Las Vegas Philharmonic unveils ’13-14 performance schedule
The numbers are in — and up — for the Las Vegas Philharmonic.
The orchestra celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2014 — and its second season at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts — by adding an extra concert for a total of a dozen performances during the 2013-14 season.
Audience response to the Philharmonic’s first season in The Smith Center’s Reynolds Hall “was exceptional, and we are responding to that with an additional Pops Series concert for this, our largest season ever,” Philharmonic President Jeri Crawford said in a news release.
The Philharmonic also will extend its search for a new music director into next season.
Three of the guest conductors who led the orchestra this season — Case Scaglione , Steven Jarvi and Bob Bernhardt — will return next season, along with five new contenders. Two conducting slots remain open, giving Philharmonic officials room to invite contenders to return — or evaluate new candidates. (The Philharmonic’s most recent music director, David Itkin, departed last year; the orchestra’s board of trustees ended his tenure immediately when he informed them he wouldn’t seek a contract extension beyond the current 2012-13 season.)
“The response from the guest conductors to what we are doing and how we play has been extremely positive,” according to Crawford. “Apart from having a wonderful new hall to perform in, they are discovering that our musicians and this organization are in the middle of an exciting growth period and they want to be a part of this.”
In its Sept. 28 season opener, the Philharmonic adds opera to its repertoire with concert performances of favorite arias; monthly concerts continue through May 17, 2014.
In January, Las Vegas will host the 14th Primrose International Viola Competition; the winner also will perform with the Philharmonic.
Other season highlights include a Rat Pack-era pops concert in April and commemorations of the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination and the 150th anniversary of Nevada’s statehood.
“Programming a season is about finding a balance between the serious classical music” featured in the Masterworks Series “and the lighter side of classical music with the more fun-focused Pops Series,” Crawford said, noting that local audiences “have responded enthusiastically to both sides of our musical personality.”
Subscriptions for the Philharmonic’s upcoming season, ranging from $25 (for selected balcony seats) to $94, are on sale now, with a 10 percent discount available for subscriptions booked by July 1; tickets for individual concerts go on sale July 22.
For more information, call The Smith Center’s box office at 702-749-2000 or visit www.lvphil.org.
Contact reporter Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272.
