Straight from the heart
SARATOGA SPRINGS—The Saratoga Performing Arts Center has announced the return of The Philadelphia Orchestra for a three-week residency from Wednesday, Aug. 6 to Saturday, Aug. 23.
The season will feature a combination of classical masterworks, SPAC premieres, and performances by various acclaimed artists and conductors.
Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will conduct two exclusive SPAC programs. On Wednesday, Aug. 13, he will lead a performance featuring Stravinsky’s “Suite from The Firebird,” Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” with pianist Beatrice Rana, and William Grant Still’s “Symphony No. 2 (‘Song of a New Race’)” in its SPAC premiere. On Thursday, Aug. 14, he will conduct Verdi’s “Requiem,” marking its first performance at SPAC in 35 years. The work will feature soprano Ailyn Pérez, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, tenor Matthew Polenzani, bass-baritone Alfred Walker, and Albany Pro Musica.
The season will include performances by several acclaimed female vocalists. Grammy-winning jazz artist Laufey will make her Philadelphia Orchestra debut on Saturday, Aug. 9, performing her “Night at the Symphony” program. Three-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo will make her SPAC debut on Friday, Aug. 22, performing Broadway hits, soul classics, and original songs. Five-time Grammy-winning soprano Renée Fleming will return on Friday, Aug. 15, presenting selections from her album “Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene,” along with a program featuring opera and musical theater repertoire.
Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Guest Conductor Marin Alsop will return to SPAC for the first time since 2017 to lead three programs. These include the “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” (Aug. 6), Holst’s “The Planets” (Thursday, Aug. 7), and a Gershwin and Bernstein program (Friday, Aug. 8).
The season will highlight emerging soloists, including violinist Randall Goosby (Aug. 7), cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason (Wednesday, Aug. 20), and pianists Clayton Stephenson (Aug. 8) and Beatrice Rana (Aug. 13). The trio Time for Three will return on Thursday, Aug. 21 to perform a new concerto by contemporary composer Mason Bates, led by conductor Teddy Abrams in his SPAC debut.
Film nights will also return, featuring “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince™ in Concert” on Saturday, Aug. 16 and a 40th anniversary screening of “Back to the Future in Concert” on Aug. 23, with The Philadelphia Orchestra performing the scores live.
Tickets for all other Philadelphia Orchestra performances went on sale to members on Thursday, Feb. 27, and to the public on Friday, March 7. More information is available at spac.org.
Located in Saratoga Springs, New York, the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) is a premier outdoor amphitheater known for hosting performances by the New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and the Saratoga Jazz Festival. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, SPAC offers a variety of arts and cultural programs throughout the year.
More information can be found at spac.org.
