The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) announced today that The Philadelphia Orchestra will return to Saratoga Springs this summer for their August 11-14, 2021 residency. These will be the first live performances for the orchestra at SPAC since the COVID-19 pandemic.
All four performances will be led by music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin with a finale performance by violinist, Joshua Bell. In the course of SPAC’s pledge to present a more diverse group of voices are seven SPAC premieres, including work by the Orchestra’s Gabriela Lena Frank, Valerie Coleman, Florence Price, and Louise Farrenc.
SPAC President and CEO Elizabeth Sobol expressed her excitement to welcome back the veteran performers in a statement, adding that throughout their week of performances, “we will savor every sweet and precious note of the Orchestra’s 2021 residency.”
Schedule:
Wednesday, August 11 @ 8PM with performances of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 12 and Price’s Symphony 1.
Price’s First Symphony was the first symphonic work by a Black woman to be played by a major American orchestra in 1933.
Thursday, August 12 @8PM with performances of Coleman’s Seven O’Clock Shout, Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins, and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1
This program of music is dedicated to healthcare workers, dedicating Seven O’Clock Shout to the frontline workers of the pandemic.
Friday, August 13 @8PM with performances of Frank’s Selections from Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout, Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto, and Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2
Enjoy a multicultural music experience by Gabriela Lena Frank, who dives into her heritage, blending elements of western classical and Andean folk music.
Saturday, August 14th @8PM with performances of Price’s Adoration, Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, and Mozart’s Symphony No. 25.
Joshua Bell returns to the SPAC stage to close out the Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2021 summer residency at SPAC.
All performances will be approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.
Performances will be presented in compliance with local COVID-19 guidelines to ensure a safe experience for performers, staff, and audience members. Attendees will be seated in socially distanced pods. On June 1, SPAC members will have early access to purchase amphitheater seats. These tickets will be made available to the public on June 7. Designated pods of two will be reserved for ticket buyers within the amphitheater, starting at $80 per pod. Though limited, single tickets will be available starting at $40.
