You’re Invited to Jeff Tyzik’s Birthday Benefit Bash!

This weekend, Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik will celebrate his 60th birthday in style, and you’re invited to join in the festivities! Saturday, July 30 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Jeff will lead the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in a musical celebration, complete with special performances by some of Jeff’s close friends, and a few extra surprises. In addition to celebrating his birthday, the concert also will celebrate the RPO Musicians, with all proceeds benefiting the RPO Musicians’ Pension Fund.

Jeff’s birthday bash will feature a wide range of festive favorites, including some of his own compositions and arrangements. The program also will include works by Shostakovich, Mozart, John Williams, Dave Brubeck, and the RPO’s own Wes Nance. Several RPO musicians will take to the stage as featured soloists, including David Brickman, Peter Kurau, Jim Tiller, Michael Griffin, Ray Ricker, and Mark Kellogg. Plus, tenor Tonio DiPaolo and Latin jazz quintet Mambo Kings will both be on hand for special performances.

Tenor Tonio DiPaolo has performed with ensembles around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the London Symphony Orchestra. After singing with virtually every major opera company across North America, DiPaolo now sings for special occasions and friends, and will perform a medley of Italian Popular Songs for Jeff’s birthday celebration.

Recognized as Upstate New York’s foremost Latin jazz ensemble, Rochester’s own Mambo Kings have earned a national reputation for their explosive blend of Afro-Cuban rhythms and jazz improvisation. Mambo Kings made their orchestral debut in 1997 with Jeff Tyzik and the RPO. Since then, they have performed with numerous orchestras in cities around the world, including Baltimore, Detroit, and Dallas. Now, Mambo Kings will return to Eastman Theatre, performing favorites such as Day Tripper and Oye Como Va, as well as Dave Brubeck’s Blue Mambo a la Turk.

This concert is a wonderful opportunity to hear some great music, celebrate our remarkable Principal Pops Conductor, and pay tribute to our world-class musicians. Please join us for this special event, and don’t forget to visit Jeff’s new fan page on Facebook to send him a birthday greeting of your own!

The suggested minimum ticket prices for this concert are $25 (zones 3 & 4), $45 (zones 1 & 2), and $65 (box seats). All donations above-and-beyond ticket prices are encouraged. At all Kodak Hall concerts, we encourage ‘summer casual’ attire. To purchase tickets, call 454-2100 or click here.

Kids' Tix Start at $10 for RPO's Magical Music of Disney!

This Saturday, July 23 at 7:00 pm (a special family-friendly start time), it's The Magical Music of Disney* with your Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra live in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, complete with enchanting images on the big screen set to symphonic arrangements. Kids' tickets start at just $10!

You and your family will travel on a journey to far-off places while you listen to music from Disney's animated films and Broadway shows, including Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, The Lion King, Tarzan, and much more. 92.5 WBEE's Terry Clifford narrates this special concert with guest conductor Daniel Meyer.

We encourage all kids to dress up like their favorite Disney character for this concert. And at all Kodak Hall concerts, we encourage "summer casual" attire.

Also this week, you can experience the next generation of orchestral conductors! Extraordinary young conductors from the Eastman School of Music's Summer Conducting Institute will lead the RPO for this special evening in Kodak Hall on Thursday, July 21 at 7:30 pm. This year, ten conductors will participate in the Summer Conducting Institute, and five finalists will be selected to conduct the RPO. Click here to learn more about this year's participants.

Tickets for the Eastman Summer Conducting Institute concert on July 21 start at $15 ($5 for all University of Rochester faculty, staff, and students).

For tickets and more information about either concert, call 454-2100, or click here.

* Presentation licensed by Disney Music Publishing © Disney.

Don’t Miss Porgy and Bess in Concert with the RPO!

This Saturday, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is bringing you Summertime in the city with an evening of fantastic music, live in air-conditioned Kodak Hall. Attire is "summer casual" for Kodak Hall concerts this summer.

On Saturday, July 16 at 8:00 pm in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, Jeff Tyzik and the RPO will perform music by two American greats—George Gershwin and Duke Ellington. Then, after intermission, it’s highlights from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess in concert, featuring baritone Kevin Deas, soprano Janice Chandler-Eteme, and the Rochester Oratorio Society under the direction of Eric Townell.

Originally conceived by George Gershwin as an “American folk opera,” Porgy and Bess is a unique artistic achievement that draws upon jazz, folk, and orchestral music. The opera includes several songs that have become popular standards, including “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’,” “Bess, You is My Woman Now," and “Summertime,” and you’ll get the chance to hear these songs, plus Gershwin’s captivating score, in this live concert performance. Click here for a video clip of Kevin Deas singing "It Ain't Necessarily So."

Internationally acclaimed bass Kevin Deas has been lauded for his "burnished sound, clarity of diction and sincerity of expression" by the Chicago Tribune. An international concert and opera performer, Deas is perhaps most acclaimed for his signature portrayal of the title role in Porgy and Bess, including performances with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Soprano Janice Chandler-Eteme will take on the role of Bess, having recently performed it, with great success, at the Opera de Lyon in Lyon, Edinburgh, and London. She has been called “one of the loveliest soprano voices on earth” by the Baltimore Sun and “radiant” by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Rochester Oratorio Society will take on the chorus parts for a concert that is sure to be unforgettable!

Tickets for this performance start at $20 and can be purchased by calling 454-2100, or by clicking here.

RPO Offers Up the Classics this Summer at Hochstein

Michael Butterman

This Wednesday, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra opens its Midsummer Classics series with a special concert featuring an ancient instrument. This series at the Performance Hall at Hochstein will feature world-class conductors and guest artists, and each concert is preceded by chamber music performed by RPO musicians.

On Wednesday, July 6 at 7:30 pm in Performance Hall at Hochstein, Michael Butterman (The Louise and Henry Epstein Family Chair) will lead the RPO in a concert of classic masterworks that highlight the fortepiano. The concert on Wednesday, July 13 at 7:30 pm features Schubert's "Unfinished" Symphony, and the series will conclude on Wednesday, July 27 at 7:30 pm with a celebration of the Double Bass.

For this week's concert, Michael Butterman and the RPO will be joined by fortepianists Malcolm Bilson and Mike Lee, who will perform Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 12 and Bach's first Keyboard Concerto. The fortepiano was an early version of the modern-day piano, and the instrument for which composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven would have written their piano music, so you'll get to hear the music the way it was intended it to be heard. Click here to learn more about the history of the fortepiano. Wednesday's concert also will include Bach's Overture to La calamita di cuori (The Calamity of Hearts) and Tchaikovsky's Suite No. 4, "Mozartiana."

Before the concert, RPO musicians will play Schubert's Cello Quintet. Use this link for details about the Pre-Concert Chamber Music, which will begin at 6:30 pm each night.

There's more great music in the upcoming concerts, including works by Schubert, Stravinsky, and Ravel. Plus, don't miss virtuosic solo performances by RPO Concertmaster Juliana Athayde (The Caroline W. Gannett & Clayla Ward Chair) and Principal Bass Colin Corner (The Anne Hayden McQuay Chair). Click here to learn more about each of the upcoming concerts.

Tickets for the Midsummer Classics Series in Performance Hall at Hochstein are $30, general admission. For tickets, call 454-2100 or click here.