The Brevard Philharmonic, under the direction of maestro Donald Portnoy, performs at Brevard College's Porter Center for the Performing Arts. (Courtesy photo by Rob Travis)
Season tickets for the 2015-16 season of Transylvania County's orchestra are now on sale. Single performance tickets will be available starting Aug. 1, but the purchase of seats for the entire series represents a significant savings. Season tickets are a smart way to enjoy this professional orchestra, playing with world class guest artists in a celebrated concert hall under the baton of a renowned conductor. The season opens Sunday, Sept. 13, with the dynamic, Billboard chart busting pianist, Natasha Paremski, playing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. Paremski has performed all over the world with the Los Angeles Symphony, the Moscow Philharmonic and England's Royal Philharmonic, among many others. The New York Times has praised her playing as "spirited," and "colorful" with "strong technical chops."
The Nov. 15 offering is the Beijing Guitar Duo, in "Dueling Guitars." They too have performed all over the world and received a Latin Grammy nomination for their debut CD, "Maracaipe." Cleveland Classical.com calls them, "Extremely even, clean and smooth as silk" offering an evening of "enchantment." They will play Concierto Madrigal by Joaquin Rodrigo.
The always highly anticipated holiday concert will be Dec. 17, with details to be announced at a later date.
"The Best of Beethoven" on Feb. 21, showcases the extraordinary artistry of Israeli violinist, Vadim Gluzman. Gluzman's recordings have won numerous awards. He is a popular featured artist with many of the greatest orchestras of the world. He is a protege of legendary violinist Isaac Stern. Among Gluzman's selections will be Beethoven's Concerto for Violin opus 61 in D major.
On April 3, William H. Bates, one of our country's most celebrated organists, and winner of the 2012 Oswald Gleason Ragatz Distinguished Organist Alumnus Award from Indiana University, will perform Poulenc's Concerto for Organ on the prized and substantial Brevard College organ at the Porter Center. The Philharmonic will precede Bates with Mendelssohn's "Italian Symphony. The concert is appropriately titled, "A Wall of Sound."
The 2015-16 season shall come to a close with the winner of the top prizes at the Pablo Casals International Competition and the Washington International Competition, cellist, Inbal Segev. The press has called her playing "first class," "very moving" and "richly inspired." Segev will play Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, with the orchestra opening the concert with The Swan Lake Suite by Peter Tchaikovsky.
The Brevard Philharmonic is a nonprofit organization comprised of local and regional musicians, presenting six concerts annually at Brevard College's Porter Center for the Performing Arts under the distinguished baton of Donald Portnoy, its artistic director and conductor. Its mission is to foster in the community and in our schools an appreciation for classical music and the performing arts.
