ISAAC STERN MEMORIAL / THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA / SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY / ORCHESTRE SYMPHONIQUE DE MONTR脡AL
Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / / /
A very busy month full of big names and stellar orchestras commences with the annual Isaac Stern Memorial Concert, a celebration of Carnegie Hall鈥檚 savior in his centenary year by an all-star trio comprised of pianist Emanuel Ax, violinist Leonidas Kavakos, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. There will be three different all-Beethoven programs, featuring sonatas and piano trios associated with Stern, plus Seven Variations after Mozart鈥檚 Die Zauberfl枚te.
The Philadelphia Orchestra follows with more Beethoven; Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6 (鈥淧astoral鈥�), conducted by Music Director Yannick N茅zet-S茅guin.
The San Francisco Symphony then arrives for two nights led by its Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas. One program will offer Stravinsky鈥檚 Firebird, a John Adams N.Y. Premiere, I Still Dance, and Saint-Sa毛ns鈥檚 sizzling Cello Concerto No. 1 performed by Gautier Capu莽on. The second program is a night with Mahler鈥檚 Symphony No. 6.
Kent Nagano makes his final Carnegie Hall appearance as Music Director of Orchestre symphonique de Montr茅al in a program of Shostakovich鈥檚 gripping Babi Yar Symphony and Schumann鈥檚 thrilling Piano Concerto played by Mikhail Pletnev.
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC: FRENCH MASTERWORKS
David Geffen Hall
An evening of French classics, straight up, conducted by Louis Langr茅e in his Philharmonic debut; Debussy鈥檚 Nocturnes and Pr茅lude 脿 l鈥檃pr猫s-midi d鈥檜n faune; Scriabin鈥檚 rapturous tone poem Le Po猫me de l鈥檈xtase and Ravel鈥檚 lustrous 厂丑茅丑茅谤补锄补诲别 song cycle sung by the electrifying Met Opera diva Isabel Leonard with the the Juilliard School The Women鈥檚 Chorus.
DWB (DRIVING WHILE BLACK) / WILLIAM BOLCOM
Baruch College Performing Arts Center /
New works of contemporary vocal music are given the spotlight, beginning with dwb (Driving While Black) in its N.Y. Premiere; a timely and compelling operatic monodrama by composer Susan Kander and librettist, soprano Roberta Gumbel, who sings the role of a black mother fretting her young son鈥檚 approaching driver鈥檚 license and the ominous potential consequences.
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer William Bolcom鈥檚 latest song cycle, Tears at the Happy Hour, receives its U.S. Premiere; settings of poems by Auden, E.E. Cummings and Shakespeare, among others, sung by the Paris-based soprano Rayanne Dupuis in her N.Y. debut accompanied by pianist Guy Livingston.
ARS LONGA DE LA HABANA
Baryshnikov Arts Center
Cuba's foremost early music group returns to NYC with 鈥淭esoros de Am茅rica,鈥� a pulsating program of 18th Century music from Cuba, Mexico, and Central America. Five singers, seven musicians and a sublime dance to the music of time.
EMERSON STRING QUARTET
Alice Tully Hall
This estimable ensemble will refract Beethoven鈥檚 鈥淩azumovsky鈥� Quartet No.1 through B茅la Bart贸k鈥檚 Quartet No. 1鈥攚ritten as a Beethoven homage鈥攁long with Bart贸k鈥檚 Quartet No. 3. Over the next few months, the Emerson will essay all of Bart贸k鈥檚 quartets in tandem with the entirety of Beethoven鈥檚 鈥淩azumovsky鈥� Quartets as part of Lincoln Center鈥檚 Great Performers series.
SCHOMBURG CENTER WOMEN鈥橲 JAZZ FESTIVAL
Schomburg for Research in Black Culture
A Schomburg tradition during Women鈥檚 History Month, every Monday in March. The festival kicks off with 鈥淎 Ballad for Hazel Scott,鈥� a centennial tribute to one of jazz鈥檚 great forgotten pianists and singers; far more famous in her day than she is today. An array of distinguished vocalists follow: Pauline Jean, Ren茅e Neufville and the 2018 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition winner Laurin Talese, plus Firey String Sistas! with dancer-choreographer Dyane Harvey.
