American Composers Orchestra

Valerie Coleman’s new work, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall, is titled Phenomenal Women and is one of the thought-provoking and highly exciting works you will hear on this program. In addition to Coleman’s, there’s a world premiere from Alex Temple, a composer who integrates love for pop culture and the Western classical tradition, and a colorful Joan Tower work that juxtaposes large blocks of sound with intimate solos and duets.

Yuja Wang, Piano
Igudesman & Joo

Yuja Wang’s artistry knows no bounds. So does her sense of fun. In what promises to be an evening of laughter and dizzying virtuosity, she joins the irrepressible classical music comedy duo Igudesman & Joo. The duo has been bringing laughter to concert halls around the world, often with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and their videos on YouTube have gathered more than 45 million views. The last time the duo played at Carnegie Hall, Billy Joel and Joshua Bell jumped on stage for surprise encores. Be prepared for an anything-goes concert.

Thomas Adès, Piano
Kirill Gerstein, Piano

Thomas Adès is a fascinating composer and a pianist of considerable talent known for his “incisive, brittle, and commanding performances” (The New York Times). He partners with Kirill Gerstein, lauded by The New York Times for the “spontaneity and scintillating sound” of his playing, in a program of two-piano works. They play a rarely heard Shostakovich arrangement of a Stravinsky work, Debussy favorites, Ravel’s hypnotic waltz, and Adès’s paraphrase on music from his popular opera, Powder Her Face.

New World Symphony

Perspectives artist Michael Tilson Thomas’s brilliance as conductor and composer are showcased. His Four Preludes on Playthings of the Wind takes its text from a Carl Sandburg poem and was composed for soprano Measha Brueggergosman. This unique song cycle—scored for three singers, chamber orchestra, and cabaret band—is a fascinating fusion of art song and bebop. Tilson Thomas’s mastery of Mahler is also featured in a performance of the composer’s string orchestra arrangement of Schubert’s powerful string quartet.