2020-2021 Saturday Series
A Classic Orchestral Evening
GPAC at 7:30 PM
*LIMITED TIME DEAL: Subscribe by May 3, 2020 and get all 5 concerts for the price of 4!
Haochen Zhang
October 3, 2020
THE GOLD-PRIZE PIANIST
Guest Artist: Haochen Zhang, piano
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1, “Classical”
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1
—intermission—
Schubert: Symphony No. 6
Since his gold medal win at the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009, Haochen Zhang has captivated audiences in the United States, Europe, and Asia with a unique combination of deep musical sensitivity, fearless imagination, and spectacular virtuosity. Now he joins Iris Orchestra to kick off the 21st season with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1. The program opens with Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1, “Classical,” his contemporary take on the style of Haydn, and circles back to conclude with Franz Schubert. Nicknamed “Little C Major”, Schubert’s 6th symphony is anything but miniature. This triumphant symphony packs the perfect punch to launch the season.
7:30 PM
GPAC
Noah Bendix-Balgley
December 5, 2020
THE MASTER VIOLINIST
Guest Artist:Noah Bendix-Balgley, violin & composition
Torelli: Christmas Concerto
Bach: Violin Concerto No. 2
Bendix-Balgley, Noah: Fidl-Fantazye: A Klezmer Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
—intermission—
Gál, Hans: Suite, Der Zauberspiegel “The Magic Mirror”
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 3
First Concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic Noah Bendix-Balgley is a true master of the violin. His intensely personal sound and gift of communication through music connects him with audiences in a meaningful way. In this program, Noah appears as a composer as well as violinist, soloing in his own “Fidl-Fantazye: A Klezmer Concerto for Violin and Orchestra,” a work transforming authentic Klezmer music into an exhilarating violin concerto. This December concert also embraces the holiday season with Giuseppe Torelli’s Christmas Concerto and the German modern Romantic Hans Gal’s reinterpreting of “The Magic Mirror,” a Christmas Fairy play in five scenes by Karl Erich Jaroschek: a magical concert to get you into the holiday spirit.
7:30 PM
GPAC
Zlatomir Fung
February 13, 2021
THE GEN-Z CELLIST
Guest Artist: Zlatomir Fung, cello
Gounod: Petite symphonie
Tchaikovsky: Variations on a Rococo Theme
–intermission—
Auerbach, Lera: “Eterniday” (Homage to W.A. Mozart)
Mozart: Symphony No. 40
The first American in four decades and youngest musician ever to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Cello Division, Zlatomir Fung is poised to become one of the preeminent cellists of our time. Astounding audiences with his boundless virtuosity and exquisite sensitivity, this 20-year-old has already proven himself to be a star among the next generation of world-class musicians. He joins Iris in Tchaikovsky’s sparkling Rococo Variations, showcasing the “variation” thread of season programming. Juxtaposing the season themes of imagination and interpretation, the evening matches Lera Auerbach’s homage to Mozart, “Eterniday,” with Mozart himself and his Symphony No. 40 in G minor.
7:30 PM
GPAC
Jeffrey Kahane
March 20, 2021
THE CONDUCTING PIANIST
Guest Artist: Jeffrey Kahane, conducting/piano
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 22
—intermission—
Shaw, Caroline: Entr’acte
Haydn: Symphony No. 92 “Oxford”
Equally at home at the piano or on the podium, Jeffrey Kahane is recognized around the world for his mastery of a diverse repertoire ranging from Bach and Mozart to the music of our time. In this program, we meet Kahane first as player-conductor, leading Mozart’s Concerto No. 22 in E-flat from the keyboard, a traditional practice in Mozart’s era. More traditional in our time, he leads from the podium as conductor in Haydn’s Symphony No. 92, “Oxford.” Tucked betwixt these two classic works is Caroline Shaw’s piece from 2011, Entr’acte (perfectly named after the interval between two acts of a play). This is a program to leave you entranced and wanting more.
7:30 PM
GPAC
Iris Orchestra
May 1, 2021
YOUR IRIS ORCHESTRA
Walton: The Wise Virgins: Suite
Foote: Francesca da Rimini; Symphonic Prologue
—intermission–
Brahms: Symphony No. 2
To conclude the 2020-2021 season, we have chosen to highlight what makes us truly unique: our own Iris musicians. Beginning the final program is William Walton’s translation of six movements of Bach into a lushly English suite entitled The Wise Virgins. To follow is American composer Arthur Foote’s interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini; Symphonic Prologue, Op. 24. Finally, what better way to conclude our 21st season than with Symphony No. 2 by Johannes Brahms. This impressive program is a reminder that the passion and artistry of the musicians of Iris is the essence of the Iris Orchestra experience.
7:30 PM
at GPAC
2020-2021 Sunday Series
An Afternoon of Music & Art
Brooks Museum at 3:00 PM
*Full concert program information coming soon- stay tuned!
Haochen Zhang
October 3, 2020
IRIS AT THE BROOKS: HAOCHEN ZHANG
Guest Artist: Haochen Zhang, piano
Full program and details coming this summer.
3:00
BROOKS MUSEUM
Noah Bendix-Balgley
December 5, 2020
IRIS AT THE BROOKS: NOAH BENDIX-BALGLEY
Guest Artist: Noah Bendix-Balgley, violin & composition
Full program and details coming this summer.
3:00
BROOKS MUSEUM
Zlatomir Fung
February 14, 2021
IRIS AT THE BROOKS: ZLATOMIR FUNG
Guest Artist: Zlatomir Fung, cello
Full program and details coming this summer.
3:00
BROOKS MUSEUM
Jeffrey Kahane
March 21, 2021
IRIS AT THE BROOKS: JEFFREY KAHANE
Guest Artist: Jeffrey Kahane, piano
Full program and details coming this summer.
3:00
BROOKS MUSEUM