NYS Music 2024

Tag: Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra

  • The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra Presents ‘Thresholds’ as Part of M&T Bank Symphonic Series

    The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra has announced a new concert entitled “Thresholds,” the second event of the M&T Bank Symphonic Series. This event takes place on November 16 at Broome County Forum Theatre.

    Composer Hilary Purrington

    The program opens with young composer Hilary Purrington’s 2020 piece “Threshold,” an atmospheric soundscape of driving rhythms that explores the boundaries between motion and stillness. Next is Felix Mendelssohn’s evocative Hebrides Overture, one of the masterworks of 19th-century Romantic program music. Finally, the Philharmonic will conclude with the first performance of a symphony by Anton Bruckner in our region in 60 years, the Sixth Symphony in A Major, a monumental work long celebrated for the complexity of its harmonic language and the profundity of its emotional impact. The Philharmonic’s performance of Bruckner’s Sixth Symphony, coinciding with the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth, will be an unforgettable experience for seasoned classical music lovers and new audiences alike.

    The public is invited to a Pre-Concert Chat at 6:30pm, “Mist and Myth in 19th-Century Music,” led by the Philharmonic’s Director of Education and Community Engagement Dr. Julia Grella O’Connell, about the visual and historical imagination in Mendelssohn and Bruckner. The main event begins at 7:30pm. Tickets are $28 to $69. Kids 17 and under attend free, thanks to Symphonic Series Sponsor M&T Bank. Today, the Binghamton Philharmonic serves up to 10,000 people annually through innovative, engaging, and affordable programming, meeting its mission of “Building Community Through the Power of Live Music.” This upcoming “Thresholds” program encapsulates the organization’s mission statement beautifully.

    For more information on the Binghamton Philharmonic’s upcoming “Thresholds” concert and to purchase tickets, click here.

  • Binghamton Philharmonic and Jeans ‘n Classics Present “Dancing Queen: The Music of ABBA”

    The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra has announced an exciting collaboration with Jeans ‘n Classics, “Dancing Queen: The Music of ABBA,” as the first performance of the Philharmonic’s 2024-2025 Visions Federal Credit Union Pops Series.

    Acting as the Southern Tier’s largest and longest-serving professional symphony orchestra, the Binghamton Philharmonic serves up to 10,000 people annually through a variety of innovative, engaging, educational, and affordable programming upon the core philosophy of “building community through the power of music.”

    Partnering with the Philharmonic is Jeans ‘n Classics, who have a remarkable 27 year legacy of their own. Since its inception, the group bridges the skill of symphony orchestras with that of emerging world-class rock musicians. Creating new interpretations of orchestral scores through a rock lens, Jeans ‘n Classics transcends both genre and generational boundaries to create a broader community of music lovers at large.

    binghamton philharmonic bingphil

    The two class acts will combine for one timeless evening celebrating all things ABBA in Dancing Queen: The Music of ABBA. Featuring beloved hits like “Fernando,” “Waterloo,” and the title track of the evening “Dancing Queen,” it’s sure to be an unforgettable night of orchestral, rock, and Swedish pop fun. 

    Known for their particular spin on classic hits with orchestra, Jeans ‘n Classics’ skills will shine as their dynamic stylings meet the sonic grandeur of the Binghamton Philharmonic in a love letter to ABBA’s works. A lifelong fan or uninitiated to the 70s Swedish pop craze, Dancing Queen: The Music of ABBA promises an unforgettable night of pure joy, celebration, and powerful live music.

    Tickets are available now, with prices starting at $28. Kids 17 and under can attend free thanks to Pops Series Sponsor Visions Federal Credit Union. For more information on ticket purchasing and the Binghamton Philharmonic’s other events, visit their website here. 

    To learn about Jeans ‘n Classics, listen to their works, and keep up to date on future events like Dancing Queen, visit their website here.

  • The Binghamton Philharmonic to Open Season With “Restless Oceans”

    The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra has announced the opening concert of their 2024-2025 season, “Restless Oceans.”

    binghamton philharmonic bingphil

    Acting as the Southern Tier’s largest and longest-serving symphony orchestra, the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra has been presenting the population of Downtown Binghamton and Broome County at large with an annual series of classical, pops, and chamber music since 1955. 

    Represented by Local 380 of the American Federation of Musicians and hailing from the Southern Tier, New York City, and beyond, the professional musicians of the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra serve up to 10,000 people annually within and beyond the concert hall.

    Returning for their 2024-2025 season, the Philharmonic is bringing the concert Restless Oceans to the stage on Saturday, September 28. Taking its name from its first piece, the program spans two centuries of music celebrating the healing power of nature.

    Highlights include the titular “Restless Oceans” by celebrated Anglo-American composer Anna Clyne which connects the sound of the natural world to the resiliency of the human spirit, Richard Stauss’s witty and jovial Horn Concerto No.1 that utilizes the French horn to evoke the ancient sounds of the hunt, and the concluding Beethoven’s famous hymn to nature and its restorative powers, Symphony No.6, the “Pastoral”.

    Included in the performance of Horn Concerto No.1 is the Philharmonic’s principal horn Alex Shuhan as soloist. Shuhaun is not only the principal horn for Binghamton Philharmonic- he holds the same position in the Fort Smith, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra as well as teaching at Ithaca College as a Professor of Horn. Performing as a soloist in orchestras across the United States as well as touring the globe in the Rhythm & Brass ensemble he co-founded, Shuhan’s performances are not to be missed.

    In addition to a riveting concert, the Philharmonic invited the public to a Pre-Concert Chat at 6:30pm, “Sound and Vision in Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony” by the Philharmonic’s Director of Education and Community Engagement Dr. Julia Grella O’Connell. In the season’s first installment of the Philharmonic’s pre-concert talks, Dr. Grealla O’Connell will discuss the avenues Beethoven took to communicate particular visual information to listeners through sound.

    Tickets are available now, starting at $28. Kids 17 and under attend free thanks to the Symphonic Series Sponsor M&T Bank. For more information and ticket purchasing, visit the Philharmonic’s website here.

  • Daniel Hege to Direct Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra For 5 More Years

    Renowned conductor Maestro Daniel Hege has renewed his contract as Music Director of The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra. 

    Daniel Hege

    Hege first took the position in 2018 and with this renewal he will continue his role for another five years. He is a seasoned director as he was the music director of the Syracuse Symphony for 11 years and in 2009 he became the director of Wichita Symphony. Right before his current position he was named Principal Guest Conductor of the Tulsa Symphony of the 2015/16 season.

    Hege comes from a line of musical talent as his grandfather, Boyd Eagle Piatote was a Jazz Musician and composer. Although he currently works in New York, he is a Nez Perce Colorado Native and a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes. He is also one of the only Indigenous orchestra directors in America.

    In 1978, he graduated from Bethel College, Kansas where he studied music and history.  He then received a Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Utah. During his time in Utah, he founded the University Chamber Orchestra, and served as both the Assistant Conductor of the University Orchestra and Music Director of the Utah Singers. 

    Notably, in 2015, Daniel Hege conducted Bartok’s Bluebeard’s Castle, with operatic bass, Samuel Ramey.

    In this upcoming season he plans to do more community outreach by participating in the Kilmer Lectures and adding a series of public chats at the Broome County Arts Council. 

    To keep up with the The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra calendar, you can visit the website here.

  • Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra Season Finale was Out of This World!

    On Saturday, May 4, the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra presented “Other Worlds,” its grand finale of the 2023-2024 season. Maestro Daniel Hege led the orchestra in an evening of music from the superhero, fantasy, and sci-fi genres, enlivening a program of beloved classics with crisp, expressive musicianship and bringing delight to a large, all-ages audience.  

    The concert was dedicated to first responders. Members of local police, fire, and rescue departments received complimentary tickets, and at the start of the concert the entire audience rose to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” along with the orchestra in honor of these true superheroes of the community.

    Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra Season Finale
    Cher and Ben Douglas

    The musicians of the Philharmonic demonstrated tight, committed ensemble playing in an uplifting program of genre favorites, including themes from Black Panther, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and many more. The orchestra delivered a big, enveloping sound, highlighted by showy contributions from Principal Trumpet Frank Campos. Outstanding solos were also provided throughout the program by Assistant Principal Cellist Michael Newman. And the percussion section was elevated not only by the spectacular playing of Principal Percussionist Sam Lazzara, but also by the introduction of a new bass drum expressly designed for the Philharmonic by ErgoSonic Percussion. Lazzara and ErgoSonic President Ken Turner demonstrated this beautifully resonant instrument to the audience before the start of the show.

    Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra Season Finale

    Maestro Hege was an engaging presence throughout, providing a feeling of warmth and welcome to the audience as he introduced each piece. Hege called the Binghamton Philharmonic “a true gem of the community,” and it was clear from the standing ovation and many curtain calls the orchestra received that the audience agreed. In all, “Other Worlds” was a bright and spirited finale to an invigorating season.

  • The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra Announces its 2024-25 Season

    The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Daniel Hege, is pleased to announce its 2024-2025 Season.

    The season runs from September 2024 through May 2025 and includes the M&T Bank Symphonic Series, the Visions Federal Credit Union Pops Series, and the Garufi Law P.C. Phelps Mansion Museum Series.

    Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra 2024-25 season
    Annie Jacobs-Perkins

    The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra is located in Broome County, Binghamton. It is the Southern Tier’s largest and longest-serving symphony orchestra, as well as Broome County’s only professional symphony orchestra. The organization is known for its extraordinary talents, and captivating shows that have kept the community in awe for decades.

    The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra is returning its series of anticipated, performances beginning in September. The season sees various acts and renditions from composers like Beethoven, Strauss, Mendelssohn, Mozart and more. Classical music is not the only genre included in the upcoming season. The events see the performances of hits from ABBA, Duke Ellington, Capathia Jenkins and others.

    Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra 2024-25 season
    Capathia Jenkins

    The M&T Bank Symphonic Series

    September 28 at 7:30pm: “Restless Oceans,” featuring living composer Anna Clyne’s piece Restless Oceans; Richard Strauss’s Horn Concerto No. 1, with Binghamton Philharmonic Principal French Horn soloist Alex Shuhan; and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, the “Pastoral.” 

    November 16 at 7:30pm: “Thresholds,” a celebration of the 200th anniversary of Anton Bruckner’s birth with Bruckner’s Symphony No. 6, Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture, and Threshold by living composer Hilary Purrington. 

    February 1 at 3:30pm: “Little Symphonies,” a program of Béla Bartók’s Roumanian Folk Dances; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, with Philharmonic Concertmaster Uli Speth and Principal Violist Victoria Miskolczy as soloists; living composer Quinn Mason’s Petite Symphonie; and Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 5.

    March 29 at 7pm: “In the Beginning,” will explore Einojuhani Rautavaara’s “In the Beginning,” Jan Sibelius’s Symphony No. 3, and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Binghamton Philharmonic favorite, pianist Andrew Russo as soloist. 

      The Visions Federal Credit Union Pops Series

      October 26 at 7:30p: “Dancing Queen: The Music of ABBA,” a concert of ABBA’s greatest hits with orchestra, rock band, and vocalists. 

      December 7 at 3:30 pm: “Winter Wonderland,” featuring holiday favorites, along with the music of Mannheim Steamroller and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

      March 1 at 7:30pm: “Pops at the Forum: A Tribute to the American Spirit,” celebrating the genius of American music with works by Duke Ellington, Florence Price, and John Phillip Sousa, along with excerpts from Richard Rogers’s South Pacific, and much more. 

      May 3 at 7:30pm: “She’s Got Soul,” bringing Broadway vocal powerhouse Capathia Jenkins to the Forum with the greatest hits of classic soul and R&B. 

        The Garufi Law P.C. Phelps Mansion Museum Series

        November 24 at 3pm. Juilliard-based ensemble the Dolphins String Quartet, a Binghamton favorite, returns with an intimate Sunday afternoon concert.

        January 12 at 3pm. The Intermezzo Trio gives a program of works for oboe, cello, and piano. 

        March 9 at 3pm: Acclaimed cellist Annie Jacobs-Perkins returns to Binghamton, with pianist Katelyn Vahala. 

        April 13 at 3pm. The Family Shuhan, a flute, French horn, and piano trio featuring Binghamton Philharmonic Principal French Horn Alex Shuhan and family.

          For more information on the Binghamton Philharmonic’s upcoming season and to purchase tickets, click here.

        • Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra Delights with “Roman Holiday”

          On Saturday, April 6, the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra closed its 2023-2024 Symphonic Series with “Roman Holiday,” a thrilling program of music both from and about the sunny lands of the Mediterranean.

          Roman Holiday
          Carlos Perez, Ajen Lewis, Cassie Lee, Charlie Sobel, Joe Sobel

          The evening opened with “Fandangos,” a piece by Cornell University-based composer Roberto Sierra that evoked Spanish dance forms of the eighteenth century, replete with bold, Andalusian-style trumpets and assertive percussion. Aided by the committed conducting of Maestro Daniel Hege, Sierra took the orchestra to extremes of speed, volume, and emotional impact. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s dazzling showpiece “Capriccio Italien” followed, with a martial chorus of brass and a seductive medley of folk tunes, played by the orchestra with shimmering lyricism.

          The high point of the “Roman Holiday” concert, though, was Ottorino Respighi’s stunning “Pines of Rome,” an orchestral experience of the Eternal City and its iconic pine trees.

          The Philharmonic was expanded to its largest size for this piece, with 75 musicians onstage and six more in the theater boxes overlooking the audience – trumpets and trombones that Respighi meant to invoke Roman legions marching on the Appian Way. As always with this ensemble, the woodwinds shone, with stand-out solos from flutist Karen Bogardus, clarinetist Paul Wongjin Cho, oboist John Lathwell, and bassoonist Melissa Kritzer; hornist Alex Shuhan and trumpeter Frank Campos also provided dazzling moments.

          Mikhail Shlyuger, Margaret Heath, Nina Heath-Shlyuger

          Maestro Hege led the orchestra with his trademark elegance and expressiveness, infusing Respighi’s astonishing work with lyrically shaped phrases and passionate crescendos that stirred the soul.

          A standing ovation and many bows for Hege and the orchestra were proof of the power of this music and of the great skill of the Binghamton Philharmonic.

        • Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra To Presents “Roman Holiday” This Spring 

          The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra has announced a “Roman Holiday” concert at the Broome County Forum Theatre in Binghamton on April 6.

          On Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 7:30pm, the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra will presents the final concert of its 2023-2024 M&T Symphonic Series with “Roman Holiday,” a crowd-pleasing program exploring musical depictions of the countries of the Mediterranean.

          Led by Maestro Daniel Hege, the Philharmonic will perform Tchaikovsky’s brilliant showpiece Capriccio Italien; “Fandangos,” by living Puerto Rican composer and Cornell professor Roberto Sierra, bringing a distinctly Latin-American twist to 18th-century Spanish dances; and Ottorino Respighi’s uplifting and atmospheric The Pines of Rome, a symphonic tone poem that takes audiences on a sonic tour of the Eternal City. 

          In addition, the orchestra will also be presenting two free community events in conjunction with “Roman Holiday”. On April 4, Forum Theatre will host a Family Symphony Session, “Fandango!” a free family-friendly chat about how European, African, and Indigenous traditions joined to create Caribbean music. And on April 6, the Forum Theatre will host a Pre-concert chat, “Music and Politics: The Case of Ottorino Respighi,” with Dr. Julia Grella O’Connell, Director of Education and Community Engagement.

          The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra was established in 1955 at the Binghamton Symphony and Choral Society by Fritz and Marianne Wallenberg. It later merged with the B.C. Pops, an orchestra established by Russell Hawkes and David Agard, and now hosts an annual series of chamber, classical, and pop music concerts in Downtown Binghamton and throughout Broome County. The Philharmonic’s professional musicians are from the Southern Tier, New York City, and the surrounding states. They are represented by Local 380 of the American Federation of Musicians. In 2018, Maestro Daniel Hege was named their Music Director.

          Tickets are $25 to $65, while kids 17 and under attend free. For more information, fans can contact the Binghamton Philharmonic Box Office at 607-723-3931 or visit www.binghamtonphilharmonic.org.

        • The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra Shakes Off the Winter Blues with “Pops at the Forum”

          On February 24, the Binghamton Philharmonic performed a crowd-pleasing pops concert – with a twist. In “Pops at the Forum,” rather than sticking to the timeworn pops formula of show tunes and light classics, Maestro Daniel Hege led the orchestra in a satisfyingly dynamic mix of opera excerpts, overtures, film music, and even rock.

          Percussionists Steve Mathiesen, Elaina Smales, Sam Lazzara, and Joel Smales

          The show spotlighted the talents of several of the Philharmonic’s world-class musicians. Principal cellist Hakan Tayga, along with percussionists Julie Licata, Steve Matthiesen, Sam Lazzara, and the father-daughter team of Joel and Elaina Smales, provided dramatic solos in Tan Dun’s atmospheric “Crouching Tiger” Concerto. Principal flutist Karen Bogardus and oboist Evan Ocheret phrased their solo lines sinuously in Fauré’s delicate Pavane in F-sharp minor. The orchestra’s trumpet section – Frank Campos, Ben Aldridge, and Jud Spena – brought the heat in Leroy Anderson’s toe-tapping “Bugler’s Holiday.” And the whole audience whistled along enthusiastically to the “Colonel Bogey” March (known to some as the “Comet” song!). 

          Meg Cronin and Haiden Scanlan

          Other highlights of the show were Wagner’s famous Ride of the Valkyries, the brass-heavy “Fanfare on Amazing Grace” by living African American composer and Upstate New York native Adolphus Hailstork, and a hard-driving orchestral arrangement of the Led Zeppelin classic “Kashmir,” with Sam Lazzara rocking out once again on solo drum.

          Lisa Reynolds, Lois Zuck, and Dan Reynolds

          As usual, it was a pleasure to see many children and teens in the audience; one young Hakan Tayga fan seated directly in front of this reviewer played air cello along with the soloist’s every note. The rest of the audience was just as appreciative, leaping to its feet spontaneously at the close of the concert. “Pops at the Forum” was a wonderful addition to the Philharmonic’s season line-up, and a great way to while away a winter day!    

          Katelyn Jackson, Elaina Neubert, Megan Lewis, Allayna Bidwell, and Ava Cirigliano
          Judi Hess and Vikki Collazo

        • Binghamton Philharmonic Presents the Return of “Pops at the Forum” February 24

          The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra has announced they will host the return of “Pops at the Forum,” a popular, long-awaited event. The event will take place February 24, at the Broom County Forum Theatre.

          Binghamton Philharmonic Pops at the Forum
          Daniel Hege, conductor of Pops at the Forum of the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra

          The return of “Pops at the Forum” also means the return of some long-awaited whimsy. The show consists of several different types of performed media from orchestral classics to movie scores to rock classics like Led Zepplin’s “Kashmir.”

          The show will begin at 3pm local time on February 24, and will be led by Maestro Daniel Hege. The orchestra will offer this exhilarating concert with orchestral classics like “Flight of the Bumblebee,” “Ride of the Valkyries,” and various film scores featuring cellist Hakan Tayga.

          Principal cellist, Hakan Tayga

          Tickets are $25 to $65. Kids 17 and under attend free, thanks to M&T Bank. For more information, visit www.binghamtonphilharmonic.org. The show has so much to offer and is not one to miss.