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November 28, 2023Albany Symphony December Concerts Sparkle, Dazzle and Delight for the Holiday Season
The two-time GRAMMY Award-winning Albany Symphony, will provide some extra sparkle this holiday season at two of the Capital Region’s favorite concert venues.
On Sunday, December 3, The Magic of Christmas fills The Palace Theatre with gorgeous holiday music, family fun, and special guests (Ho-Ho-Ho!). The Albany Symphony is joined on stage by long-time and new community partners, including The Music Studio, Capital District Youth Chorale, Boland School of Irish Dance, and the Zorkie Nelson African Drumming Ensemble. The Albany Symphony and its sleigh-full of hometown talent will delight and entertain you with an afternoon of holiday musical favorites, a carol sing-along and a visit from the big man in the red suit! This concert will include a performance of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” celebrating the 100th anniversary since this famous poem was first published. Audience members are invited to donate to a Toy Drive for Mom Starts Here (www.momstartshere.org) by bringing new and unwrapped toys to the concert.
“We are so excited to share this very special holiday program with all our friends and family. Every year, the members of the Albany Symphony and I cherish the opportunity to bring together so many amazing performers from all across our region, especially more than 100 young people, to share the stage with us and celebrate the joys of the holiday season,” said Music Director and Conductor, David Alan Miller.
On December 9th and 10th, world-acclaimed pianist Yefim Bronfman will perform Brahms Piano No. 2. Bronfman stands out among the handful of soloists in high demand by festivals, orchestras, conductors and recital series across the globe. Bronfman is a six-time GRAMMY award nominee, winning the award in 1997 with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
“We are so fortunate to have Yefim Bronfman join us for these exciting concerts. He is one of the greatest pianists in the world, and a dear friend of our Albany Symphony. We are always deeply honored that he makes time in his busy schedule to come play with us. Working with an artist of his caliber elevates all of us, and always inspires us to match his brilliance,” said Miller. “Hearing the mighty Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 in the legendary Troy Savings Bank Music Hall with arguably its greatest living interpreter and our brilliant Albany Symphony musicians will be an unforgettable experience for everyone!”
Johannes Brahms wrote his second piano concerto 22 years after his first. It took him three years to write the piece. About the work, Brahms wrote to his musical confidante world-famous concert pianist, and composer, Clara Schumann, “I want to tell you that I have written a very small piano concerto with a very small and pretty scherzo.” Ironically, the piece is in no way small. The premiere took place in Budapest in 1881 with Brahms as the soloist and was an immediate success.
The concerts on the 9th and 10th will also feature composer Loren Loiacono’s work Beanie’s Chapbook, a world premiere commissioned by the Albany Symphony. An important emerging orchestral compositional voice, Loiacono has been commissioned by the Detroit Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Sacramento Philharmonic, Lexington Philharmonic and the American Composers Orchestra. She frequently collaborates with the Albany Symphony, most recently creating new concerti for Sandbox Percussion (2022) and pianist Vicky Chow (2018). A professor at the Syracuse University Setnor School of Music, Dr. Loiacono also served as the Albany Symphony’s Mellon Composer-Educator-in-Residence for the 2017-18 season.
The concerts will conclude with Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 4. The piece was first completed in 1841, but heavily revised by Schumann in 1851. Clara Schumann, Robert’s wife, claimed that the piece had merely been sketched in 1841 but fully orchestrated in 1851. Johannes Brahms, preferred the earlier version despite Clara’s strong objections. The symphony is highly integrated for its time with thematic material occurring between movements. The Albany Symphony will perform the final version that was written as part of the program.
The Albany Symphony will also provide holiday cheer on Saturday, December 2nd at 12:00pm at Ten Broeck Mansion with a FREE mini concert for all to enjoy. Albany Symphony musicians Liz Silver (violin) and Erica Pickhardt (cello) will perform at the Holiday House at Ten Broeck Mansion. Guests can enjoy the historic home with a walk-through tour and visit the museum shop to check out unique holiday gifts.
