Symphony listening
PSO changing concert times, music mix and ticket policies
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2024-25 season, which will feature a variety of world premieres, new soloists and a handful of live-with-orchestra film concerts.
New this year: Friday’s concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. Saturday performances also begin at 7:30 p.m. Theaters around the world have been experimenting with earlier start times in recent years.
The symphony, which operates with a roughly $34 million budget, will kick off the season in September with a gala with star violinist Itzhak Perlman. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Lang Lang — who still manage to sell out or nearly sell out Heinz Hall each visit — will return for special appearances.
Local composer Reza Vali is writing a new work for the orchestra, as is Hannah Ishizaki, who trained in Pittsburgh and is now based in New York City. Many programs feature works by living composers, continuing a slow shift toward featuring more newer music.
Music director Manfred Honeck is back for his 17th season at the helm of the orchestra. His current contract is set to expire in 2028, meaning that guest conductors the next few seasons could be in contention for the music directorship.
Before the organization reaches the next season, musicians and management will negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement to determine salary and work rules. Talks are set to begin in the spring and will likely concentrate on salary questions. Current base salary for musicians is a little over $107,000.
Subscriptions are on sale now at www.pittsburghsymphony.org or by calling 412-392-4900. This year there is additional flexibility.
Subscription tickets can now be exchanged for any concert series, i.e., a classical subscription concert can be exchanged for a pops show or a live-with-film concert. Subscriptions at arts groups around the country are in decline, but many organizations are increasing flexibility to respond to consumer behavior. Single tickets go on sale July 15.
Here is the concert lineup for the 2024-25 season:
Gala and special concerts
Sept. 21: Manfred Honeck, conductor; Itzhak Perlman, violin.
June 4: Manfred Honeck, conductor; Yo-Yo Ma, cello. Dvorak’s Cello Concerto.
Classical series
Sept. 27-29: Manfred Honeck, conductor; Augustin Hadelich, violin. Arturo Marquez: Danzón No. 2; Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto; Rachmaninoff:
Symphonic Dances.
Oct. 18-20: Jukka-Pekka Saraste, conductor; Tom Borrow, piano. Bartok: “Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin;” Ravel: Piano Concerto in G major; Sibelius: Symphony No. 4. Includes PSO 360 performance on Saturday.
Nov. 1-3: Lorenzo Viotti, conductor; Ray Chen, violin. Brahms: Violin Concerto; Schumann: Symphony No. 2.
Nov. 15-17: Donald Runnicles, conductor; Lorna McGhee, flute. Maccunn: “The Land of the Mountain and the Flood;” Rautavaara: Concerto for Flute, “Dances with the Winds;” Strauss: “An Alpine Symphony.” Includes a PSO Disrupt performance on Saturday.
Nov. 29-Dec. 1: Manfred Honeck, conductor; Steven Banks, saxophone. Schubert: Symphony No. 3; Tomasi: Concerto for Alto Saxophone; Puccini: Anniversary Celebration Highlights; Strauss family: Viennese Favorites.
Dec. 6-8: Manfred Honeck, conductor; Jeanine De Bique, soprano; Joshua Hopkins, baritone; Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. Reena Esmail: “RE Member;” Faure: “Cantique de Jean Racine” Brahms: “Schicksalslied” Adolphus Hailstork: “Lachrymosa;” Faure: “Requiem.”
Jan. 10-12, 2025: Dima Slobodeniouk, conductor; Vadim Gluzman, violin. Maria Huld Markan Sigfusdottir: “Oceans;” Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 2; Sibelius: “The Oceanides;”Debussy: “La Mer.”
Jan. 17-19: Osmo Vänskä, conductor; Janice Carissa, piano. Samy Moussa: “Elysium;” Rachmaninoff: “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini;” Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5.
Jan. 31-Feb. 2: Sir Mark Elder, conductor; Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida, oboe. Sibelius: “Pohjola’s Daughter;” Vaughan Williams: Oboe Concerto; Shostakovich: Symphony No. 15.
Feb. 14-16: Manfred Honeck, conductor; Maria Dueñas, violin. Carlos Simon: Four Black American Dances; Saint-Saens: Violin Concerto No. 3; Dvorak: Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.”
Feb. 21-23: Manfred Honeck, conductor; Emanuel Ax, piano. Hannah Ishizaki: World premiere; Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 25; Korngold: Symphony in F-Sharp Major.
March 7-9: Elim Chan, conductor; Jan Lisiecki, piano. Noriko Koide: “Swaddling Silk and Gossamer Rain;” Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 22; Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5. Includes a PSO Disrupt performance on Saturday.
March 21-23: Manfred Honeck, conductor; Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello. Nina Shekhar: “Lumina;” Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1; Strauss: “Don Juan;” Strauss/ Honeck/Ille: Suite from “Arabella.” Includes PSO 360 performance on Saturday.
March 28-30: Manfred Honeck, conductor; Francesco Piemontesi, piano. Hanna Eisendle: “Heliosis;” Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 2; Iman
Habibi: “Jeder Baum spricht;” Beethoven:Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral.”
April 11-13: Daniele Rustioni, conductor; Kirill Gerstein, piano. De Sabata: “Plato’s Night;” Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1; Ravel: “Daphnis et Chloé,” Suites No. 1 & 2. Includes a PSO Disrupt performance on Saturday.
April 25-27: Manfred Honeck, conductor; Vikingur Ólafsson, piano. Sophia Jani: “Flare;” Beethoven Symphony No. 1; Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2.
May 16-18: Juraj Valčuha, conductor; Yefim Bronfman, piano. Unsuk Chin: “A Mad Tea-Party” from “Alice in Wonderland;” Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor;” Stravinsky: Divertimento from “The Fairy’s Kiss;” Prokofiev: “Cinderella,” Suite No. 1.
May 30-June 1: Cristian Măcelaru,conductor;NemanjaRadulović, violin. Sean Shepherd: “Sprout;” Khachaturian: Violin Concerto; Brahms:Symphony No. 4.
June 6-8: Manfred Honeck, conductor; Alice Sara Ott, piano; Lilit Davtyan, soprano. Reza Vali: World premiere; Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3; Mahler: Symphony No. 4. Includes PSO 360 performance on Saturday.
June 13-14: Manfred Honeck, conductor; Beatrice Rana, piano. Lera Auerbach: World premiere; Mendelssohn: Piano Concerto No. 1; Shostakovich: Symphony No. 10.
PNC Pops series
Oct. 4-6: Byron Stripling, conductor. “Twist and Shout: The Music of the Beatles — A Symphonic
Experience.”
Nov. 8-10: Rob Fisher, conductor. “Chicago” in Concert.
Dec. 13-22: Byron Stripling, conductor; Mamie Parris, vocalist; Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. Highmark Holiday Pops.
Feb. 28-March 2: Jacob Joyce, conductor. “Pixar in Concert.”
April 6-8: Daniel Meyer, conductor. “Total Eclipse of the Chart: Music of the ’80s.”
May 9-11: Ted Sperling, conductor; Hamlisch-Page Student Choir. “Clouds in my Coffee: The Trailblazing Music of Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Carly Simon.”
June 20-22: Byron Stripling, conductor. “Kings of Soul”
Live-With-Film series:
Oct. 26-27: “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™”
Nov. 22-24: “Home Alone”
Dec. 19: “Love Actually”
Feb. 7: “Star Wars Episode IV: A NewHope”
June 27-29: “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”