, Viola, and Nadine Sherman, Cello.
Stay safe everyone - the music will return soon!
From Home Series
Concertmaster Ken Johnston and Principal Bass Kieran Hanlon recorded this awesome duet remotely just for our Erie Phil audiences. Enjoy!!
From Home Series
Erie Phil cellist Nadine Sherman has a beautiful performance just for you!
Stay safe and healthy everyone...hoping to see you all soon!
From Home Series
Our fourth online Coffee Chat hosted by Music Director Daniel Meyer, featuring an amazing collection of special guests talking about the science behind Music Therapy:
Tom Brooks · Erie Philharmonic Chorus Director
Martha Summa-Chadwick · Executive Director, Music Therapy Gateway in Communications
Maureen Barber-Carey · Executive VP, Barber National Institute
Stay safe and healthy everyone - hope to see you soon!!
From Home Series
Erie Phil Principal Trumpet Gary Davis has a short performance just for you.
The music will return soon everyone...see you soon!
From Home Series
Our third online Coffee Chat hosted by Music Director Daniel Meyer, featuring special guests Danna Sundet, Principal Oboe, and Laura Koepke, Principal Bassoon.
Stay safe and healthy everyone - hope to see you soon!!
From Home Series
Erie Philharmonic English Horn extraordinaire Sarah Hamilton has a "duet" just for you!
Enjoy - please stay safe and healthy!
From Home series
How can you help the Phil?
From Adam McClelland, Erie Philharmonic Box Office Volunteer and member of the Board of Governors
In the beginning, there was music
Let's start at the beginning, shall we? My name is Adam McClelland, and I am a volunteer with the Erie Philharmonic. I am also on the Board of Governors (two years this month), but first and foremost, I am happy to say that I am a part of the Erie Phil's audience. For me, that's where the real beginning lies.
Over the last few months, where our society has experienced something never before seen in most of our lives, there has been a lot of time for introspection. One thing in my life, whose absence I have felt acutely, is that we aren't all together at The Warner Theater listening to our beloved orchestra playing beautiful and extraordinary music live on stage. Thankfully, everyone at the Erie Phil has made sure that the music keeps playing one way or another, through methods like the Erie Phil From Home series, the Friday Erie Phil Radio Hour on WQLN, and most recently, the Coffee Chats. I am very thankful that we have such a devoted group in the Staff, Music Director Daniel Meyer, and the Orchestra members who are all of one mind to make sure that we stay connected in a time that has made such connections a challenge. To use a Star Wars metaphor, music in all its forms is much like The Force, "It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together." Was there ever a more precise analogy for music? I think not.
A little history
I was thinking to myself just today that I can't recall a time in my life where music wasn't a part of my daily existence. Like so many of us, I have my parents to thank for this, in particular, my mother. She has always been a proponent of concert music in our family, and she's the one that got me started, not just on music, but also on the Erie Phil. Back in the halcyon days of the early '90s, my parents would make sure that my brothers and I went to the youth concerts every year, as well as the Friday night open rehearsals where possible and the occasional Saturday night concert as well. One of my clearer memories of those times was the stark difference in sound between our family's home stereo rig and a live performance. That's not to say that the home HiFi was lacking; on the contrary, it was excellent, but there's quite the gap between a recording on various media types and sitting in your favorite seat in a gorgeous temple of music. The other notable difference, especially in those days, was the stage presence of then conductor and music director, Eiji Oue. He was equal parts conductor and entertainer. He made the concerts memorable, and for that, I am forever grateful. The experiences in those youth concerts left an indelible mark on my young mind, and live concert music, as well as concert music in general, has grown to be one of the more essential aspects of my adult life. As time went on, we (my family and I) continued to attend concerts, my parents expanded their CD collection (thank you BMG), and I started my CD collection. Since I had my parent's library at my disposal, I branched out into film scores right away, and my first two CDs were Basil Poledouris' score to The Hunt for Red October and John William's score toSchindler's List. It was listening to the Erie Phil that inspired most of my symphonic CD purchases, and that practice persists into the present.
The opportunity of a lifetime
I know that it's a little cliche, but you hear people talk about a moment in their lives when they were presented with the "opportunity of a lifetime." I know it all sounds very dramatic, but I don't know how else to describe it. When I was a student at the Erie Institute of Technology in 2002, I was asked, by my instructor, to "help out" at a concert. At the time, my teacher, the eldest son of the Erie Phil's box office manager (Bonnie Krause), got me started as a volunteer. As will happen, careers begin to take off, and in this case, my instructor was looking ahead to his professional future in IT, and it didn't seem to be in the Erie area. Thus, he needed a replacement for himself, and it was in this capacity that I started helping out at the box office table on concert nights during the 2002-2003 season. In those days, we had the ticket printer from the office (they only had one then), and two laptops. They were connected in a small peer-to-peer network, one machine functioning as a server and the other as a client. The Erie Phil, like so many other orchestras, used a program called WinTix, and it was a finicky beast that required a lot of attention. My job was to make sure that it stayed running all evening, and when I wasn't working on the technology, I enjoyed my other role as ticket tearer and greeter. There's nothing quite like the moment when the Warner's State Street lobby doors open, and all of the people waiting in the vestibule spill into the grand entrance hall. Even better still is if someone is walking into The Warner for the first time. The head snaps up to look at the high-arched ceiling's intricate artwork, and then the "oo's" and "aah's" inevitably follow. This is particularly true at Youth Concerts, and yes, I did the same thing.
A new beginning
Volunteering for the Erie Phil continues to be a passion of mine, and that's something that I now share with my sister. She started volunteering with me several years ago, and we have a lot of fun working concerts together. There have been many staffers who have come and gone over the years, but as most of you may recall, several positions within the Erie Phil's front office turned over at the same time a few short years ago. This gave birth to the current staff. It wasn't long after the new people arrived that things began to change (for the better), and one of those changes, for better or worse, was my addition to the roster of people behind the box office table selling tickets. It's a wonderful experience and a privilege to interact with our patrons, new or familiar, and to work alongside the regular staff. It brings a smile to my face to see many people from the local community and the region at large come out to hear the Erie Philharmonic perform. A couple of years ago, the staff put me up for a position on the Board of Governors to make my relationship with the Erie Phil "official," as Executive Director Steve Weiser put it, and it's an area in which I am still learning and growing. To say that I was a little shocked is an understatement, but it's an honor to be involved and an exciting experience thus far. The most significant part of this move, for me, has been the opportunity to do more, where I can, to make sure that the organization I love continues to persist into the future for other young people, like I once was, to fall in love with music in much the same way that I did.
A concert for the ages
Any person who attends a Phil concert could take the United States Postal Service creed as their own, for they too seem to hold to the statement that, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers [concertgoers] from the swift completion of their appointed rounds [concert attendance]." Anyone that lives in the Erie area knows that we can see all four seasons within a day, and concert nights are no different. It takes quite the weather system to prevent the Erie Phil from performing, and it takes the City closing downtown to keep our audience away from their seats. It's hard to pinpoint a particular experience with the Phil over the years as a favorite. The whole of the 100th anniversary season was remarkable, and the season I got to be in the Erie Philharmonic Chorus was a personal high watermark. Still, if I had to pick one concert or musical performance that rises above the rest, it was one that happened on a dark and stormy night.
As I mentioned earlier, Erie Phil concerts happen in all sorts of weather, but one night, in particular, stands out in recent memory. The evening was blustery, to say the least, and a piece I had never heard was on the program. That piece was Tchaikovsky's Francesca da Rimini (Symphonic Fantasy after Dante, Op. 32). The work is a symphonic poem that tells the tragic tale of Francesca da Rimini, a beautiful woman who was immortalized in Dante's Divine Comedy. In the fifth canto of Inferno, Dante, the narrator, encounters the spirit of Francesca, and Tchaikovsky's work puts her story to some of the most beautifully tragic music you'll ever hear. In the story, Francesca falls in love with the handsome brother of her cruel husband, and it was through this affair that she came to be a spirit trapped in the depths of hell, which is where she meets Dante. Her husband discovered the relationship and killed both Francesca and her lover, and Tchaikovsky masterfully captured this tale in music. If you've never heard it, I would highly recommend giving it a listen. The only recording that I have heard that comes close to what was performed at The Warner that night was recorded live by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic.
Concerning the weather I mentioned earlier, there is a depiction of hell-winds in the work that are primarily played by the string section of the orchestra. As the piece reaches its climax, the weather outside The Warner got in on the action that was taking place on stage. The orchestra was playing with particular vigor that night. In the final moments of the piece, as the orchestra played with fiery energy almost not to be believed possible, Daniel Meyer was like a man possessed. He was all over the podium, leaping from one corner to the other, hair flying in all directions. He and the orchestra expertly captured what was going on in the music. The winds on stage howled with incredible force and the ones outside, not to be outdone, didn't just howl, they screamed and shook the building so that we, the audience, could hear the rigging over the stage rattling above the symphonic din! The effect was electric. As Mr. Meyer and the orchestra brought the piece crashing, with stunning precision, to its dramatic conclusion, the audience roared its approval before the last note had a chance to fade. That spectacular moment was one example of many over the years as to why it is essential to experience a live orchestral performance. You never know what might happen. I am eternally grateful to be a part of the Erie Phil family and to those who got me started.
I look forward to being together with all of you again as we sit in awe of our superb orchestra bearing witness as they do what they do best. “The Music will be with you, always.”
Thank you to my extended family: Steve, Lisa, Brigit, Jennifer, Megan, and Chris, for all that you do and for allowing me to be an honorary member of the staff.
Sincerely,
Adam McClelland
Erie Philharmonic Box Office Volunteer and member of the Board of Governors
Discover the 2020-21 season
Did someone say Star Wars?
Our second online Coffee Chat hosted by Music Director Daniel Meyer, featuring special guests Whitney Clair and Ken Heinlein, members of the Erie Phil brass section.
Stay safe and healthy everyone - hope to see you soon!!
From Home Series
Discover our 2020-21 Season
World-renowned violinist, and 2018-19 soloist, Simone Porter is back with a message exclusively for our Erie Philharmonic audiences!
Don't miss Simone on WQLN this Friday, June 12, at 10am for a broadcast of her amazing performance of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1
Hope to see everyone soon!!
From Home Series
Discover our 2020-21 Season
Our first online Coffee Chat hosted by Music Director Daniel Meyer, featuring special guests Ken Johnston, Concertmaster, and Kieran Hanlon, Principal Bass.
Hope to see everyone soon!!
Erie Phil Coloring!
Discover our 2020-21 Season
Erie Phil trombonist Whitney Clair is here with an awesome performance just for our Erie Phil audiences!
Hope to see everyone soon!!
Erie Phil Coloring!
Discover our 2020-21 Season
2020-21 piano soloist Olga Kern is here with a message of hope for next season - can't wait to hear Olga perform with us this coming year!
Stay safe, happy and healthy everyone.
Erie Phil Coloring!
Discover our 2020-21 Season
Chris Brubeck, son of the legendary Dave Brubeck and great friend of the Erie Phil, is here with a song just for our Erie audiences!
We miss you Erie.
Erie Phil Coloring!
Discover our 2020-21 Season
Erie Philharmonic English Horn Sarah Hamilton is here with a look into what her students are doing at SUNY Fredonia during these crazy times.
Stay safe and healthy everyone!
Erie Phil Coloring!
Discover our 2020-21 Season
Enjoy this stunning concert preview of Stravinsky’s Firebird from Music Director Daniel Meyer - you won’t be disappointed!
Please stay happy and healthy - we miss you.
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
Our first online master class, featuring Grammy-winning baritone Mark Steven Doss. Mark Steven would have been the baritone soloist for our cancelled performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
Enjoy - please stay happy and healthy!
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
A rebroadcast of an amazing FREE recital, featuring Erie Philharmonic First Violinist Melissa Hernández and husband Luis.
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
Guest violinist Tessa Lark talks about her performance with the orchestra from January 2020, and previews the debut of her Sky concerto on WQLN featuring the Erie Philharmonic.
Tune in Friday, May 8 at 10am to 91.3 FM or WQLN.org.
Thanks everyone - stay happy and healthy!
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Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
“The Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 is a very haunting and emotionally powerful piece. The excerpt below starts in the cadenza in the third movement. The cadenza unfolds with the violin repeating the same note, a lonely sound, almost like deep sighs or heartbeats. Shostakovich slowly develops and expands the solo line until it’s playing double, triple and quadruple stops, always building in intensity and speed. After nearly five minutes of the violin playing alone, the entire orchestra joins for the fiery finale, titled: Burlesque. The finale is thrilling, never letting up on its relentless character all the way up to the end. The Shostakovich 1st Violin Concerto is truly one of my favorite pieces to listen to and to perform, and I hope you enjoy our performance of it!”
— Bella
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
Music Director Daniel Meyer is back, with a preview of what else...Star Wars: A New Hope in concert.
Talk about something to look forward to once this craziness is finally behind us. Stay safe everyone!
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
From Wally Knox, Board of Director Emeritus of the Erie Philharmonic
Fritz Mahler at Strong Vincent High School
As a young child growing up in Erie I lived in a household where classical music was often playing on the radio and phonograph. My parents attended concerts of the Philharmonic when they were held at Strong Vincent High School in the late 1940’s and 1950’s. They sometimes took me and I enjoyed them immensely. Fritz Mahler was the Music Director then. In high school at Strong Vincent I had the privilege of singing for three years in the Strong Vincent Concert Choir under the direction of Alice Simpson. She was a marvelous teacher and music educator. Her choirs were outstanding and performed at music educator conferences around the United States. We sang some very sophisticated music such as most of the Messiah choruses and Schubert masses. At concerts, no sheet music was allowed and so the parts had to be memorized. There were many who later became active in the Philharmonic that were part of this choir, including Nick Scott, who was in the choir with me from 1956-1959. Miss Simpson was an elegant woman who never married. She had a great stage presence wearing beautiful floor length gowns for concerts. She had a passion for what she was doing as a music educator and had a great impact on her students. For her 80th birthday, about 100 of her former choir members including me assembled and rehearsed and put on a surprise birthday concert for her in the Strong Vincent auditorium. It was the least we could do to show our appreciation for her as our teacher. She was quite moved.
After high school I attended the University of Michigan, graduating in 1963. It was there that I met my future wife Gloria. I took courses in music appreciation, including opera, and convinced Gloria to take the opera course. In my senior year we both attended the May Festival at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor when the Philadelphia Orchestra would come to town for a week of concerts including world famous soloists. I distinctly remember a performance of the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony (May 9, 1963) performed by the preeminent organist in the world at the time, E. Power Biggs on the magnificent Hill Auditorium organ. It remains Gloria’s favorite piece of classical music.
Click for program book from 1963
The Philadelphia Orchestra at the Ann Arbor May Festival, 1946
After Michigan, I went to law School at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Gloria and I were married after my first year. We would there attend concerts by the Pittsburgh Symphony and we even saw a performance of Swan Lake by the Bolshoi ballet company from Russia in the Civic Arena.
Upon return to Erie after law school in 1966 we immediately obtained season tickets to the Erie Philharmonic. It was then performing in the auditorium at what was then known as Tech Memorial High School on upper Cherry Street. It is now Erie High School. In 1976 the orchestra moved to its current home in the Warner Theatre. We continued with season tickets to the concerts. I served on the board of the EPO for three years in the 1970’s when Tom Hagen was president.
In 1988, I attended an EPO fundraising event put on by the EPO Association known as Harmony Fair at Rainbow Gardens at Waldamere. They had a baton auction and, unknown to me, a group of friends pooled their resources and bought the baton. They then announced that I would be the conductor. I reluctantly agreed and in March of 1989 I conducted the Overture to Carmen with the orchestra. It was one of the fun events of my life. Family and friends came from all over for the event and we had a celebration party at the Erie Club after the concert. So far as I know it is the only time the orchestra pulled tricks on the baton winner by playing sour notes, refusing to play and playing the “Stars and Stripes Forever” on kazoos. They ultimately performed the Carmen piece. I didn’t know this was coming and the audience was in hysterics. It was truly a fun evening.
Thereafter, I guess someone on the board thought I would be a good person to serve on the board. I returned to the board of the EPO on July 1, 1990 and have been there ever since. I knew the orchestra was then in trouble when they asked me, a lawyer, with no real financial knowledge or experience, to serve as treasurer. I immediately looked at the books and saw that the orchestra was in real financial trouble. Walter Hendl was the music director. The Warner would have 300-400 people in the 2500 seats for concerts. I would look at the faces of the musicians on stage before the concerts and see how down they were when they would look out and see the size of the audience. I wasn’t sure how we were going to finish the 1990-1991 season. That spring we were saved by a concert featuring Gershwin music and a substantial grant from the Erie Community Foundation. That kept the doors open while we looked for a new music director who we hoped would turn things around. That spring Eiji Oue, who was then associate conductor of the Buffalo Symphony, came for a guest conducting performance as a candidate for music director. He conducted two Beethoven symphonies and the audience loved him. He was hired immediately. I became board president on July 1, 1991 with Eiji as our music director.
At that time we also began a search for a new Executive director. The Philharmonic had had a history of having local people in that position, many of them coming from the ranks of the Association with little or no experience in managing an orchestra. For the first time we then went outside the community and hired a man by the name of Tony Beadle as executive director. He was a musician but also was a graduate of a fellowship program conducted by the American Symphony Orchestra League in orchestra management. He had served as an intern with other symphony orchestras around the country for a year. He brought that expertise to us and contributed significantly to the turn around of the orchestra both artistically and financially. Also at that time the orchestra hired my wife Gloria as the first person at the EPO whose job was dedicated to marketing and development. Tony Beadle was somewhat apprehensive about hiring the wife of the board president for this position but it worked out well and they worked well together.
The “Eiji years” (1991-1995) saw a renaissance of the orchestra. It played to sold out houses at the Warner. Great soloists such as Yo Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman performed with the orchestra. The budget was balanced. The Junior Phil thrived and Eiji would sometimes conduct them. He initiated a soloist competition there and he contributed the cash prize awarded to the winner. The great satisfaction I had as board member and president during that period was seeing the people in the Erie community enjoying the concerts and filling the concert hall. A great deal of satisfaction for board members should also come from our continued support of the Junior Phil and the impact it has had on the music education of local young people.
John Knox
I have now served on the board for over 30 years. I was particularly proud when our son John became president of the board in 2017 for a two year term. I think the only father and son duo to hold that position. Apparently he also grew up in a household where classical music was often in the air.
I love the Philharmonic and the role that it plays in enhancing the cultural life of Erie. I cannot imagine living in a community that did not have a first class symphony orchestra like we have. We are now facing some of the most difficult times the orchestra has ever faced with the corona virus and limitations on people assembling in large groups such as at orchestra concerts. I am confident we will figure this out with the excellent management, governance and artistic staff we have and we will come back stronger than ever in the renovated Warner Theatre. I really look forward to that.
Wally Knox
From Home Series
Discover our 2020-21 Season
Renowned soprano Sari Gruber has a message and performance just for you.
Erie Phil audiences might remember Sari from her stunning performance of Mahler's 4th Symphony from our 2016-17 season.
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
Philharmonic cellist Nadine Sherman has a performance in store, recorded exclusively for you, the Erie Phil audience!
Hope you're all staying safe and healthy!
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
Erie Phil Concertmaster Ken Johnston is back, and he's giving a tour.
Enjoy everyone - we're thinking about you, and can't wait to get back to playing music soon!
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
Mezzo soprano soloist Joan Marie Peitscher, from our postponed performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, has an amazing performance in store for you.
Enjoy - hope to see you all soon!!
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
From Judy Emling, member of the Erie Philharmonic Board of Governors
When I think of the Erie Philharmonic, I think of hydration.
I cannot survive without water. I cannot survive without our performances. I depend on them to provide the brilliant light I need in life.
Dealing with the current world crisis, I am truly looking forward....forward to returning to my lifeline of live classical music performances.
My need to daily hydrate has been met with your email suggestions for listening. I do.
Part of my hydration also includes volunteerism. What is life without giving back to those who have given so much. The Erie Philharmonic has given the Erie Community the gift of music since 1913.
I miss engaging with the Staff on volunteer projects and miss seeing Daniel’s smiling face and brilliant work.
What has now become a common phrase, “we are in this together.” I will be overflowing with hydration when I return to the Symphony for the first time in a long time.
Judy Emling
From Home Series
Discover our 2020-21 Season
Music Director Daniel Meyer is back again with a preview of our incredible 2020-21 Pops Series!
Please stay safe and healthy - we can't wait to return to making music soon!
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
Music Director Daniel Meyer is back with a preview of our incredible 2020-21 Symphonic Series!
Please stay safe and healthy - we can't wait to return to making music soon!
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
From Erie Philharmonic Second Violinist Karen Ferren
To the Erie Philharmonic sponsors, audience members, fellow musicians, and followers on eriephil.org, my warmest greetings and well wishes during this time when we cannot be on the stage performing for you. We all miss performing together and being in front of our wonderful audience.
But first, may we all stay well and return to meeting for an exciting new future.
My name is Karen Barker Ferren, a violinist in the orchestra for many years. Today I want to share with you moments in time that show, not just memories of Erie performances, but also a little of what I do on behalf of Erie Philharmonic musicians and other snapshots of my life beyond the violin.
Karen with Beethoven at Beat Beethoven 2018
Philharmonic winds warming up for Beat Beethoven Aug. 25, 2018
With Sen. Manchin at a town hall on Feb. 21, 2020 where I advocated for support of NEA funding.
Performing for senior citizens during the Christmas season in Dunbar, West Virginia
A Thanksgiving dinner for seniors in Warren, Ohio
At AFM with Allen Zurcher from Erie June 2019
Ben Strecker, Philharmonic French horn player relaxing on the shores of Lake Erie facing Presque Isle
Karen, rep. for Erie Phil with delegates from Mississippi and Connecticut at ROPA Conference in Portland, Oregon
Grand Canyon from the helicopter
Karen after a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon
Red Rocks at Sonoma, Arizona
Karen in the Dare Devil Barrel at Niagara Falls, visiting with family nearer my hometown Hamilton, Ontario
A close up of the Horseshoe Falls at Niagara Falls, Oct. 2018
Melody Rapier, Erie Phil harpist (L), at ROPA Conference in a rainstorm in Phoenix, Arizona. When does it rain in Phoenix? In July!
From Home Series
Discover our 2020-21 Season
From Geri Cicchetti, member of the Philharmonic Board of Directors
When I was a child, my parents had a Sunday routine of visiting family members. We regularly visited my grandmother’s three siblings who never married and lived together. My great Aunt Virginia, whom we called Aunt Virgie, one day got an organ. I think she even taught herself to play.
She entertained us many Sundays as she played and sometimes even led us in song. I remember seeing her come alive at the keyboard. She played with such joy, and I would watch her body sway in time with the music. Even as an 8-year-old, I knew I wanted to learn to play the organ.
This was my first exposure to playing an instrument, and I wanted to have the same joy as Aunt Virgie.
But my family didn’t have an instrument, and we lived too far from Aunt Virgie for daily practicing. Our neighbor, Mrs. Feathers, taught both piano and organ students. She advised that learning to play the piano would be the place to start to understand the basics.
But there were some obstacles. My family didn’t have a piano; the price of a new piano was out of the budget, and this is before the advent of keyboards.
Lucky for me, my parents were very resourceful. My sainted mother knew how much this meant to me. She found a piano that was being thrown out. It was a cut down upright, and it was in very bad shape. Pieces of the wood were missing; some of the wood was rotten; the keys were discolored and it was very much in need of tuning. Someone had even disposed of an apple core in one of the holes in the wood.
My mother paid $25 to have the piano delivered to our house. Even I thought this was mission impossible.
My father replaced the damaged and missing wood. My mother stained the piano in an antique green which was the hot color in the late 1960s. My mother researched what to do about the keys. She would ship them to Philadelphia to have the keys replaced with a covering that resembled ivory. Each set of keys, however, is unique to each piano. Somehow in the shipping, the keys were lost for some time, making this big wooden box unplayable.
Luckily, after some sleepless nights, the keys were found and returned to my mother. She had a piano tuner replace the keys and tune the piano.
This restored piano graced my parents’ living room for 50 years. My sisters and I learned to play on this instrument, and I later went on to play the organ. I was a church organist from ages 10-25 at Mount Calvary Church. During this time, I was blessed to play many weddings, funerals and even Christmas Day family sing-alongs.
In my parents’ senior years, they were residents at St. Mary’s at Asbury. It was my honor to volunteer to play for their Sunday and Holy Day Masses.
The restored piano now is a focal piece in my living room and has been for 12 years. In addition, Aunt Virgie’s organ is featured in my family room.
Now I have a great niece who’s only 17 months old. Her name is Charlotte. I’m teaching her to sing, and she likes to “play” her grandmother’s keyboard. When Charlotte strikes the keys, I see her body sway just like Aunt Virgie. I hope someday the restored family piano goes to Charlotte’s house, so that she can learn to play and have the same joy as Aunt Virgie and me.
I feel very blessed to have had the love of my family and these musical opportunities.
I’ve been a board member of the Erie Philharmonic for several years. The reason I got involved was that I wanted to share the joy of music with others. I’m especially grateful for the Phil’s program of bringing pianos to families who don’t have one and sharing the joy of music with a whole new generation.
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Piano donation program
From Home series
Discover our 2020-21 season
From Erie Philharmonic Second Violinist Lou Nicolia
In 2007, Keita Fukushima, violin, and myself formed a duo called Strada.
We had the good fortune, through Keita's connections, to get a concert at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in New York City. We came up with an eclectic program of violin duos with some special guests.
At the time I had a friend who worked for composer Ned Rorem and I asked him if he would write a lullaby for our duo. He agreed since he had never written one before! Thankfully, I was able to get funds from several generous donors within the Erie community. We also commissioned Iranian-American composer Reza Vali who wrote a beautiful piece for violin and struck glasses.
We also spent a week in Japan performing this show - I was very grateful to be involved in this project!
The polka Old Country Oberek was accordionist Joe Matzcak's idea. I arranged a twin fiddle part and we recorded it at Peppermint Studio in Youngstown, Ohio for the album Diamond Anniversary Edition by the Penn-Ohio Polka Pals. You can listen to both of these pieces by click below!
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From Erie Philharmonic Principal Tuba Ken Heinlein
Hello everyone! Ken Heinlein here, your friendly neighborhood Principal Tuba.
Being away from my Erie Philharmonic family has been hard and has me thinking back on some of the great concerts we’ve presented over my last four seasons of playing. A standout for me was our performance of the Copland Symphony No. 3, not only because it was a very good performance—if you were there, you know—but because it is a piece that falls directly into an era of some of my favorite symphonic writing.
I personally am absolutely in love with American composers from the 1930s and -40s.
There is something very special about American music at this time. America wasn’t yet the nation we think of today; it was still finding its footing in the world both politically and musically. The music is rich and interesting; starting to diverge from European music of the time, American music dove deeply into melody as the primary driver of both harmony and form. As I wrote this guide, I found myself introducing many of these pieces as “This is one of my favorite pieces!” It’s true that this is some of my very favorite orchestral music, so let me just get it out of the way up top: I LOVE these pieces.
Though much of it is almost a century old, this music sounds very fresh; it offers not just intellectual rewards for repeated listening, but also profound aesthetic returns as well.
This first piece is from a little earlier than my specified timeline and allows us to set the stage a bit. Dvorak was famously brought over to the New World and composed his Symphony No. 9 in 1893; today, however, I encourage you to listen to a piece composed only six years later (1899) by the American composer Amy Beach. The Piano Concerto in C# minor, Op. 45, is absolutely beautiful and a favorite of mine. If you listen to the secondary theme of the first movement (3:32), you might hear a hint of the Dvorak Symphony No. 9, which she would almost certainly have heard.
Amy Beach herself was the soloist at the premiere on April 7th, 1900 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. (If you listen to the rest of this album, you’ll hear Beach’s Symphony No. 2, another favorite of mine.)
Aaron Copland conducting "Lincoln Portrait" with Adlai Stevenson, Lewisohn Stadium, 1964 (Photo: Marc & Evelyne Bernheim)
I know that the name Aaron Copland has become something of a household name for his beloved later works, including (probably most famously) Rodeo. As I mentioned, it was a total treat to play the Symphony No. 3, but I want to encourage everyone to listen to Copland’s first symphony, his Dance Symphony.
Copland was working on a ballet called Grohg (based on the Dracula legend) when RCA Victor announced a composition contest. Copland quickly reworked the ballet into this freshman symphonic effort. After the premiere on April 15th, 1930 with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the piece wasn’t performed again until it was let by the composer in 1979.
I just haven’t been able to get this piece out of my head since I first heard it. I love it, and I hope I get to play it someday.
I can’t move on from Copland without mentioning another great work: Lincoln Portrait. The piece was, unquestionably, propaganda for its time; it sought to link the struggle of the Civil War to the struggle for the ‘liberation’ of Europe in the Second World War. That said, I can’t help but have a powerful emotional reaction every time I hear the words of Abraham Lincoln set to Copland’s music. I’ve played this piece several times, and I’ve cried on the stage every time.
The recording of the composer conducting with Henry Fonda as the narrator is a good choice; my favorite, however, is James Earl Jones with the Seattle Symphony.
Moving back to less well-known composers, I’d like to advocate for the music of Walter Piston. Born in 1894, Walter Piston wrote his Symphony No. 2 in 1943, and it was premiered on March 5th 1944 by the National Symphony Orchestra. It immediately established Piston as a prominent composer. The Adagio from this symphony was performed by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic as an elegy upon the composer’s death in 1976.
I’ve never played any music by Piston at all, and I’ve gotta admit: I’m really sad about that. I find this music to be alternatively charming and powerful, but always compelling.
At playbacks for the 1964 recording of Samuel Barber's Piano Concerto are (sitting L-R) producer Paul Myers, Cleveland Music Director George Szell, Cleveland concertmaster Rafael Druian, (standing L-R) composer Samuel Barber, and soloist John Browning.
Next, I’d like to include some music by my very favorite composer, Samuel Barber. There is something uniquely compelling about Barber’s sound that is instantly recognizable, and I’ve loved all of his music from the very first time I heard it. Barber is often most associated with his Adagio for Strings (itself an arrangement of the second movement of his first string quartet). One of my favorite orchestral pieces of his is undoubtably the Symphony No. 1, composed in 1936 and revised in 1942. It was premiered in Italy, but the first American performance was by the Cleveland Orchestra.
I’ve listened to this piece (and specifically this recording) more times than I can count, and I still never tire of it. Written in a single continuous movement, the instrumentation is fresh and compelling and uniquely built for the emerging new sound of American playing.
I can’t leave the music of Barber without mentioning the absolutely stunning Prayers of Kierkegaard from 1954. Think of this as an American “German Requiem.” It absolutely guts me every time I hear it. Though my favorite version has Carmen Pelton as soloist, though this version is also very good:
Many of you who have played in upper-level bands are likely familiar with William Schuman (the American composer born in 1910, not to be confused with the German composer Robert Schumann born exactly 100 years previous) from his piece Chester. Schuman eventually went on to be the president of the Juilliard School, but in 1943 he wrote his Symphony No. 5. Written for strings only, it received its premiere with the Boston Symphony orchestra. (Stick around for his Symphony No. 3 as well—it’s pretty great too.)
I can’t believe how colorful and interesting this piece is. It carries all the marks of an absolutely brilliant composer without being unapproachable or intimidating.
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The piece I want to leave you with is by David Diamond, the most modern of the composers here, born in 1915 (and studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music). His Symphony No. 3 is so exciting that I almost can’t believe it was written in 1945. I won’t even tell you anything else. Just listen to this!!
(If that wasn’t the most thrilling thing you’ve ever heard, I just can’t help you.)
So much of what we do in American orchestras is to play music by European composers. Don’t get me wrong, that’s all great music—but music as an art form is just so much BIGGER than that. We have such a rich history of orchestral music right here in America, and this music from these American composers is some of my favorite in (or outside of) the entire orchestral canon. I am very proud to be an inheritor of this music, and I can only hope to be so lucky as to play some of it in my career.
Thank you all so much for coming along with me on this journey today. I am so proud to play in your Erie Philharmonic, and I can’t wait to get back to performing for all of you again soon.
Ken
From Home Series
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Enjoy all of the music in one big playlist!
From Beth Etter, regular piano/harpsichord player with the Erie Philharmonic
I have suddenly realized how many hours there are in a day during these weeks of cabin fever! I chat with neighbors from opposite sides of the street, worry about my daughter in New York, and invent ways to teach applied piano lessons to students with no piano at home!
A book I read to my kids when they were little keeps popping into my mind. Frederick, the mouse (by Leo Lionni) lives with his family in a granary. Winter is coming, and they work frantically to store enough food to survive--except for Frederick, who is, well, lazy. Once the long, dark winter days leave the family with little food or hope left, Frederick begins to recite his poetry. While the others gather food, Frederick gathers colors and words and imagination. In the end, Frederick keeps the others alive through his art.
Thinking of Frederick in the temporary quiet of now makes me reflect on what we really do together as a thriving orchestra in Erie, PA.
I believe playing in an orchestra is one of the most civilized activities we can do on this planet of ours. The hours each of us spends alone, testing a phrase over and over and over again, to be sure the rhythm, shape, and sound of it is perfect and beautiful, are lonely and many. No one tells us what to do. We search through knowledge gathered from years upon years of practice and lessons with teachers better than ourselves; to find which tools enable us to tackle the technical and musical challenges of each piece of repertoire. Our motivation to contribute our best each and every time, as a small part of a larger whole, is guided purely by our own musical integrity.
Sometimes it's hard. There will be new technical or rhythmic problems we haven't encountered before. A great example this season was my experience with the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story of Leonard Bernstein. In the mail came, not one, but three scores for piano, celeste, and organ. I sub-divided beats into tiny parts and put them all back together again until my brain hurt. But travelling from instrument to instrument with only three beats to get there became a different problem to conquer. The music of three instruments and my two hands became a choreographed ballet of sorts.
Once all of us--musicians on stage with our maestro and audience members are enveloped in a live performance, the lines between us fade. We are transformed by what each of us has done alone, to come together to make great music. When we achieve something great, we ALL know it--together, and in the moment. We leave without the words to describe it because they are unnecessary. The music speaks.
Surely, like Frederick in his empty granary, music can feed our spirits while we wait for the days of this unsettling quiet to lift.
Discover our 2020-21 season!
2019-20 opening night piano soloist Andrew Tyson is back with a special message just for Erie!
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
Guest concertmaster Emily Cornelius has an exclusive performance just for you!
Hope everyone is staying safe, happy and healthy!
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2020-21 Season
Erie Philharmonic Principal Clarinet Amitai Vardi, and a little friend, has a special message and song just for you!
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2020-21 Season
World-renowned pianist Simone Dinnerstein, guest artist with the Philharmonic in April 2018, has an exclusive performance of Bach just for you!
Enjoy, and stay healthy!
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Another familiar face from years past , pianist Michael Brown, stops by to say hello to our Erie audiences!
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2020-21 Season
Previous guest artist, and renowned cellist Nick Canellakis, sends his best to audiences in Erie!
Stay safe everyone!
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2020-21 Season
Principal Bass Kieran Hanlon is back with music from Beethoven 9, which was set to be performed this weekend on April 4. Enjoy!!
Can't wait to see everyone soon - stay happy and healthy.
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2020-21 Season
Second Oboe Heather Storey is enjoying her time outside gardening and weeding as best she can!
Sending our best wishes your way Erie - hope to see you soon.
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2020-21 Season
Grammy-winning baritone Mark Steven Doss has a message, and music, just for you Erie!
While Mark Steven was scheduled to be one of the soloists for our postponed performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, we still wanted to find a way for him to sing for Erie audiences now!
Stay happy and healthy - hoping the music will be back soon!
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2020-21 Season
Principal Second Violin Jonathan Moser shows our audience just how multi-talented our musicians really are!
Hope everyone is staying happy and healthy - hang in there.
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2020-21 Season
Erie Philharmonic Second Trumpet Doug Amos, brownies and Mahler!
Stay safe, healthy and hungry everyone!
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2020-21 Season
Music Director Daniel Meyer is here, and he has some fabulous Spring-inspired music to share with you!
Stay safe and healthy, and we hope to see you soon!!
Listen now
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2020-21 Season
Erie Phil Associate Concertmaster Sandro Leal-Santiesteban is back with Brahms! Enjoy!!
We hope you're all staying happy and healthy in these trying times.
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2020-21 Season
Erie Phil Principal Oboe Danna Sundet is certainly keeping busy - enjoy!
Hope to see everyone soon, please say safe and healthy.
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2020-21 Season
Erie Phil violist Sarah Poe and her puppy have one question...what is your favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein musical?
Hope everyone is staying happy and healthy - see you soon!
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2020-21 Season
Live from New Jersey with our Beethoven 9 soprano soloist Amy Shoremount-Obra. Amy will make her Erie Philharmonic debut when the orchestra takes the stage again on June 15 with our rescheduled performance of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.
The music will return soon - stay healthy everyone!
Learn more about Amy here
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2020-21 Season
Erie Phil Principal Bass Kieran Hanlon certainly isn't on the fence about how to best handle this situation.
Hope you're all staying healthy - the music will be back soon!
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2020-21 Season
Gives a whole new meaning to the term 'woodshedding'.
Hope you are all staying happy and healthy - see you soon!!
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2020-21 Season
The perils of making music in your living room...
Stay healthy everyone - the music will return soon!!
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
Stay healthy during this difficult time - from everyone here at the Philharmonic, we’re thinking of you!
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
Our thoughts go out to everyone during this time of crisis - we can’t wait to get back to playing music for you!
Take care, and stay healthy!
Cabin fever?
2020-21 Season
Everything you need to know about our co-commissioned work from the composer, Zhou Tian.
See this amazing piece performed live as part of our season finale celebration on April 4.
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Jennifer at our Long-Term Residency
From Patron Services Manager Jennifer Barron
I have recently passed my 6 month mark here at the Erie Philharmonic. The time has definitely flown by and it feels as though I only started a month ago. I love my job so much that I never feel like I’m at work.
One question I have been asked a couple times since starting is why I decided to go into the administrative side of the orchestra instead of trying to be a musician in one. For those who don’t know, I graduated in May 2019 from State University of New York at Fredonia with two bachelor’s degrees; a Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration-Management. I love playing my bassoon but over the course of my education and experiences I found that business management was my foremost interest. Combining my love of the arts with my love of strategic business makes this type of job the right fit for me.
So far, my favorite part of my job has been interacting with patrons. I love being able to help them out and make it so that they can have a wonderful night whether it is their first time at the Warner or their 100th.
I did not grow up in Erie so I never had the opportunity to see the Warner Theatre before I started working here. The first time I walked into the lobby I was amazed by its beauty and history. I am looking forward seeing the hall’s transformation during the renovation and to see patrons’ reactions to the “new” hall.
Erie feels like home and I hope to be able to call it that for awhile!
From the composer Michael TorkeThe Erie Philharmonic will present the regional premiere of this Grammy-nominated concerto on January 18 at the Warner Theatre.
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I felt, in writing this piece, that there was an openness, or a kind of a renewed freshness, I had working with musical materials, because I was working in a new form. It took out all the cobwebs in the brain, all the old habits. It loosened me up, and I thank Tessa Lark for opening this door of the imagination.
Out of the blue, an inquiry came from this young violinist, Tessa Lark. She had been given the opportunity to play a debut concert at Carnegie Recital Hall and was given money to commission. Her boyfriend, Michael Thurber, said, “Check out this guy's music.” So she did, and she called me up and said, “You want to work together?” I said, “Sure.”
I wrote a piece for violin and piano called 'Spoon Bread.' In the program note I wrote how, with the détaché bowing — one bow stroke per note — it brought about a harkening back to baroque music, but also to a bluegrass tradition. And, after all, Tessa's from Kentucky. So here I was, making these claims of a bluegrass influence.
We went into the recording studio not long after, and we were on a break when I said, 'Tessa, how would you feel if I was really inspired by bluegrass and not something you say in a program note?' And then the engineer of this recording, Silas Brown, said, “Now that's an idea. If you do that, Michael, and Tessa, you play it, I'll record it!”
For example, I started with banjo picking, because to me it's so intricate. The theme to the “Beverly Hillbillies” was performed by one of the biggest names in the business, Earl Scruggs. When I was growing up, I always thought that was the most amazing music I ever heard. So I slowed it down, I transcribed it, and I thought, Well, wouldn't it be interesting if you took banjo picking, and you gave it to a violin to play? So I first had to learn the style, second, how to write for banjo, and then third, figure out how to give it to the violin. That's what you hear in the first movement.
Tessa later told me that Irish fiddle players do some of the same techniques and have the same expression as bluegrass fiddlers. I started studying Irish music, and there you have jigs and reels. It's a different kind of thing, but some of the music sounds similar, just different. I thought, Well, what if I composed a reel and slowed it down, and that could become the second movement?
I learned something important working with Tessa. I think she is both brilliant as a human being and as an artist. I wanted to do something special with her. I talked it over, and then we sat down, and we did it. I said, “Don't worry about contracts. Don't worry about money. Don't worry about anything.” We didn't even have an orchestra at that point. But we both believed that it could become something, and I think that that leads me to do my best work. An artistic impulse must come first. The other stuff will follow.
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From Erie Philharmonic violinist Alexander Hettinga
When people speak words of doom over the classical music profession, it is often assumed that the biggest orchestras in the biggest cities will be the only ones to survive the coming years. As a member of the Erie Philharmonic, however, I am coming to believe that orchestras like ours have a very bright future.
Every time I come here to play, I am struck by the kind of musicians that fill this orchestra. Many care about music more deeply and more self-sacrificially than you can imagine. Most have a passion that extends beyond their own playing to reaching the next generation through education. We teach private lessons, we teach at schools and colleges, and we teach at summer camps in low income areas. Several of us also work 9-5 jobs in other fields, but continue to show up here to play because music remains a meaningful pursuit to us.
The management team here really cares about us, and we all get along! Our conductor is humble and patient. None of us are here just for ourselves. And we don’t expect you to be here just for us. We are here for you, and we’re all here to enjoy the music. These are extraordinary things, and present here as much as in any orchestra you can name.
You continue to fill our hall to capacity concert after concert, and I trust we will continue to play our hearts out.
I believe that Beethoven will never cease to be relevant, big town or small, but I’d be willing to bet that one place he will remain alive and well in the future is the Warner Theatre.
- Alexander Hettinga, violinist
Enjoy a riveting interview with Grammy-winning bassist Edgar Meyer, Music Director Daniel Meyer, host Brian Hannah and one special guest!
Written by Erie Philharmonic bassist Tom Christopherson
The double bass is a big instrument, but perhaps it's a small world when the roads of music history lead back to Erie, PA. The adage that there are only 'six degrees of separation' between people certainly holds true with the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra.
This weekend November 16, the Erie Philharmonic offers a tremendous opportunity to experience the virtuoso possibilities of the double bass violin when Edgar Meyer performs the Giovanni Bottesini’s Double Bass Concerto No. 2 in B minor, as well as the Meyer Concerto for Double Bass No. 2. Bottesini's challenging work reflects changes throughout the 18th century in the bass violin and its playing methods. Like Paganini on the violin, bassists experimented through perfomances and writings with virtuoso techniques - expanding awareness in the orchestral world and inspiring composers such as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven to create expressive and complex writing for the bass.
In the evolution of bass playing, recent centuries have seen stand-out virtuosi.
Dragonetti, far left
In the late 18th century, the bass virtuoso was Domenico Dragonetti (1763-1846).
Dragonetti played a three-stringed bass and developed the "Dragonetti Bow", which required an underhand grip. Upon hearing Dragonetti play, Beethoven was impressed that Dragonetti was able to do so much more with the bass than was traditionally being done (it is said that he gave him and his bass a hug). Ever desirous to expand orchestral potential, Beethoven thus felt comfortable writing incredibly difficult bass parts into his works. You will have a chance to enjoy Beethoven's explorations into the double bass this upcoming weekend when Maestro Daniel Meyer conducts the Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3.
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In the nineteenth century, the bass virtuoso was Giovanni Bottesini (1821-1889) (whose work we feature this week).
He actually was referred to as "the Paganini of the double bass". Like Dragonetti, he played a three-stringed bass, but employed the new french style of bass bow playing, which requires an overhand grip.
In addition to being an orchestral player, soloist, and composer, Bottesini was a conductor and teacher of double bass who travelled throughout Europe and spent some time in America. While conducting in Spain, his student was the Catalan composer Pedro Valls. Valls became the teacher of Anton Torello, who in turn became the principal bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the bass professor at the Curtis Insitute of Music.
In the earlier 19th century Bottesini would have played a three-stringed bass. By the time of Torello, four-stringed basses, which are tuned in fourths, were replacing the previous three-stringed basses, which were tuned without standardization according to needs and tastes. Although Anton Torello is known to have given recitals in Philadelphia using a three-stringed bass, he taught F. Simandl's New Method for Double Bass. It offers instruction on playing the recently developed four-stringed bass. Published in 1874, it has become the foundation of all modern bass studies.
Many of Anton Torello's pupils became principal and section basses in all the major orchestras in the U.S.A. throughout the 20th century: Two former students were Oscar Zimmerman (who became the principle bass of Arturo Toscanini's NBC Broadcasting Orchestra), and Jacques Posell, who became principal bass of the Cleveland Orchestra under conductor George Szell.
One of Oscar Zimmerman students, Lawrence Angel, was hired by Jacques Posell and George Szell to play in the Cleveland Orchestra, and was later appointed by Lorin Maazel to become principal bass of the Cleveland Orchestra. Lawrence Angell was my teacher at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and it was he who encouraged me to play with the Erie Philharmonic. Another of Zimmerman's students was Robert Leibold who sat principal bass here with the Erie Philharmonic during Walter Hendl's tenure.
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Oscar Zimmerman
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Jacques Posell, center
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Lawrence Angel
Anton Torello introduced the french style of bass bow playing to America. He liked one particular French bow so much that he commissioned the De Luccia Brothers, luthiers in Philadelphia, to have several copies of his “Torello Bow” made, which he gave to his students; including Jacques Posell. Jacques Posell passed his “Torello Bow” on to me upon his retirement from the Cleveland Orchestra. The “Torello Bow”, which I have used on all of my recordings, has made its way to the stage of the Warner Theater, where I use it for Erie Philharmonic Orchestra performances .
Serge Koussevitzky
The bass virtuoso of note for the 20th century was Serge Koussevitzky (1874 - 1951).
By the time he was eighteen he was famous in his homeland of Russia. One of my favorite works for bass is the Koussevitzky Concerto. I have performed and recorded the Koussevitzky Valse Miniature on several occasions, including my orchestral arrangement with the Hermit Club Orchestra in Cleveland, Ohio, Steve Eva, conducting.
When Koussevitzky came to America he was acclaimed as conductor of the Boston Symphony and taught conducting at the Tanglewood Festival. Our past conductor emeritus of the Erie Philharmonic, Walter Hendl, studied conducting at Curtis Institute with Fritz Reiner and at Tanglewood with Serge Koussevitsky.
Walter Hendl succeeded Howard Hanson as the dean of the Eastman School of Music. To complete the "degrees of separation' leading to the Erie Philharmonic, our next symphonic concert this season will feature Maestro Daniel Meyer conducting the Hanson Symphony No. 5. on January 18, 2020.
- Thomas Christopherson, Bassist, Erie Philharmonic
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Music Director Daniel Meyer tells you all you need to know about our November 16 concert, featuring 6-time Grammy-winner Edgar Meyer and Respighi’s epic Pines of Rome.
Definitely a concert you have to experience live!
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From George Daugherty, conductor of BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY
George in LA working on the WORLD PREMIERE show!
For all of us on the BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY team, it is very exciting to be performing the world premiere of our new concert edition with The Erie Philharmonic at The Warner Theatre. For starters, the orchestra is simply wonderful -- a truly extraordinary jewel in the American music scene. Our last performances of this concert with the Erie Philharmonic were incredibly rewarding for all of us. And of course, performing IN the spectacular Warner Theatre -- one of the last remaining theaters built by The Warner "Bros." themselves -- Jack, Harry, Sam, and Albert -- is so fantastically appropriate for this concert especially. It is one of the most palatial "movie palaces" we have ever seen, and its transition into a performing arts center for Erie has been fantastic and inspiring to watch.
On a personal level as a conductor, both the Erie Philharmonic and The Warner Theatre are also very sentimentally special to me. When I was a young conductor, starting out my career in the early 1980's, one of my very first professional guest engagements was with the Erie Philharmonic at The Warner Theatre.
The Warner Theatre, home of the Erie Philharmonic
It was a glittering ballet gala with dancers from American Ballet Theatre, headlined by the legendary ballerina Gelsey Kirkland. And the Erie Philharmonic in the orchestra pit. It was a pivotal moment in my conducting career, and it all happened in Erie, at The Warner. So coming back to Erie always feels like coming home again!
Our new version of BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY has many fantastic new additions since we last appeared in Erie, and I know the audiences will love it.
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Rabbit of Seville
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What's Opera, Doc?
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Long-haired Hare
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WORLD PREMIERE
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WORLD PREMIERE
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WORLD PREMIERE
Our "roll-out" for this new concert includes The Boston Pops, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Pittsburgh Symphony, and many other world-class major international orchestras. We just sold out an entire run of our previous concert -- and for the second time -- a few months ago with The New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center. So the Erie Philharmonic is in some very good company . . . right where it should be!!
- George Daugherty, Guest Conductor of BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY
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Bugs Bunny in action
George Daugherty guest conductor Created by George Daugherty & David Ka Lik Wong
LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
(s19)
Photos by Chris Lee, courtesy of New York Philharmonic
A quartet of musicians from the Erie Philharmonic performed Beethoven’s ‘Serioso’ Quartet live in the WQLN Studios in preparation for our season finale concert on April 13, a concert that features Mahler’s arrangement of this same work for full orchestra.
Click link above to listen to the entire broadcast!
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From Music Director Daniel Meyer
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This weekend, our vocal soloists and chorus will not be lugging big, heavy full scores of Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem onstage. You can imagine how it would feel to hoist a chunky book above your waist and hold it there for over 65 minutes, and that is one reason why choristers do not do it. Instead, our singers will perform from piano-vocal scores. Piano-vocal scores are vital tools to understand and ultimately perform a grand choral work with the complexity and breadth of Brahms’ masterpiece. Rather than having to sift through over twenty independent orchestral lines, vocalists can focus on where his or her line lies and how it fits into the texture of the orchestral contribution. A piano-vocal score can distill an enormous and complex orchestral score into only the parts that the vocalists will need. This includes a piano reduction of the orchestral part, tucked just beneath the voice parts for chorus and solo singers. This alone can get complex, and during rehearsals, many choristers take a pencil or highlighter to their music to deconstruct the piece further and make it more digestible, particularly knowing that the emotion and pace of a live performance will require quick and precise access to the right notes at the right time.
I keep every score from which I have ever performed. Full scores, piano-vocal scores, even old, marked-up pages from my early violin studies; they are all there on my shelf should I ever need to reference something from my musical past. It's a rare occasion when I open a score I have not seen in a while and something drops out of it that surprises me. In fact, I rarely ever tuck something into a score for safe-keeping or to savor as a memento. Truth be told, I would likely forget that I had even stashed it there, and more practically, I want to insure that my scores stay in relatively good shape in hopes that I will have the honor of conducting or performing that piece again. In the case of my piano-vocal score for the Brahms Requiem, however, I was delighted to find that I had indeed stashed an old concert program between its pages. It was the first time I had ever come into contact with this incredible piece of music, and it reflected a seminal moment in my development as a musician.
Conductor Robert Shaw
In my old piano-vocal score of the Brahms Requiem, I discovered a concert program documenting the first time I had ever sung the piece. It was indeed a fond memory. It was a performance conducted by the late, great American conductor Robert Shaw, prepared by Gareth Morrell, and introducing a then-unknown American soprano by the name of Dawn Upshaw. The Cleveland Orchestra was performing at their summer home - the Blossom Music Center, and sure enough, scanning down the names in the chorus roster, there was my name listed in the bass section. So much of that performance made a deep impression on me. I was in high school at the time, and to have had contact with such challenging and inspiring music-making was as invigorating as it was humbling. Morrell had us drilled with such conviction and passion. I remember his ability to model German diction, and was never satisfied to let us gloss over a mispronounced umlaut. He insured that the chorus was in precise, top shape before we were ‘handed over’ to Shaw.
When Robert Shaw came to work with us before the orchestra rehearsals, it was a transformative experience. He, too, was driven to detail, but he also had an ability to make magic and approach the Brahms with an awe and wonder that put us all into the right framework for a spiritual experience as much as a musical one. His work with choruses has been well-chronicled, and while his musical techniques were unorthodox, he got results that were in alignment with how he believed choruses could sound and ultimately communicate with an audience. I loved every minute of it. I was in the same room with an electrifying speaker, leader, preacher, and artist. I believe I will always be influenced by what I learned from Mr. Shaw that week.
Working under those two musical leaders would have been enough to make it an unforgettable experience for me, but then at the orchestra rehearsals, I heard the soloists for the first time. A young woman strode onto stage in a most unassuming and un-divalike fashion. And then this soprano’s voice rang into the rafters of the reverberant pavilion at Blossom. I was stunned by her voice’s purity and ability to drive straight to the center of my core. I was not alone. We in the chorus were amazed by what a remarkable talent she had and how perfectly-suited she was to this particular role in the Brahms. The way Dawn Upshaw sang that weekend was perfection to me. Not the kind of perfection that you want to polish and leave on a mantle, but rather a perfection of expression and sincerity. It was a perfection that composers like Brahms can come close to touching, and I can’t help but think he was smiling behind that big beard of his when he heard the performance that was assembled to perform his music that fateful weekend.
Daniel Meyer
Music Director, Erie Philharmonic
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Our 2019-20 Season
Lisa Vroman, the Cathedral of St. Paul Choristers and the Erie Philharmonic from September 2017
From Music Director Daniel Meyer
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Lisa Vroman, Soprano
Lisa Vroman fascinates me. She’s such a special artist, and one I always look forward to collaborating with, as she is forever looking for ways to connect her stellar musical choices with audiences who appreciate a smart program. Whenever she takes the stage, her presence commands in a way that invites you into her space. She welcomes you and lets you know that she is going to bring her A-game, and that is due in large part to the fact that she is more than just a pretty voice. There is a fierce intellectual and spiritual power behind everything she does. Her energy radiates, her curiosity astounds, and her ability to put together a great show is one of the most fun aspects of working with her.
I should back up a bit and say that she could easily rest on her laurels. Her Broadway credentials are staggering, and her place in the annals of American Musical history is secure. She is one if the finest vocalists and artists working on the stage today, and it’s due in large part to her enormous sense of curiosity. Lisa knows repertoire like no other vocalist from Broadway (or any ‘way’ for that matter). When we have arranged concerts in the past, just listening to her rattle off tunes and reference shows (especially the off-the-beaten-path shows from pre-Golden Era Broadway!) is an education in American Musical Theatre history. She genuinely loves rediscovering a great tune, whether it’s Cole Porter, a modern composer in whom she believes, or a work by a composer who deserves more notoriety than he or she has garnered to this date. The challenge when programming with Lisa Vroman is what NOT to include in the set list!
Lisa in Phantom of the Opera
And all of this curiosity and creativity is to say nothing of her God-given talent. Indeed, her classical training means that she has preserved a beautifully healthy and powerful voice that can do just about anything – she is not and cannot be constrained by one genre or one style of singing. She can chose music that best flexes her versatility, her style, her panache, her ability to totally inhabit a character, and her absolutely gorgeous singing voice.
If you can tell by now, I’m a bit of a fan. I am honored to bring back Lisa Vroman to the Warner Theatre stage for you, and I hope you enjoy this return visit that includes some recognizable favorites with some of our more ‘modern’ masters like Stephen Sondheim and Marvin Hamlisch. I am really looking forward to seeing you this Saturday for another Lisa Vroman masterclass in what makes our American Musical Theatre history so rich and seemingly inexhaustible.
Musically yours,
Daniel Meyer
Music Director, Erie Philharmonic
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Our 2019-20 Season
From Erie Philharmonic Principal Tuba Ken Heinlein
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Hello everyone! It’s my great privilege to contribute to the Erie Philharmonic blog writing a quick post about Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, which is featured on our upcoming Symphonic Series concert on March 9th and 10th!
Symphonie Fantastique is novel for many reasons; it’s composition marked a complete departure from anything that had come before, and “turned up” the ideals of the Romantic revolution in music . The program behind the symphony is absolutely bonkers, and I’ll leave it to all of you to read your program booklets to find out all of the juiciest details – there are a few.
What I wanted to write about was more about Berlioz as he promoted performances of this, his first symphony. Unlike with modern orchestras, where pieces are published and then purchased by any number of groups, Berlioz himself kept the piece with him and traveled around to rehearse and perform with the orchestra (in whatever form it existed) in each town he traveled to. As such, he carried multiple orchestrations of the same piece in order to accommodate the instruments and players that were and were not present in each different town as he traveled. The version of Symphonie Fantastique that survives today is some amalgamation of these different versions.
In one of these arrangements, Berlioz called for two ophicleides. An ophicleide is an instrument made out of metal, like a modern brass instrument; it also has a mouthpiece that you buzz into. Rather than valves, however, it had keys, and it was wrapped something like a bassoon. It was part of a family of instruments known as keyed bugles. Today, these instruments are no longer played outside of historical performance groups.
Ophicleide
Early tuba Soon after Berlioz wrote this piece, the valve was patented in Vienna (by Wieprecht in 1835, actually) and modern brass instruments began to take shape. One of these brand new, modern instruments was the tuba, which is still the most modern instrument in the orchestra.
So why this whole story? Because Berlioz himself, when he first heard the tuba, said that all of his ophicleide parts should be played on tuba going forward. Even if that (possibly apocryphal) story isn’t true, tubas were already starting to phase out and replace the ophicleide anyway (we still play all of the ophicleide parts in Mendelssohn, for example, to this very day). Why is this important? Because the surviving score for Symphonie Fantastique includes parts for two ophicleides: one in C, and one in Bb, so that each might compensate for the tuning deficiencies of the other. The result of all of this?
There are two tuba parts in Symphonie Fantastique. TWO. TUBAS. (click video to see both instruments in action!)
Young tuba players like myself often grow up playing in bands, and we get used to playing in an entire section of tubas. When we move to orchestras, however, we sit principal and solo – there is just very little need for more than one tuba, and many pieces have no tuba parts at all. Every so often, however, a piece like this comes along, and I have the great honor of asking another tuba player to come join me on stage.
Along this week with me is Dr. Chris Blaha, my good friend and the Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Akron. It’s amazing to get to play on stage with him, and you’re all in for a treat.
A LOUD treat. Berlioz is scary. Symphonie Fantastique is doubly scary. And Dr. Blaha and I together on stage is downright terrifying. TWO TUBAS.
This is going to be great.
I can’t wait to see you there.
Ken Heinlein
Principal Tuba, Erie Philharmonic
See it live!March 9 · Warner Theatre · 8pm
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From Music Director Daniel Meyer
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Berlioz’s music has always held a particular fascination for me, none more so than the music that makes up his Symphonie fantastique. At only 26 years old, Berlioz was already a supreme master of the orchestra. On the surface, the sheer variety of colors he draws from the instruments is a wonder. Each solo wind and brass instrument is valued for its potential to stand out as much as it is a color to be mixed with others. The luxurious treatment of the strings in moment of bliss is just as remarkable as the jarring, stabbing motives that convulse in the throws of an opium-induced nightmare.
But as I dig deeper into this wondrous symphony in preparation for our performances, one of the elements of Berlioz’s genius that strikes me most is the capacity for this music to stretch and pull – to tug on each specific moment in service to Berlioz’s wild flights of imagination. To illustrate this whimsy, Berlioz had to develop a sensibility in his music that is truly capable of turning on each phrase. The music surges, heaves, sighs, trembles, stabs, shakes, twirls, and crawls. In some instances, these disparate moments follow each other so suddenly and with such shocking intensity, that it is a wonder how this symphony’s first audiences were even able to stand up after the final diabolical dance!
Today, with jump-cut edits and shaky, real-time camerawork with uncomfortably close angles and juxtapositions, we are somehow used to dramatic flow presented without carefully-manipulated transitions. Before Berlioz, composers certainly were capable of introducing elements of shock, moments of unbridled passion, and thundering special effects. But as music is an art form that must unfold in time, real or imagined, establishing a norm from which a shocking moment can emerge was critical to the element of surprise. Somehow, Berlioz is able to represent the breathlessness and heightened awareness of a dream state, incorporating this unpredictable pacing into the very fabric of how the music flows. Racing ahead, pulling back, twirling in one place, jumping into the abyss is all brilliantly incorporated into Berlioz’s language, so much so that it seems jarring when we hear eight measures of a consistent pulse!
I encourage you at some points during our performance to close your eyes and let the sweep of the music work its special effect on you. You will most certainly expect some anchors to satisfy a desire for pulse predictability and rhythmic stability. Berlioz was savvy enough to provide those moments. But I think you just might be excited to hear how brilliantly he creates a disturbance in the flow of musical time. His artful management of the pacing in this symphony is, for me, one of the most crucial aspects to creating a sonic world just enchanting enough to desire and just horrific enough to revile…
Musically yours,
Daniel Meyer
Music Director, Erie Philharmonic
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Our 2018-19 Season
Written by Ken Meltzer
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Javelin (1994)Michael Torke was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on September 22, 1961. The first performance of Javelin took place at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 8, 1994. Yoel Levi conducted the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Approximate performance time is nine minutes.American composer Michael Torke’s brief and exhilarating orchestral work, Javelin, was commissioned by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The commission was a dual celebration of the Atlanta Symphony’s 50th anniversary, and the upcoming 1996 Olympic Games.
The composer provided the following commentary on Javelin:
I had three goals for this Atlanta Symphony’s anniversary piece: I wanted to use the orchestra as a virtuosic instrument, I wanted to use triads (three-note tonal chords), and I wanted the music to be thematic. I knew I would welcome swifter changes of mood than what is found in my earlier music. What came out (somewhat unexpectedly) was a sense of valor among short flashes and sweeps that reminded me of something in flight: a light spear thrown, perhaps, but not in the sense of a weapon, more in the spirit of a competition. When the word javelin suddenly suggested itself, I couldn’t help but recall the 1970s model of sports car my Dad owned, identified by that name, but I concluded, why not? Even that association isn't so far off from the general feeling of the piece. Its fast tempo calls for 591 measures to evoke the generally uplifting, sometimes courageous, yet playful spirit.
—Michael Torke
Violin Concerto No. 1 (1917) Sergei Prokofiev was born in Sontsovka, Russia, on April 23, 1891, and died in Moscow, Russia, on March 5, 1953.
The first performance of the Violin Concerto No. 1 took place at the Opéra in Paris, France, on October 18, 1923. Marcel Darrieux was the soloist, with Serge Koussevitsky conducting.
Approximate performance time is twenty-two minutes.
Prokofiev composed his First Violin Concerto in 1917, while Russia was in the grips of the Revolution. In 1918, Prokofiev left his native land for the United States. He later relocated to Paris, where on October 18, 1923, the First Violin Concerto premiered as part of the Concerts Koussevitsky. Serge Koussevitsky led the performance, with his concertmaster, Marcel Darrieux, appearing as violin soloist.
The Concerto is in three movements. The first (Andantino) opens with divided violas offering a quiet tremolo figure. This serves as the accompaniment for the soloist’s introduction of the lovely principal theme, which the composer directs be played sognando (in a “dream-like” fashion). A vibrant episode leads to the soloist’s presentation of the more angular second theme. The second-movement Scherzo (Vivacissimo) is based upon a scurrying theme, first stated by the soloist after a brief introduction by the flute, harp, and strings. The theme alternates with contrasting episodes. The final movement (Moderato) opens with a repeated staccato “tick-tock” rhythm in the clarinet and strings that serves as the basis for a series of varied episodes by the soloist. The hushed final section (Più tranquillo) offers ethereal trills by the soloist and a pianissimo resolution.
Tzigane (1924)Tzigane, Concert Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra (1924)Maurice Ravel was born in Ciboure, Basses-Pyrénées, France, on March 7, 1875 and died in Paris, France, on December 28, 1937.
The first performance of Tzigane took place in London, England, on April 26, 1924, with Jelly d’Arányi as violin soloist.
Approximate performance time is ten minutes.
Maurice Ravel wrote his showpiece, Tzigane, Concert Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra, for the Hungarian-born violinist Jelly d’Arányi (1895-1966). The grandniece of the legendary Austro-Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim, d’Arányi was a famous virtuoso in her own right who inspired works by such composers as Béla Bartók and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Ravel completed Tzigane only two days before the work’s premiere. Despite the almost impossibly brief preparation time for a work violinist Hélène Jourdan-Morhange called “that violinists’ minefield,” d’Arányi gave the first performance in London as scheduled, on April 26, 1924.
Ravel created three versions of Tzigane. Each features a solo violin, accompanied by (1) piano, (2) luthéal, a keyboard attachment that makes the piano sound like a cimbalom, or (3) orchestra (performed at this concert).
Tzigane is a single-movement work in two principal sections. The first (Lento, quasi cadenza) is an extended, slow-tempo violin solo. A mysterious passage for the soloist, harp, cymbals, and muted horns and strings, leads to the second principal section (Moderato), and the soloist’s introduction of a plaintive, dance-like melody. The spirit of the dance continues throughout the remainder of the work, as Tzigane rushes headlong to its breathless conclusion.
Symphonie Fantastique, Opus 14 (1830)Hector Berlioz was born in La Côte-Saint-André, Isère, France, on December 11, 1803, and died in Paris, France, on March 8, 1869.
The first performance of the Symphonie fantastique took place at the Paris Conservatoire on December 5, 1830, with François-Antoine Habeneck conducting the Orchestra of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire.
Approximate performance time is forty-nine minutes.
Hector Berlioz composed his pathbreaking Fantastic Symphony while in the grips of an unrequited love for the beautiful Irish actress, Harriet Smithson (the two finally wed in 1833). The premiere of the Symphonie Fantastique took place at the Paris Conservatory on December 5, 1830, with François-Antoine Habeneck conducting the Orchestra of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire.
The drama, innovation, and sheer audacity of the young composer’s vision stunned the audience. Composed just three years after Beethoven’s death, the Symphonie Fantastique suggested entirely new paths for aspiring composers. The work’s five (rather than the traditional four) movements are unified by a central and repeated motif, known as the idée fixe. Whereas symphonies of the 18th and early 19th centuries are, in the main, abstract works, the Symphonie Fantastiqueattempts to relate a specific (and patently autobiographical) tale. Berlioz portrays that tale on a canvas that radiates the most daring and brilliant orchestral colors. To this day, the Fantastic Symphony remains one of the most compelling works in the orchestral repertoire.
Berlioz, a gifted and prolific writer, provided the following program notes for his Symphonie Fantastique.
A young musician of morbidly sensitive temperament and lively imagination poisons himself with opium in an attack of lovesick despair. The dose of the narcotic, too weak to kill him, plunges him into a deep slumber accompanied by the strangest visions, during which his feelings, his emotions, his memories are transformed in his sick mind into musical images. The Beloved herself becomes for him a melody, a cyclical theme (idée fixe) that he encounters and hears everywhere.
(Annotator’s note: The idée fixe is introduced approximately five minutes into the opening movement by the flute and first violins.)
I. Reveries, Passions (Largo; Allegro agitato e appassionato assai)—At first he recalls that sickness of the soul, those intimations of passion, the apparently groundless depression and intoxication he experienced before he met the woman he adores; then the volcanic love that she inspired in him, his delirious anguish, his furious jealousy, his return to tenderness, his religious consolation.
II. A Ball (Valse. Allegro non troppo)—He meets his beloved again in the midst of the tumult of a glittering fête.
III. Scene in the Country (Adagio)—On a summer evening in the country, he hears two shepherds piping back and forth a ranz des vaches (the traditional melody of Swiss shepherds for summoning their flocks); this pastoral duet, the peaceful landscape, the rustling of the trees gently rocked by the wind, some prospects of hope he recently found—all combine to soothe his heart with unusual tranquility and brighten his thoughts. But she reappears, he feels his heart tighten, he is smitten with sad foreboding: what if she were to prove false?…One of the shepherds resumes his simple tune; the other no longer responds. The sun sets…distant roll of thunder…solitude…silence.
IV. March to the Execution (Allegretto non troppo)—He dreams he has murdered his Beloved, that he has been condemned to death and is being led to the scaffold. The procession advances to the sound of a march that is now somber and agitated, now brilliant and solemn, in which the muffled sound of heavy steps is suddenly juxtaposed with the noisiest clamor. At the end, the idée fixe returns for a moment like a final thought of love, suddenly interrupted by the death blow.
V. Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath (Larghetto; Allegro)—He imagines himself at a Witches’ Sabbath, among a hideous throng of ghouls, sorcerers and monsters of every kind, assembled for his funeral. Ominous sounds, groans, bursts of laughter, distant cries that other cries seem to answer. The Beloved’s melody reappears, but it has lost its noble and timid character; it has become a vulgar dance tune, unworthy, trite and grotesque: there she is, coming to join the Sabbath…A roar of joy greets her arrival…She takes part in the infernal orgy…The funeral knell, a burlesque parody of the Dies irae…the witches’ round…the dance and the Dies irae are heard together.
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World-renowned pianist Yulianna Avdeeva wowed our studio and listening audiences with a program of music featuring works from Bach, Tchaikovsky and Chopin.
Join Yulianna as she performs Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto with the Erie Philharmonic on Saturday, January 26 at 8pm!
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