FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Opening night features Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear
HAMILTON, ON – The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra launches its 16-17 Season at FirstOntario Concert Hall (formerly Hamilton Place) on Saturday, September 17 at 7:30pm. Opening Night: Goodyear & Brahms features Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear, and the masterful works of German composers Weber, Schumann and Brahms, conducted by Music Director Gemma New.
Proclaimed “a phenomenon” by the Los Angeles Times and “one of the best pianists of his generation” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Stewart Goodyear is an accomplished soloist having performed with major orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic among others. While he is known as a Beethoven specialist, Goodyear’s repertoire is varied, from Bach to Liszt to Brahms.
Goodyear returns to the HPO in a robust program of German tradition and Romantic masterpieces. Music Director Gemma New shares, “Our Opening Night is one of love. Beginning with Carl Maria von Weber’s Euryanthe Overture – which Robert Schumann once described dramatically as being ‘heart’s blood’ – we continue with the HPO tradition of performing the deeply meaningful music of Johannes Brahms, alongside music of his contemporaries. From exhilarating, whirlwind passion, to tragic, unrequited love, this music was inspired by the love Brahms and Schumann felt for the talented, intelligent and beautiful woman Clara Schumann.”
The evening begins with Carl Maria von Weber’s Euryanthe Overture, one of the most popular works by the 19th century composer. This grand, heroic piece greatly influenced the development of Romantic opera in Germany.
No other composer symbolized the Romantic Era in music as did Robert Schumann. Schumann’s expressive Symphony No. 4 is the most formally innovative of his four symphonies – its four movements, each structurally incomplete, are to be played without any break.
The evening comes to an end with Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1. A student of Schumann, Brahms originally composed his first large-scale orchestral masterpiece in 1854 as a two-piano sketch for a symphony, and later transformed the work (after a full decade) into the piano concerto we know today.
Don’t miss this great orchestral repertoire as the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra continues its most cherished opening night tradition and marks the beginning of an extraordinary 16-17 Season.
Ticket Information
Single tickets for Opening Night: Goodyear & Beethoven are $23 to $67 (plus applicable taxes and fees) and are available online at staginghpo.wpengine.com, by calling 905.526.7756 or in person at the HPO Box Office in FirstOntario Concert Hall (formerly Hamilton Place) at 10 MacNab Street South or FirstOntario Concert Hall (formerly Hamilton Place) Box Office the evening of the concert.
Special hpoGO tickets for those under 35 are $17 (plus applicable taxes and fees) and can be purchased online, over the phone, or in person. To receive special discounts and invitations to special events, under 35 patrons can sign up for our mailing list online at staginghpo.wpengine.com.
A Delicious Deal
The Dinner and a Concert package offers guests a fabulous three course, prix-fixe dinner at one of Hamilton’s local restaurants, followed by an evening of great music with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. Each restaurant is conveniently located near FirstOntario Concert Hall (formerly Hamilton Place) with public parking nearby. Call the HPO Box Office at 905.526.7756 to reserve your table.
Incognito Restaurant & Wine Bar – $65
93 John St. S.
Lake Road Restaurant – $65
229 James St. N.
Nellie James Too – $65
164 James St. S.
The Hamilton Club – $85
6 Main St. E
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About the HPO: The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra was founded in 1884 as The Hamilton Orchestral Society and grew to become one of Canada’s major professional orchestras. Today, the HPO is a leader in Hamilton’s robust arts community where it provides professional orchestral services and music education programs to address the needs of the community. The HPO continues to commission and premiere works and is one of the artistic jewels of the Hamilton area. The combined musical talents of its artists continue to enrich the community and enhance the quality of life for its residents.
Media Contacts:
Tara Bryk
Manager, Marketing and Development
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
905.526.1677 X 226
tbryk@hpo.org
Diana Weir
Director, Communications and Development
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra
905.526.1677 X 230
dweir@hpo.org