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Spotlight: Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 — Friday and Saturday, Verizon Hall
The celebrated Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes returns to Philadelphia playing Rachmaninoff’s epic Third Piano Concerto, a work he describes as a “sensual pleasure to play.” It’s one of the most demanding and electrifying pieces in the piano repertoire, and the finale will bring you to your feet. Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska will lead the fabulous Philadelphians in a performance that also includes Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, one of his last and most popular works for orchestra. Come and hear each section of The Philadelphia Orchestra shine in this virtuosic showpiece — a perfect complement to the demands of the Rachmaninoff.
May 3 at 2 p.m. and May 4 at 8 p.m., Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $55-$182; tickets and information.
Yuja Wang — Tuesday, Verizon Hall
Star pianist Yuja Wang comes to the Kimmel Center with a special one-night recital program featuring the music of Scriabin, Messiaen, Chopin and Debussy. “I firmly believe every program should have its own life and be a representation of how I feel at the moment,” Wang, a Curtis graduate, once said to a recital audience in Carnegie Hall. “I want to let the music surprise me. Please experience the concert with all of your senses and an open mind, and enjoy the ride.” Don’t miss a chance to hear this thrilling performer and see how the music moves her, and you.
April 30 at 8 p.m., Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $99-$299; tickets and information.
The Cunning Little Vixen — Thursday through Sunday, Perelman Theater
Příhody lišky Bystroušky (The Cunning Little Vixen) is Leoš Janáček’s bittersweet fairy tale about a forest gamekeeper who traps a young fox and tries to domesticate her. Their relationship not only highlights the relationship between the animal and human kingdom but leads to a poignant reflection on the cycle of life and death. Janáček’s score draws you in from the first few bars; escape into the woods and experience this magical masterpiece sung by the young artists of the Curtis Opera Theater and Philadelphia Boys and Girls Choir.
May 2 and 3 at 7:30 p.m., May 4 and 5 at 3 p.m., Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $19-$65; tickets and information.
Trio Gaia — Saturday, Black Squirrel Club
Trio Gaia, New England Conservatory’s graduate piano trio in residence, are in town at one of Philadelphia’s more interesting venues, the Black Squirrel Club in Fishtown. Their program features Klee Musings for Piano Trio, by Augusta Read Thomas. Inspired by three different paintings by Paul Klee from the 1920s (Tripelmarionette, Cathedral, and Highways and Byways, 1929), it conjures a sound world out of his images. The soprano Alexis Seminario will join to sing Dmitri Shostakovich’s Seven Romances on Poems by Alexander Blok. A Russian symbolist poet, Blok inspired some of Shostakovich’s most intimate, austere and profoundly felt music, and it will be a rare treat to hear it performed live.
May 4 at 7:30 p.m., Black Squirrel Club, 1049 Sarah Street, $30, students $15 w/ ID; tickets and information.
La Bernardinia — Sunday, The Church of the Good Shepherd
La Bernardinia, a local baroque ensemble specializing in music written from 1600-1750, presents a program that explores the intersection of East and West through the lens of Europeans working in China during the 18th century. With guest erhu virtuoso Qin Qian, they will play a program featuring traditional Chinese melodies and music by Teodorico Pedrici — priest, composer, and missionary at the Imperial Court of China in the 18th century. What an interesting program idea, and an opportunity to hear a unique pairing of folk and baroque music from China.
May 5 at 3 p.m., The Church of the Good Shepherd, 1116 West Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, $30, seniors $20, students $10, and under 18 free; purchase tickets.
