2009-2010 Schedule
ClassicsRhapsody in Red, White and Blue
Kevin Rhodes, conductor and piano
Saturday, July 18 at 8 pm Buy Tickets
Sunday, July 19 at 3 pm Buy Tickets
City Opera House, Traverse City
Copland - Appalachian Spring
Copland - Lincoln Portrait
Ives - Putnam's Camp
Gershwin - Rhapsody in Blue
A celebration of America gets TSO SummerNights off to a rousing start with two beloved works by the father of American composers, Aaron Copland. His Lincoln Portrait combines quotations from Abraham Lincoln's most inspired writings with the composer's uniquely American style. His landmark ballet, Appalachian Spring, and Charles Ives' Putnam's Camp bring 19th century America to life while Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, played and conducted by TSO Music Director Kevin Rhodes, brings jazz into the concert hall.
ClassicsThe Master and the Waltz King
Kevin Rhodes, conductor
Saturday, August 15 at 8 pm Buy Tickets
Sunday, August 16 at 3 pm Buy Tickets
City Opera House, Traverse City
Beethoven - Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral"
Strauss, Jr. - Selections
The Viennese countryside inspired countless musicians, but none more revered than Ludwig von Beethoven and Johann Strauss Jr. Our TSO musicians will conjure up images of musical brooks, singing birds, horse drawn carriages and much more in Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony. In the second half of the program, we'll go to the great ballrooms of Vienna with some favorites by the waltz king, Johann Strauss, Jr.
SpecialA Gift from the Maestro
Kevin at the Grand Piano
Wednesday, August 12 at 8 pm Buy Tickets
Milliken Auditorium, Traverse City
While TSO audiences know that he conducts masterfully, many aren’t aware that Maestro Kevin Rhodes is also an exceptional pianist. As one of his mentors while he was an undergraduate student told us, “Had he not become a conductor, Kevin could just as easily had a career as a concert pianist. He’s that good!”
On August 12 at 8 p.m. in Milliken Auditorium, Kevin will perform a piano concert as a benefit for the Traverse Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are $50, which includes an afterglow reception in the Dennos Museum.
ClassicsValkyries, the Devil and Rhodes
Kevin Rhodes, conductor
Isaac Hurtado, tenor
Traverse Symphony Chorus
Sunday, September 20 at 3 pm Buy Tickets
Corson Auditorium, Interlochen
Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries
Liszt - Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Liszt - A Faust Symphony
An evening in a truly magical world awaits audiences at our fall opening concert. The music begins with the flying Valkyries of Wagner's great operatic legend. Then Liszt's masterpiece, A Faust Symphony, poses the question, "What would you sell to get all that you wish?" This incredible work remains seldom played because of its difficulty and out-of-the-box qualities. In the first half of the program, Maestro Rhodes will explore the work and how it relates to Liszt's piano classic, Mephisto Waltz, after which he will perform the piano showpiece.
PopsJohn Williams: Scores from the Silver Screen
Dirk Meyer, conductor
Saturday, October 24 at 8 pm Buy Tickets
Sunday, October 25 at 3 pm Buy Tickets
Corson Auditorium, Interlochen
Who can imagine a more entertaining evening than one spent with the music of John Williams performed by our Traverse Symphony Orchestra? Enjoy some of the most recognizable themes in motion picture history including Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harry Potter and many more! We welcome guest conductor Dirk Meyer to the podium for this one-of-a-kind evening.
PopsAn Old-Fashioned Holiday
Lonnie Klein, conductor
Saturday, December 12 at 8 pm Buy Tickets
Sunday, December 13 at 3 pm Buy Tickets
City Opera House, Traverse City
The inspirational sounds of your Traverse Symphony Orchestra and the old fashioned elegence fo the City Opera House make this concert a must for your holiday calendar. Invite family and friends to join you for a celebration guaranteed to raise spirits and soothe souls. Guest conductor Lonnie Klein shares treasured Christmas classics, carols, medleys and holiday favorites.
ClassicsThe Fabulous French
Kevin Rhodes, conductor
Thomas Bara, organ
Sunday, March 21 at 3 pm Buy Tickets
Corson Auditorium, Interlochen
Duparc - Aux Etoiles
Poulenc - Concerto for Organ
Franck - Symphony in D Minor
A love of poetry and religion are key characteristics of the French culture, and our three French works display both qualities in exquisite fashion. Poulenc's Concerto for Organ puts a 20th century face on a musical form older than Bach. The Symphony of the great organist Cesar Franck is a jubilant work of unbridled and unrivaled melodic beauty while Duparc's homage to the stars begins the concert with a gentleness and sense of wonder.
ClassicsSeason Finale: Tchaikovsky and Sibelius
Kevin Rhodes, conductor
Jeffrey Biegel, piano
Sunday, April 25 at 3 pm Buy Tickets
Corson Auditorium, Interlochen
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No. 1
Sibelius - Symphony No. 2
Two big romantic powerhouses round out our season with the return of Jeffrey Biegel to perform the all-time concert favorite, Tchaikovsky's virtuoso Piano Concerto No. 1. The heart-on-the-sleeve emotions of Finnish composer Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 showcase the TSO's artistry. This symphonic song of freedom and triumph is a moving season finale.
