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For Immediate Release

FWSO ANNOUNCES 2019-2020 SEASON

FAREWELL SEASON FOR MIGUEL HARTH-BEDOYA

Press Contact

Katie Kelly
Communications Manager
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
kkelly@fwsymphony.org
817-665-6500

FORT WORTH, TX – January 18, 2019 – The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra is delighted to announce the details of the 2019-2020 Season.

This will be Music Director Miguel Harth-Bedoya’s 20th and final season at the artistic helm of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. This era-defining season features a bold mix of Classical, Romantic, and 20^th century composers, as well as World Premieres by Victor Agudelo and Till MacIvor Meyn and a United States Premiere of the orchestral version of the popular chamber work Clockworking by María Sigfúsdóttir. The Orchestra will present 30 performances of 10 Symphonic programs, 21 performances of 7 Pops programs, 5 special one-night-only concerts, 3 Family programs, and a two-concert Latin Spectacular Festival, all to take place at Bass Performance Hall. Additionally, the Orchestra will continue its extensive community engagement and educational performances in the DFW and surrounding areas including Waxahachie, Keller, Southlake, Lufkin, Temple, Glen Rose, Burleson, and Mesquite.

"This season will be a momentous one for me, and I want it to showcase all we can do as an orchestra,” said Music Director Miguel Harth-Bedoya. “From the joy of revisiting beloved favorites, to the shared pride in presenting World Premiere works, we will celebrate how far we have come together over the past two decades."

“I am delighted to begin my tenure as President & CEO of the FWSO, and to have the opportunity to work with the company’s talented Board, outstanding Music Director, superb orchestra, and professional and hard-working staff,” said President and CEO, Keith Cerny, Ph.D. “My hope is that Fort Worth will join us in celebrating twenty years of daring artistic growth, deep community engagement, and innovation in performance under a visionary conductor with a commitment to this city on, and off, the podium.”

Symphonic Season Overview

During the 2019-2020 season, the FWSO will perform symphonic favorites including Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Barber’s Adagio for Strings, Bartok’s Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin, Dukas’ The Sorceror’s Apprentice, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Featured soloists include Cliburn Gold Medalist Yekwon Sunwoo, mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, violinist Chloë Hanslip, pianist Lisa de la Salle, pianist Jon Kimura Parker, cellist Allan Steele, pianist Ingrid Fliter, soprano Twyla Robinson, mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert, tenor Clifton Forbis, Bass Michael Adams, and violinist Augustin Hadelich.

Guest conductors include Garrett Keast, Christian Arming, Yaniv Dinur, Robert Trevino, and Carlos Izcaray.

2019-2020 Symphonic Series

• September 13-15, 2019: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Yekwon Sunwoo, piano (MEYN’s Remix, RACHMANINOFF’s Piano Concerto No. 3; BRAHMS’ Symphony No. 4)

• October 11-13, 2019: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Mahler Festival Choir; Texas Boys Choir; (MAHLER’s Symphony No. 3)

• November 8-10, 2019: Garrett Keast, conductor; Chloë Hanslip, violin (BARBER’s Adagio for Strings and Violin Concerto; COPLAND’s Symphony No. 3)

• November 22-24, 2019: Christian Arming, conductor; Lis de la Salle, piano (BRAHMS’ Academic Festival Overture; MOZART’s Piano Concerto No. 20, K. 466; DVOŘÁK’s Symphony No. 7)

• January 10-12, 2019: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Jon Kimura Parker, piano; María Sigfúsdóttir, visiting composer (MARÍA SIGFÚSDÓTTIR’s Clockworking (U.S. Premiere); GRIEG Piano Concerto; SIBELIUS’ Symphony No. 2)

• January 31 - February 2, 2020: Yaniv Dinur, conductor; Allan Steele, cello (BOULANGER’s D’un matin de printemps; TCHAIKOVSKY’s Variations on a Rococo Theme; BERLIOZ’s Symphonie Fantastique)

• February 28 - March 1, 2020: Robert Trevino, conductor (WAGNER’s Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde; BARTOK’s Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin; RACHMANINOFF’s Symphony No. 2)

• March 13-15, 2020: Carlos Izcaray, conductor; Ingrid Fliter, piano (DUKAS’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice; SCHUMANN’s Piano Concerto; SHOSTAKOVICH’s Symphony No. 10)

• April 3-5, 2020: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Twyla Robinson, soprano; Blythe Gaissert, mezzo-soprano; Clifton Forbis, tenor; Michael Adams, Baritone; Beethoven Festival Choir (VIVIAN FUNG’s Pizzicato; BEETHOVEN’s Symphony No. 9, “Choral”)

• May 15-17, 2020: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Augustin Hadelich, visiting composer; Victor Agudelo, visiting composer (VICTOR AGUDELO’s Rabo de paja (World Premiere); DVOŘÁK’s Violin Concerto; TCHAIKOVSKY’s Symphony No. 4)

Latin Spectacular Festival

In the year 2000, the same year he began his 20-year tenure with the FWSO, Miguel won an Emmy Award for a televised Latin Spectacular program he conceived and presented. Now, in Miguel’s final festival weekend with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, we come full circle with an exploration of symphonic and jazz music from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Enjoy performances by Paquito D’Rivera (clarinet), Jesús Castro-Balbi (cello), and Michael Ward-Bergeman (hyper-accordion), as well as works by important composers such as Osvaldo Golijov and Silvestre Revueltas.

• August 31, 2019: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Jesús Castro-Balbi, cello; Michael Ward-Bergeman, hyper-accordion (OSVALDO GOLIJOV: Azul; REVUELTAS: Los Noches de los Mayas)

• Sunday, September 1, 2019: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Paquito D’Rivera, saxophone and clarinet (A concert featuring jazz, tango, and Caribbean music with Cuban-born saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer Paquito D’Rivera.)

Pops Season Overview

The 2019-2020 Pops Series highlights a variety of musical styles for fans of different ages and genres. Tribute performances include nods to iconic artists such as Nat King Cole, The Beatles, and 70s and 80s hit groups such as Journey, The Eagles, and Fleetwood Mac. For fans of musical theater and the cinema, the Pops series contains “Oh What a Night!” featuring toe-tapping hits from your favorite musicals and 1984 silver screen sensation, GHOSTBUSTERS Film with Live Orchestra. The FWSO will wrap up the season with a concert experience unlike any other with GRAMMY Award-winning saxophonist Kenny G.

The Pops Concerts:

• September 6-8, 2019: “Songs of Journey, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, & More!” – Michael Krajewski, conductor (featuring music from the 70s and 80s such as “Landslide.” “Faithfully.” “Hotel California,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Take It Easy,” and more.)

• October 25-27, 2019: “GHOSTBUSTERS Film with Live Orchestra” – Peter Bernstein, conductor (featuring Director Ivan Reitman’s two-time Oscar and two-time Golden Globe-nominated film, Ghostbusters, screened live as the FWSO performs Elmer Bernstein’s Grammy-nominated score and Ray Parker Jr.’s Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping theme song, “Ghostbusters.”)

• November 15-17, 2019: “Unforgettable: Nat and Natalie” – William Waldrop, conductor; Denzal Sinclaire and Dee Daniels, vocalists (featuring the music of legendary, GRAMMY Award-winning performers Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole.)

• November 29 – December 1, 2019: “Home for the Holidays” – Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; (featuring seasonal holiday favorites performed by the orchestra and special guests.)

• January 24-26, 2020: “REVOLUTION: The Beatles Symphonic Experience” - (featuring the newest symphonic tribute to The Beatles which includes arrangements transcribed from the original master recordings at Abbey Road accompanied by hundreds of rare and unseen photos, video, and animation for a sensational multimedia journey.)

• March 6-8, 2020: “Oh What a Night!” Carl Topilow, conductor; Connor Bogart, vocalist (featuring cherished hits from your favorite musicals such as Sweeney Todd, The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma, Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, West Side Story, and Jersey Boys.)

• March May 22-24, 2020: Kenny G, saxophonist (featuring Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and highest-selling instrumental musician of our time performs hits such as “Havana,” “Forever in Love,” “Heart and Soul,” “Silhouette,” and “My Heart Will Go On.”)

Family Series Overview

The 2019 – 2020 Family Series makes symphonic music accessible for even the youngest fans of symphonic music with age-appropriate programming and concert lengths that cater to a family schedule.

The Family Series Concerts:

• September 7, 2019: Michael Krajewski, conductor (featuring Camille Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals.)

• October 26, 2019: Halloween Spooktacular (featuring music from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Danse macabre, In the Hall of the Mountain King, Harry Potter, and much more.)

• March 7, 2020: Journey to Space, Carl Topilow, conductor (featuring NASA images and videos projected above the orchestra as they perform music from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Apollo 13, Star Trek, and iconic themes from composer John Williams scores to Super Man and Star Wars.)

Special Concerts and Gala

There are five stand-alone concerts including the Orchestra’s annual gala in the 2019-2020 season. These programs include celebrities, local talent, and two holiday-themed extravaganzas.

The Special Concerts:

• September 20, 2019: GRAMMY Award-winning Singer, Songwriter, and Social Activist, Michael Bolton will join the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for a one-night-only chance to experience his greatest hits performed LIVE in a program titled Michael Bolton: The Symphony Sessions.

• December 9, 2019: A holiday tradition, the FWSO will perform Handel’s Messiah, featuring the University of North Texas A Cappella Choir.

• December 31, 2019: Ring in the New Year with New Year’s Eve: A Gershwin Celebration featuring pianist Shelly Berg and vocalist Ann Hampton Calloway performing Gershwin’s greatest hits, including An American in Paris and more, conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya.

• January 3, 2020: Combining National Geographic natural history footage with original music by Emmy and BAFTA-nominated Bleeding Fingers Music featuring composers Austin Fray and Andrew Christie, the National Geographic: Symphony for Our World is a multimedia journey through the spectacles of wildlife.

• February 8, 2020: In his final gala concert, Miguel Harth-Bedoya will lead the orchestra in a celebration of the 250^th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth in a program of his 5^th symphony and his violin concerto featuring world-renowned violinist Midori.

Ticket Information

All Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra regular season concerts take place at Bass Performance Hall near Sundance Square in downtown Fort Worth unless otherwise noted.

Subscriptions for the 2019-2020 season go on sale Friday, January 18, 2019 and can be purchased by calling 817-665-6000 or online at fwsymphony.org. FREE parking in 777 Main Parking garage is available to all FWSO patrons on the night/day of their selected performance.

Symphonic subscriptions for the 2019-2020 season range in price from $176.00-$776.00. Pops subscriptions range from $200.97-$630.70. The Latin Spectacular Festival subscriptions range from $34.00-$153.00

Single tickets will go on sale Monday, July 29, 2019.

The FWSO’s Student Subscription program will offer discounted tickets for high school and college students. For only $35, students can attend unlimited Symphonic concerts for one full year.

For tickets to all FWSO concerts, contact the FWSO Ticket Office at 817-665-6000 or visit www.fwsymphony.org

About Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra is deeply committed to uniting its community through performance, education, and outreach, reaching an audience of more than 200,000 annually. Since its beginnings in 1912, the FWSO has been an essential thread in the city’s cultural fabric and the very foundation of Fort Worth’s performing arts. Music Director Miguel Harth-Bedoya, now in his 19th season at the artistic helm of the FWSO, has led the orchestra into the 21st century to new levels of excellence. Under his leadership, the FWSO has performed at Carnegie Hall and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of SHIFT: A Festival of American Orchestras. Throughout his tenure, the FWSO has released 13 recordings – with several being world premiere releases – garnering international acclaim. Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the FWSO have embraced creative collaborations through residencies, partnerships, and commissions. As the principal resident company of the acoustically superb Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall, the Orchestra performs a full season of concerts featuring internationally-acclaimed guest artists and works by living composers. The Orchestra performs and partners with the Texas Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Opera, The Cliburn, and Performing Arts Fort Worth. Each summer at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, the FWSO presents Concerts In The Garden – a series of family-friendly concerts that has become a city-wide tradition. Additionally, the orchestra hosts an annual Festival of Orchestras, providing an opportunity for non-professional orchestras across the state of Texas to perform in Bass Performance Hall. The FWSO keeps exceptional musical experiences at the heart of its community. After all—life is better with music!

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