Concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra

This month, Joyce DiDonato returns to Philadelphia for concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra led by music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The ensemble’s first of three performances in Philadelphia will be on Thursday, November 8 at Verizon Hall, followed by a featured concert at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, November 13.

Ms. DiDonato takes center stage in Chausson’s musical poem about love, death, and the sea, Poème de l’amour et de la mer. Also on the program is Wagner’s Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin, Mason Bates’ Anthology of Fantastic Zoology, making its NY premiere at Carnegie Hall, and Respighi’s symphonic poem Fountains of Rome. In the lead-up to her performances with the ensemble, Ms. DiDonato spoke to OperaWire about the challenges of Chausson’s vocal writing:

“Essentially it is an extremely intimate piece, but as it confronts real loss and passionate longing and love, of course, it demands that the voice and the orchestra open up fully. The texture of the orchestra can be a bit thick at times, but Yannick is a master of balance and nuance. Of course, there is the beautiful element of the Philadelphia Orchestra playing alongside, and they are capable of absolutely any color or texture, so I’m thrilled to explore what we can create together!”