New works highlight Kansas City Symphony’s 2015-16 season

The Kansas City Symphony has just announced its 2015-16 season and if it were an automobile, it would be a muscle car.

Michael Stern, the symphony’s music director and conductor, has programmed concerts with lots of oomph. Power works such as Johannes Brahms’ Violin Concerto and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 abound. And from violinist Midori to pianist Behzod Abduraimov, Stern has lined up a stellar roster of guest artists to take this music out for a drive.

Stern also has made sure that there are plenty of American models sharing the road with the European classics.

In fact, two of the works will be fresh off the assembly line: David Ludwig’s Violin Concerto and Jonathan Leshnoff’s symphony. Both were co-commissioned by the Symphony with Leshnoff’s work receiving its world premiere in Kansas City.

Vroom, Vroom …

Classical Series

▪ Sept. 18-20, Ravel’s “Bolero” and Symphonic Soloists: Dmitri Shostakovich’s “Festive Overture,” Robert Schumann’s “Konzertstuck for Four Horns,” Walter Piston’s “Suite from The Incredible Flutist” and Franz Joseph Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin, cello, oboe and bassoon; Maurice Ravel: “Bolero” (Michael Stern, conductor, with soloists from the Kansas City Symphony).

▪ Oct. 23-25, Festa Italiana: Gioacchino Rossini’s overture to “L’Italiana in Algeri” and choruses from Italian operas (Stern, with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus).

▪ Nov. 20-22, Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms: Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Coriolan Overture,” Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 33, and Johannes Brahms’ Serenade No. 1 (David Zinman, guest conductor).

▪ Nov. 27-29, Spanish Nights and Prokofiev’s Fifth: Isaac Albeniz’s Three Excerpts from “Iberia,” Manuel De Falla’s “Nights in the Gardens of Spain,” Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 (Carlos Miguel Prieto, guest conductor, with pianist Benjamin Hochman).

▪ Jan. 8-10, 2016, Brilliant Brits: Elgar and Vaughan Williams: Oliver Knussen’s “The Way to Castle Yonder From Higglety, Pigglety Pop!” as well as Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 2 “London” (Robert Spano, guest conductor, with cellist Timotheos Petrin).

▪ Jan. 15-17, Midori Performs Tchaikovsky Plus Stravinsky’s Petrouchka: Leonard Bernstein’s “Fancy Free,” Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and Igor Stravinsky’s “Petrouchka” (Stern, with violinist Midori).

▪ Jan. 29-31, Beethoven’s “Emperor” with Sibelius’ Seventh: Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor,” Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7 and Alexander Scriabin’s “Poem of Ecstasy.” (Stern, with pianist Jeremy Denk).

▪ Feb. 5-7, Brahms’ Violin Concerto and Beethoven’s Fourth: John Adams’ “The Chairman Dances,” Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 and Brahms’ Violin Concerto (Stern, with violinist Vadim Gluzman).

▪ March 4-6, Behzod Abduraimov plays Rachmaninoff: Anatol Liadov: “The Enchanted Lake,” Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Aaron Copland’s Symphony No. 3 (Stern, with pianist Abduraimov).

▪ April 1-3, The Mastery of Mozart and Mahler: Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 and Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 (Stern, with pianist Benjamin Grosvenor).

▪ April 8-10, World Tour: From Gershwin to Debussy: Charles Ives’ Symphony No. 3 “The Camp Meeting,” David Ludwig’s Violin Concerto (a Kansas City Symphony co-commission), Claude Debussy’s “Iberia” and George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” (Stern, with violinist Bella Hristova).

▪ May 20-22, Tchaikovsky’s Third Symphony: Alberic Magnard’s “Hymne a la Justice,” Jonathan Leshnoff’s symphony (a Kansas City Symphony co-commission and world premiere) and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 3, “Polish” (Stern, with baritone Stephen Powell).

▪ June 3-5, Spring Fling: Ravel and Dvorak: Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, Haydn’s Symphony No. 88, Antonin Dvorak’s “The Water Goblin” and “The Wood Dove” (Jeffrey Kahane, guest conductor and pianist).

▪ June 17-19, Season Finale: Beethoven’s “Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage,” Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 2 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (Stern, with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus).

Pop Series

▪ Oct. 30-31, Classical Mystery Tour: Music of the Beatles (Aram Demirjian, associate conductor).

▪ Jan. 22-23, 2016, The Magical Music of John Williams: Star Wars & More (Michael Krajewski, guest conductor, with 501st and Rebel Legion).

▪ Feb. 12-13, Amy Grant with the Kansas City Symphony (Steven Reineke, guest conductor).

▪ April 15-16, Screenland at the Symphony: Pixar in Concert (Demirjian).

Family Series

▪ Sept. 27, Project Trio (Demirjian).

▪ Jan. 24, 2016, Classical Kids: Gershwin’s “Magic Key” (Demirjian).

▪ April 24, “Harry Potter and the Magic of Music” (Demirjian).

Special Concerts

▪ Oct. 29, Screenland at the Symphony: “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (Dorothy Papadakos, organist)

▪ March 19, 2016, Matthew Morrison with the Kansas City Symphony (Demirjian)

▪ June 9-10, Screenland at the Symphony: “Star Trek” 2009 (Demirjian)

Holiday Concerts

▪ Dec. 4-6 Handel’s Messiah (Demirjian, with the Kansas City Symphony Chorus and the Independence Messiah Choir)

▪ Dec. 17-20 Christmas Festival (Demirjian, with pianist Richard Ridenour, the Kansas City Symphony Chorus, Allegro Choirs of Kansas City and Rezound! handbell ensemble)

For more information, call 816-471-0400 or go to KCSymphony.org.

This story was originally published January 11, 2015 at 2:00 AM with the headline "New works highlight Kansas City Symphony’s 2015-16 season."