Symphony Spotlight - 9/9/21

Our Opening Night of Music Director David Alan Miller’s 30th Anniversary Season is just one month away!

We can’t wait to welcome you back this fall, whether you choose to join us in person, or to livestream our performances from home. Either way, we’ll be back to what we love most: Making music together, with you.

This week, our Spotlight shines on Jessie Montgomery—an Albany Symphony favorite who is seemingly everywhere this season, including on our Opening Night program with her Coincident Dances. You’ll love this new deep dive into her life and work by Joshua Barone in The New York Times. We’ll also share a guide to our 21-22 Season, and the safety policies we’ve put in place this fall for your safety and comfort at our concerts. 

Come celebrate with us this season! 

Looking forward,

Your Friends at the Albany Symphony

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“The Changing American Canon Sounds Like Jessie Montgomery”
By Joshua Barone, The New York Times

“The history of classical music in the United States is one long identity crisis: the search for a homegrown sound, free from European influence. … One composer the field has especially turned to is Jessie Montgomery, whose often personal yet widely resonant music — forged in Manhattan, a mirror turned on the whole country — will be difficult to miss in the coming season.”

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Albany Symphony Health & Safety Protocols

In an effort to welcome you back safely this season, the Albany Symphony has adopted a vaccination and masking policy for all guests through our November concerts. We are asking all patrons to present proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent (within 48 hours) negative COVID test upon entry at our concerts, and to wear a mask (regardless of vaccination status) while in the building. This policy is in place until the end of November, and may be extended or modified based on public health guidance. Thank you for helping us stop the spread as we gather once again!

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Your guide to the 2021-22 Season!
Your Albany Symphony concert guide including programs, soloists, venues and more is available now! Not on our mailing list? Call (518) 694-3300 and we’ll send you one! Or click here to see it online now.

Special Welcome Back Offer
Choose any three concerts for just $99! Order now by calling (518) 694-3300.

Symphony Spotlight - 6/17/21

Symphony Spotlight

Thank you for joining us for the American Music Festival

This year’s festival featured many of the hallmarks of our annual season-ending celebration of contemporary music: An array of world premieres. Virtuoso performances from soloists and our Symphony musicians. And, the chance to see up close how new works come to life.

It also featured some unique perspectives: Thoughtful conversations and music around disabilities, access, empowerment, and embracing differences. Music created with and in nature. And, the countless ways the pandemic has impacted everything from the music we make to the ways we share it with you.

Thank you for supporting us through a season unlike any other, and for continuing to share our passion for telling the stories of our time, place, and history through collaborations between composers, fellow artists, and audiences. We couldn’t do it without you.

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Symphony Spotlight - 6/10/21

Symphony Spotlight

The American Music Festival is here!
Visit AlbanySymphony.com for program information,
and free livestreams of our concerts and community events!

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The latest preview of the American Music Festival is a great overview from Arts Critic Geraldine Freedman that includes thoughtful interviews with Music Director David Alan Miller and composer Christopher Theofanidis.

“The pieces we’ve commissioned are a wonderful mixture of poignant beauty, humor and suffering that are a wonderful preview of a post-pandemic art and with fascinating presentation,” Miller said.

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Albany Symphony Hour

The Albany Symphony Radio Hour continues with Brahms and Schuman! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 6/11 at 6pm!

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FRIDAY, JUNE 11

Dogs of Desire
Friday, June 11 at 7:30pm

The Albany Symphony's genre-bending new music ensemble will be streaming live from the Palace Theatre!

Go to the Dogs of Desire program and free livestream page

Virtual Late Night with Clarice Assad

Friday, June 11 at 9:00pm
Immediately following the Dogs of Desire, join Clarice Assad for this laid-back intimate performance. Use the button below or simply tune in for Dogs and stay for Assad after!

Go to the Late Night program and free livestream page

SATURDAY, JUNE 12

Albany Symphony Season Finale!

Saturday, June 12 at 7:30pm

The Albany Symphony's 2020-21 Season Finale, livestreamed from the Palace Theatre! The pre-concert talk begins at 7pm, the concert starts at 7:30pm. After the show there will be an interactive Q&A with David and the composers!

Go to the Symphony Finale program and livestream page

SUNDAY, JUNE 13

William Kanengiser & Scott Tennant Guitar Recital

Sunday, June 13 at 10am
Acclaimed guitarists William Kanengiser and Scott Tennant from the L.A. Guitar Quartet present a special program of solo and duo works.

Go to the Guitar Recital program and livestream page

"First Draughts" Reading Session

Sunday, June 13 at 7:30pm

Watch as emerging composers have new works performed for the first time. David Alan Miller, composer Christopher Theofanidis, and our musicians guide each new voice through the challenges of composing in the 21st century.

Go to the "First Draughts" program and livestream page

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

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Symphony Spotlight - 6/3/21

Symphony Spotlight

The 2021 American Music Festival is fast approaching! Click here for the At-a-Glance guide of the concerts and community events, and keep reading for articles and more information.

Check out this clip of the world premiere performance of Tanner Porter's A Flash of Teeth Before the Bite. This piece was performed during the April 24, 2021 "Haydn & Schubert" concert.

Albany Symphony Hour

Revisit the 2017 American Music Festival with WMHT, as we prepare for the 2021 American Music Festival! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 6/4 at 6pm!

Spotlight American Music Festival

The spotlight recently covered the upcoming 2021 American Music Festival! Check out the article below for more information about the FREE concerts and community events.

"Not Your Grandma's Classical Music!"

Here is another preview of the upcoming American Music Festival, with quotes from composers and artists. Click the link below for the full article.

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

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Symphony Spotlight - 5/27/21

Symphony Spotlight

Music is an evolution.
Together, we build on the past as we venture into the future.
 
This week, take a moment for a moment of Mozartian zen by listening back to a highlight from our last concert—Schubert’s not-so-subtle homage to the beauty that came before him. Then, look ahead to the voices of today and tomorrow featured in our upcoming American Music Festival!

A moment from the opening movement of Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 5, recorded April 24, 2021, at Universal Preservation Hall, Saratoga Springs, NY.

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June 10-13, 2021 | You’re invited!

The 2021 American Music Festival features an array of concerts and special events streaming live from the Palace Theatre—and you can stream it all free from home!

FESTIVAL CONCERTS

Dogs of Desire | Friday, June 11 at 7:30pm
Albany Symphony Season Finale | Saturday, June 12 at 7:30pm
Virtual Late Night with Clarice Assad | Saturday, June 12 at 9:00pm
Guitar Recital by William Kanengiser and Scott Tennant | Sunday, June 13 at 10:00am
“First Draughts” Reading Session | Sunday, June 13 at 7:30pm

FESTIVAL COMMUNITY EVENTS

This Ability Roundtable Discussion
Thursday, June 10 at 11:00am
Free Virtual Event co-presented by NYS Industries for the Disabled, Inc.

Composer Workshop Masterclass: Full Circle Collaboration
Thursday, June 10 at 3:00pm
Free Livestream

Nature Orchestra
Saturday, June 12 at 11:00am
Free family event at Pine Hollow Arboretum & Online!

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Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Mozart! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 5/28 at 6pm!

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Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Symphony Spotlight - 5/20/21

Symphony Spotlight

Save the dates — June 10-13

You’re invited! This week our Spotlight shines on the American Music Festival, your chance to hear the latest new music by an array of established and emerging composers. And this year, Festival livestream access via our virtual concert hall is free and open to the public! Don’t miss this chance to listen adventurously with the Albany Symphony, Music Director David Alan Miller, and special appearances by acclaimed guest artists.

Your 2021 American Music Festival Guide

COMPOSER WORKSHOP MASTERCLASS

Thursday, June 10, 2021 • 3:00pm
Streamed live from the Palace Theatre • FREE!

Christopher Theofanidis and other Festival master composers critique and work with Composer Workshop composers to hone their craft.

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DOGS OF DESIRE
Friday, June 11, 2021 • 7:30pm
Streamed live from the Palace Theatre • FREE!

David Alan Miller, conductor
Albany Symphony’s electrifying genre-bending new music ensemble Dogs of Desire presents Dogs-commissioned world premieres by Jack Frerer, Bobby Ge, Tom Morrion, Carolyn Yarnell, and Kerwin Young. The program also includes an array of past Dogs favorites.

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Our Season Finale!
AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL CONCERT
Friday, June 12, 2021
7pm pre-concert talk • 7:30pm performance
Streamed live from the Palace Theatre • FREE!

David Alan Miller, conductor
William Kanengiser & Scott Tennant, guitars
Molly Joyce, vocals

Nina Shekhar: Above the Fray*
Clarice Assad: Folk Tales, Double Guitar Concerto
Molly Joyce/Christopher Theofanidis: Songs*
Alexis Lamb: Serotiny*

*world premiere performances

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GUITAR RECITAL
Friday, June 12, 2021 • 10am
Streamed live from the Palace Theatre • FREE!

Acclaimed guitarists William Kanengiser and Scott Tennant from the L.A. Guitar Quartet present a special recital of solo and duo-guitar works.

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"FIRST DRAUGHTS" READING SESSION
Friday, June 12, 2021 • 7:30pm
Streamed live from the Palace Theatre • FREE!

From the composer’s imagination to the concert hall! Watch as emerging composers have their newest works performed for the first time. David Alan Miller, Composer Christopher Theofanidis, and musicians of the Albany Symphony guide each new voice through the challenges of composing in the 21st century. Feel free to enjoy a cold one (responsibly, of course) from home!

Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Mozart! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 5/21 at 6pm!

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Symphony Spotlight - 5/13/21

Symphony Spotlight

Our American Music Festival is officially less than a month away! In this week’s Spotlight you’ll find a recent interview with Clarice Assad, whose Guitar Duo is one this year’s Festival highlights. Plus, a look back to last month’s performance of Haydn’s Symphony No. 46 at Universal Preservation Hall. Enjoy!

Enjoy this passionate and lively passage from the first movement of Haydn's Symphony No.46 performed at our Haydn & Schubert concert last month.

Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Mozart! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 5/14 at 6pm!

Clarice Assad Returns

Clarice Assad is no stranger to fans of the American Music Festival, and that’s for good reason. The composer, who recently told us she is “always mesmerized by the variety of works, composers and voices being presented” at AMF, returns next month with a guitar duo that’s sure to be an audience favorite. Of course, being part of a musical family that includes the Assad Brothers (her father, Sérgio, and her uncle, Odair), being part of a great eclectic bunch of music probably comes naturally! For more on Clarice’s recent work, check out this great feature on her recent collaboration with Third Coast Percussion.

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

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Symphony Spotlight - 5/6/21

Symphony Spotlight

The countdown is on to our American Music Festival! This week, our spotlight shines on one of this year’s featured composers, Nina Shekhar, who challenges the idea that “classical music” is a one-size-fits-all genre. Plus, your first chance to watch a highlight from our most recent concert featuring violinist Melissa White, and a look back at a conversation with composer Viet Cuong about his 2017 AMF premiere, Re(new)al. Enjoy!

Watch Melissa White perform a nuanced and enthralling section from the third movement of George Tsontakis’ Violin Concerto No. 2 with us last month at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs.

Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Stravinsky! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 5/7 at 6pm!

AMF Flashback: Viet Coung’s Re(new)al

In this interview from 2017, Viet Cuong and members of Sandbox Percussion talk about how Re(new)al went from an idea to a premiere at that year’s American Music Festival! The composer returns this fall with a new concerto to be premiered as part of our 2021-22 season. Re(new)al was commissioned by Albany Symphony’s Dogs of Desire in partnership with GE Renewable Energy.

Getting Above the Fray with Nine Shekhar

We are thrilled to have had a chance to talk to Nina Shekhar, one of several composers featured at this year's American Music Festival! When asked about the festival she was thrilled to be working with live musicians again saying "it will be the first live large ensemble performance I’ve had since the pandemic began..." Her piece Above the Fray, challenges the idea that "classical music" is a one size fits all genre "....and asserts that we each have infinitely unique identities that morph differently under different circumstances, and that art itself is not a static monolith, but rather something dynamic that we can allow to breathe, reshape, decompose, and reincarnate into new lifeforms over time." Nina also talked about being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder at a young age. Though her physical compulsions have somewhat subsided, she is aware her brain will always work differently. With love and support from her family and friends, she found comfort and embraced her neurodivergence. Be sure to hear the premiere of Nina Shekhar's piece this June at AMF!

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

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Symphony Spotlight - 4/29/21

Symphony Spotlight 

In celebration of International Jazz Day on April 30th, enjoy a great video from our friends at NAXOS about Derek Bermel’s album Migrations—a piece you’ll also hear featured on this week’s WMHT Albany Symphony Hour. Plus: A review of our latest concert from In The Spotlight, your peek behind the scenes with some of the tech pros who make our live streams possible, and your introduction to the newest member of the Albany Symphony team. Enjoy!

Jazz is America’s contribution to the world of music, and American composer Derek Bermel is an expert in navigating the dynamic intersection of jazz and orchestral music—a strength on full display in his album Migrations. Watch and listen as Derek shares his inspiration for the music on this album.

Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Joyce Yang! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 4/30 at 6pm!

Haydn and Schubert In the Spotlight

We can’t wait to welcome you back to the concert hall. But while we wait, we are so glad so many of you are joining us from home! In his review of last Saturday’s concert, Haydn & Schubert, Michael J. Moran writes: “(The) acoustics were full and clear, and videography was creative and engaging.”  Your seat in the hall is ready as soon as we can welcome you back. In the meantime, we hope you’re enjoying your seat from home as much as Michael did! Click below for his full review.

Video Virtuosos

Saturday night, you saw the talent on stage that brings music to life. Now’s your chance to see the talent that brings the music to your home! Here’s a quick peek at Weixiong Wang and his team in action during a rehearsal last week working the controls, and studying a score—the trick to those great close-ups at just the right times. 

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

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Introducing Robert (Bobby) Pape

Please join the Albany Symphony family in welcoming our new Director of Development and Marketing, Robert (Bobby) Pape. Bobbys joins the ASO from New England, where he spent the last eight years as Executive Director of Boston Musica Viva, a professional music ensemble specializing in the music of our time. His previous experience includes fundraising and event planning for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and freelance work for an array of orchestras and choruses in the Northeast. Please feel free to reach out with welcome notes, charitable giving questions or restaurant suggestions anytime to robertp@albanysymphony.com!

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Symphony Spotlight 4/22/21

Symphony Spotlight

This week, we are excited to share a look at our upcoming 2021-22 season! The year ahead is full of new works, audience favorites and more in an array of programs we can’t wait to share with you. Our Spotlight also includes Lemn Sissay’s poem “Spark Catchers”—the inspiration for a work by Hannah Kendall we are featuring on February 2022 program—as well as a recording by composer Tanner Porter, who has a world premiere on our concert this Saturday. Enjoy!

As we get ready to welcome back Tanner Porter this weekend we share a previous performance of her work KNIT/PURL. This recording of the Albany Symphony was taken at our 2019 American Music Festival! Tune in Saturday April 24th at 7:30 to hear her new work A Flash of Teeth Before the Bite!

Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Rachmaninoff! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 4/23 at 6pm!

2020-21 Season at a Glance!

We are excited to share next season's concerts with you all! The season at a glance includes all the repertoire we plan to play as well as our anticipated guest artists and composers. You definitely won't want to miss David Alan Miller's 30th anniversary season, it's going to be a great one!

Take Your Child to Work Day

We at Albany Symphony recognize that “work” has come to look very different than in the past. This Thursday, to celebrate Take Your Child to Work Day, we are asking for working parents to post pictures of them working from home with their children. We know you have those candid selfies of trying to finish that email with a toddler sprawled on your laptop. Share them with us on our Facebook page!

National Poetry Month with Hannah Kendall and Lemn Sissay

To continue our celebration of Poetry Month we look forward to our 2021-22 season, with features a piece by Hannah Kendall "The Spark Catchers." Kendall's piece shares its title and draws inspiration from a Lemn Sissay poem. We look forward to sharing the piece with you all next year and hope you enjoy Sissay's Poem.

"Spark Catchers"

Tide twists on the Thames and lifts the Lea to the brim of Bow
Where shoals of sirens work by way of the waves.
At the fire factory the fortress of flames

In tidal shifts East London Lampades made
Millions of matches that lit candles for the well-to-do
And the ne’er-do-well to do alike. Strike.

The greatest threat to their lives was
The sulferuous spite filled spit of diablo
The molten madness of a spark

They became spark catchers and on the word “strike”
a parched arched woman would dive
With hand outstretched to catch the light.

And Land like a crouching tiger with fist high
Holding the malevolent flare tight
‘til it became an ash dot in the palm. Strike.

The women applauded the magnificent grace
The skill it took, the pirouette in mid air
The precision, perfection and the peace.

Beneath stars by the bending bridge of Bow
In the silver sheen of a phosphorous moon
They practised Spark Catching.

“The fist the earth the spark it’s core
The fist the body the spark it’s heart”
The Matchmakers march. Strike.

Lampades The Torch bearers
The Catchers of light.
Sparks fly Matchmakers strike.

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Symphony Spotlight - 4/15/21

Symphony Spotlight

George Tsontakis’s Violin Concerto No. 2, one of the featured works on our concert next weekend, garnered the composer a well-deserved Grawemeyer Award—one of today’s highest honors for new music—in 2005. This week, we shine our spotlight on the thoughtful speech Tsontakis made after receiving that award. Plus, in celebration of National Poetry Month, we take a look and listen at Carlos Bandera’s take on a poem by Wayne Dodd. Enjoy! 

George Tsontakis Lecture

Check out this talk given by George Tsontakis following his acceptance of the Grawemeyer Award in 2005. The lecture gives an in-depth look at his piece, Violin Concerto No. 2, which will be performed by Melissa White at our next concert Haydn and Schubert on April 24th!

Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Tchaikovsky! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 4/16 at 6pm!

Poetry Month with Carlos Bandera

In honor of this month being National Poetry Month here is a clip of Carlos Bandera's piece "Of Rain and Air" based on Wayne Dodd's poem.

”Of Rain and Air”

All day I have been closed up

inside rooms, speaking of trivial

matters. Now at last I have come out

into the night, myself a center

of darkness.

Beneath the clouds the low sky glows

with scattered lights. I can hardly think

this is happening. Here in this bright absence

of day, I feel myself opening out

with contentment.

All around me the soft rain is whispering

of thousands of feet of air

invisible above us.

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Symphony Spotlight - 4/8/21

Symphony Spotlight

Our next concert, Haydn and Schubert, is coming up fast!  Read up on two of our featured guests, Melissa White and Tanner Porter.  We cannot wait to perform alongside/ perform their work. 

Join Elton John and Michael Caine in getting vaccinated! The sooner we all get vaccinated, the sooner our concerts can get back to normal. We are excited to start welcoming you all back into our concert halls soon!

Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Mozart! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 4/9 at 6pm!

Melissa White and the Harlem Quartet

We are thrilled to welcome Melissa White as our featured soloist for the upcoming Haydn & Schubert concert! In anticipation, we share with you her quartet, The Harlem Quartet. The GRAMMY-winning group programs a wide variety of music and is dedicated to education outreach. Learn more about them on their website, linked below.

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

April is National Poetry Month! To celebrate, we share with you a beautiful setting of Carol Ann Duffy's "Mrs. Midas," composed by Aaron Kernis and performed and recorded by the Albany Symphony and soprano, Talise Trevigne. Click here for the text of the poem.

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Symphony Spotlight - 4/1/21

Symphony Spotlight

Happy Easter and Good Friday!  We are excited to welcome back Tanner Porter this upcoming concert, share more articles about next season and feature one of the symphony's cellists, Hikaru Tamaki!

Hikaru Tamaki and Bunraku:
Japanese Puppet Theatre

Featured is one of our cellists, Hikaru Tamaki, performing an excerpt of Bunraku by Toshiro Mayuzumi. In addition to this beautiful performance, Hikaruwas kind enough to enlighten us all to the world of Bunraku, a form of Japanese puppetry. Bunraku is a beautiful, intricate art form. Linked below is a documentary on Bunraku and Hikaru's full performance, it is super interesting and definitely worth the watch!

Albany Symphony Hour

This weekend's Albany Symphony Hour is canceled in observance of Good Friday but will be back next Friday, April 9th at 6pm!

Welcoming back Tanner Porter!

We are thrilled to welcome Tanner Porter back for our next concert on April 24th, Haydn & Schubert where we will be premiering a new work of hers. Be sure to check her website and her other pieces, she is an extraordinary emerging talent!

Daily Gazette Season Launch Article

The Daily Gazette posted an article about our 2021-2022 season! They cover some of the repertoire we are going to perform, soloists we will feature, and even mentions works we are commissioning. Read more about it in the article linked below!

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Symphony Spotlight - 3/25/21

Symphony Spotlight

We continue to celebrate Women's History Month and Music in our Schools Month here at the Albany Symphony.  Learn more about our upcoming season and our upcoming virtual field trip for high schoolers!    

Here is a clip of Inon Barnatan playing Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano concerto. He plays with such grace and makes the hardest piece in the piano repertoire sound so effortless!

Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Maurice Ravel! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 3/26 at 6pm!

Women Composers with the Albany Symphony

We were thrilled to perform the works of Jessie Montgomery, Alexis Lamb, and Nina Shekhar this year and cannot wait to welcome them back in our 2021-22 season along with Tania León, Vivian Fung, Hannah Kendall, and Nina Shekhar. Information about becoming a subscriber for next season will be coming soon, stay tuned.

Times Union 2021-22 Season Article

The Times Union released an article highlighting our upcoming season! It highlights all the repertoire we are going to be playing as well as the guest artists we are thrilled to perform alongside. Be sure to click the link below to read the whole article!

Happy Passover

We at the Albany Symphony would like to wish you all a happy Passover! Passover celebrates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.

Backstage @ The Symphony

This experience is open to all high school music educators and their students for FREE! If you are, or you know, a high school music educators please share this information!

Saratoga Today GRAMMY Article

As we continue to celebrate our GRAMMY, we would like to share this article, by Saratoga Today. The article includes an in-depth look at Christopher Theofanidis' Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra. To learn more about Christopher, his GRAMMY-winning concerto, and more click below!

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

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Symphony Spotlight - 3/18/21

Symphony Spotlight

Learn more about our March 30 Virtual Field Trip open to high school classes and students. Join in our ongoing celebration of Music In Our Schools and Women's History Month. Congratulations to David Alan Miller and Symphony musicians for bringing a Grammy WIN home to the Capital Region!

To celebrate the start of Spring, here is a small clip of Ottorino Respighi's "Trittico Botticelliano" first movement, "La Primavera" from our last concert, Rachmaninoff's Third!

Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and George Gershwin! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 3/19 at 6pm!

WAMC GRAMMY Interview

Maestro David Alan Miller had a chance to chat with WAMC's Joe Donahue about his recent GRAMMY win, the upcoming 2021-2022 season, and more! Click the link below to listen.

Recognizing ASO Musicians Who Teach

In addition to being high-caliber performing artists, many of our musicians are wonderful teachers who spread their love for music into our community! Their talents stretch beyond our concert halls and we are so grateful to have them at the heart of our organization. Thank you to our Albany Symphony teaching musicians!

Times Union GRAMMY Article.

The Times Union released an article on our latest GRAMMY win where they had the chance to talk to both David Alan Miller and Richard O'Neill! Everyone in attendance knew this was a special performance, O'Neill even called the performance a "really powerful moment." The article also briefly notes, composer, Christopher Theofanidis' inspiration for writing the concerto. Be sure to read the article, linked below.

Backstage @ The Symphony

This experience is open to all high school music educators and thier students for FREE! If you are, or you know, a high school music educators please share this information!

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

In the Spotlight Concert Review

Check out this review of our Rachmaninoff's Third concert, written by In the Spotlight!  It speaks to each piece on the program including the "technical finesse" and the "emotional depth" of Inon Barnatan's performance.  Click the link below to read more.

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Another GRAMMY Win for Albany Symphony!

2021 GRAMMY Best Classical Instrumental Solo | Richard O'Neill, viola; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)

Congratulations to our amazing Albany Symphony musicians, David Alan Miller, and Richard O'Neill on their 2021 GRAMMY AWARD WIN for Best Classical Instrumental Solo for their recording of Christopher Theofanidis' Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra. The performance brought down the house at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall! Thank you to the GRAMMYs for this incredible honor and to Albany Records for making this recording possible.

Purchase the GRAMMY-Award-Winning Recording

Click the link below to purchase your copy of the GRAMMY-Award-Winning Concert for Viola and Chamber Orchestra, or call the Albany Symphony Box Office at (518) 694-3300 ext. 143 to place your order!

Or listen to the GRAMMY-Award-Winning recording on Spotify!

Symphony Spotlight - 3/11/21

Symphony Spotlight

This week we are excited to share with you our March 13th concert, Rachmaninoff's Third, as well as pre-concert events and a GRAMMY livestream.

Rachmaninoff’s Third

This weekend is our sixth concert of the season, Rachmaninoff’s Third! We are thrilled to welcome guest pianist Inon Barnatan as well as perform the world premiere of Carlos Bandera’s new work, Of Air and Rain. There will be a pre-concert talk hosted by David Alan Miller, and an interactive post-concert Q&A featuring Maestro Miller and Inon Barnatan!

Music Educator Appreciation

In celebration of Music in Our Schools Month, the Albany Symphony would like to recognize music educators. We are beyond grateful for your efforts to inspire your students and keep the joy of music alive, especially when students need it most. If you’re a music educator, or if you know of one who would want to view our upcoming Rachmaninoff’s Third performance FOR FREE, fill out the form below!

Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Brahms Serenade No.1! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 3/12 at 6pm!

GRAMMY Premiere Ceremony

An Albany Symphony performance has been nominated for a GRAMMY for the fifth time for its recording with violist Richard O'Neill and composer Christopher Theofanidis. The GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will be livestreamed (Sunday, 3/14 at 12pm) before the TV broadcasted GRAMMY Awards. We will be sharing that livestream on our Facebook page so you can stay up-to-date on this nomination!

Shine Watch Party!

You are invited to a special watch party this Friday with Albany Symphony. Order a pizza and grab your favorite comfy clothes (and possibly a box of tissues) as we watch the movie "Shine" starring Geoffrey Rush.* After registering for the watch party, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the watch party.
*This movie contains adult themes, including multiple scenes dealing with mental health. Viewer discretion is advised*

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

Celebrating Past Grammys

The GRAMMYs are this Sunday, March 14, and with March being Women’s History Month, we wanted to celebrate Tessa Lark, Dame Evelyn Glennie and Talise Trevigne. These incredibly talented women have either won or been nominated for a GRAMMY while playing alongside the Albany Symphony. We are very fortunate to have shared the stage with such talented guest artists!

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Symphony Spotlight - 3/4/21

Symphony Spotlight

Happy Music in Our Schools Month and Women's History Month! We are excited to share with you our many Rachmaninoff's Third events, as well as insight into the life of Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Sergei Rachmaninoff

Born in 1873, Sergei Rachmaninoff had a troubled childhood that left him an intensely expressive and emotional composer, for which he was singled out as a kindred spirit by his idol and mentor Tchaikovsky. Following the death of Tchaikovsky, a distraught Rachmaninoff labored through the composition of his Symphony No. 1. Its 1897 premiere was poorly executed, as the conductor misused rehearsal time and was rumored to have been intoxicated during the performance. The piece was poorly received and panned by critics, but Rachmaninoff was most disheartened by his own distaste for the work. He fell into depression and composed almost nothing for the next three years. In 1900, at his aunt's entreaty, Rachmaninoff sought professional help. From January to April, he underwent daily hypnotherapy and psychotherapy with physician Nikolai Dahl, and by the summer, he resumed composition with verve. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 was finished in April 1901, and was dedicated to his friend Nikolai Dahl.

Music in Our Schools Month

In celebration of Music in Our Schools Month, the Albany Symphony would like to recognize music educators. We are beyond grateful for your efforts to inspire your students and keep the joy of music alive, especially when students need it most.

Backstage at the Symphony - Albany High School

This year, David Alan Miller and composers featured on Albany Symphony programs have virtually sat down with students from Albany High School. We discussed the question: can instrumental music be political? The question was posed in the days following our January 9th concert. It was a timely discussion given the Albany Symphony’s inclusion of Jessie Montgomery’s piece ‘Banner’ on the program and the events of the week.  No one would have predicted that days before the concert the entire world would witness the storming of The Capitol, an international symbol for democracy. Students identified liberty, rights, and justice as universal American ideals they’d been taught and the inequities in education and law enforcement. It was agreed that Montgomery’s piece reflected this tension in various ways. One student noted how for a moment she felt disoriented and then magically everything “just came together”. Another student noted how moments in the music felt layered with many different things that created something even more beautiful. Collectively they concluded that it is important for music like this to be created and heard as it captures both a moment in time and the eternal nature of our nation.

On March 30th, we are expanding the post-concert talk into a virtual field trip for all Capital District high school music classes. If you have a teacher or class you’d like to be invited, email jenaeg@albanysymphony.com.

Shine Watch Party!

In anticipation of our upcoming Rachmaninoff’s Third performance, we’re inviting you to join us on Friday, March 12th for a viewing party of the movie Shine. The movie focuses on the life of pianist David Helfgott, and the challenges that he faced in his mental health and musical career, including the daunting Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto. It’s the perfect way to get excited for Inon Barnatan’s dazzling performance on Saturday, March 13!

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

Don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Symphony Spotlight - 2/25/21

Symphony Spotlight

We're so excited to share some information on the beautiful Universal Preservation Hall and feature dancer Misty Copeland this week!  Also, our Rachmaninoff's Third concert is coming up soon!  Be sure to keep up with the symphony, you don't want to miss it!

Here is a clip from our last concert Romantic Brahms, featuring Lucy Fitz Gibbon on William Walton's Facade, movement 7 Tarantella.

Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Saint-Saens Symphony 3! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 2/26 at 6pm!

Misty Copeland

Music and dance are inextricably linked. We wanted to commemorate Black History Month by showcasing an extraordinary talent in ballet, Misty Copeland. She has been featured in countless performances such as Stravinsky’s “The Firebird”, Ratmansky’s “The Nutcracker” and many more! Copeland is the first African American Female Principal Dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, appointed in 2015. She has had numerous endorsements over the years, won many awards, and even is a New York Times Best-Selling author for her memoir, Life in Motion, co-written by Charisse Jones. Check out the video below, featuring Copeland in Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo & Juliet!”

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

Universal Preservation Hall

The Albany Symphony has been incredibly fortunate to find a home at Universal Preservation Hall this season, especially with social distancing restrictions regarding our musicians. UPH was constructed in 1871 as a Methodist church but was ultimately condemned in 2000. Residents of Saratoga Springs stepped in to save the building from being destroyed. In 2015, UPH joined Proctors Collaborative, which is “dedicated to serving the community through arts, education, sustainable economic development, and rich civic engagement.” Renovations began in 2018, and the new performance space was completed in 2020! If you are interested in learning more about this historic hall, check out their website!

Rachmaninoff's Third Concert!

Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto is widely considered one of the hardest pieces in the piano repertoire. Its dazzling and intricate passages are one of a kind and will leave everyone in awe on March 13th! Be sure to tune in to Inon Barnatan's performance with us!

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Symphony Spotlight - 2/18/21

Symphony Spotlight

We are excited to share the fantastic reviews we received from our February 13 concert! Also below are articles about the concert repertoire, an interview with our composer, Tyson Davis, and our 2019-20 Annual Report.

Here is a clip from the first movement of the Brahms Serenade No. 1 from our last concert, Romantic Brahms.

Albany Symphony Hour

Start off your weekend with the Albany Symphony, WMHT, and Tchaikovsky! Tune in via 89.1 FM Albany, 88.7 FM Poughkeepsie, or online at wmht.org/classical on Friday 2/19 at 6pm!

2019-2020 Annual Report

The Annual Report looks back at all aspects of our previous season.  This includes the repertoire played at each concert, our community involvement, DEI efforts, financial report, and more!   

WAMC Tyson Davis Interview

Being just 20 years young, Tyson Davis is pushing the bounds of classical music, in more ways than one.  Here he talks about the racial disparity that exists in classical music and his experience with such.  Davis also further explains his work, Distances, just premiered at our Romantic Brahms concert.  Be sure to listen to the interview, linked below!

NYS Music Review of Romantic Brahms

Check out this review of our most recent concert! NYS Music had high praise for the Albany Symphony following this weekend's concert. The article speaks to each piece performed, explaining facets of the performance such as our unique take on the Brahms Serenade, Tyson Davis' look into the human psyche, and the intricate narration of Lucy Fitz Gibbon. Check it out here!

Albany High School Concert Talks

This season, Albany Symphony has partnered with Albany High School to provide concert talks to students. Young people in the music program view the concert in class and get a unique view behind-the-scenes and inside the artists' creative minds. This month, David Alan Miller and Tyson Davis tackled thought-provoking questions about race and the orchestra world. Special thanks to AHS Choral Director Brendan Hoffman and his students! If you are interested in bringing concert talks to a class near you, contact jenaeg@albanysymphony.com.

Chamber Crescendo

Symphony Magazine’s Rebecca Winzenried spoke with Maestro David Alan Miller about the resurgence of chamber orchestra music during the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines how orchestras are adapting in order to continue to provide music to their communities.

Interested in Supporting the Symphony?

Click the button below to make a donation to the Albany Symphony, and help make these virtual activities possible!

Black History Month

By Nikki Giovanni
If Black History Month is not
viable then wind does not
carry the seeds and drop them
on fertile ground
rain does not
dampen the land
and encourage the seeds
to root
sun does not
warm the earth
and kiss the seedlings
and tell them plain:
You’re As Good As Anybody Else
You’ve Got A Place Here, Too

In the Spotlight Concert Review

Here is another review of our last concert, written by In the Spotlight!  In addition to talking about the "finesse" the concert was performed with, the article talks about the re-invention of orchestral music in the COVID pandemic.

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