From little monsters getting their first taste of The Philadelphia Orchestra to some of the finest young musicians in the country tackling a modern American masterpiece, there’s plenty to choose from this week. Add an all-American evening at the ballet, the glorious orchestral colors of Respighi, one of my favorite composers getting the all-star treatment, and we have a particularly enticing week ahead. Here are some handpicked recommendations.
Spotlight: Children’s Halloween Spectacular — Saturday, Marian Anderson Hall
Grab the kids (and the costumes)! The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Children’s Halloween Spectacular has become a beloved Philadelphia tradition — and what better way to introduce young listeners to the thrill of hearing a full orchestra live? Conductor Austin Chanu leads a spooky musical grab bag including Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” and music from Coco, Harry Potter, and Ghostbusters. Crafts, a photo booth, and a costume contest begin the fun an hour before the concert.
Beyond the Halloween hijinks, events like this play an important role in creating the classical audiences of tomorrow. This sensory-friendly performance is designed to make the concert hall especially welcoming, with relaxed lighting, open doors, a cool-down space, and sensory kits available. Who knows? A morning spent encountering Bach while dressed as a dinosaur might just begin a lifetime of listening.
Oct. 10 at 11:30 a.m., pre-concert activities begin at 10:30 a.m., Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $30-$67; tickets and information.
Hana Stretton, Jana Horn & Danielle Nia — Oct. 6, The Perch
For fans of contemporary music, Fire Museum Presents brings together three distinctive musical voices. British/Australian composer and singer Hana Stretton creates spacious, atmospheric music blending acoustic, classical, and electronic sounds; Texas-born Jana Horn brings an equally intimate singer-songwriter sensibility; and Philadelphia composer and performer Danielle Nia explores experimental territory with modular synthesizers, percussion, improvisation, and even circuit bending. This should be a fascinating evening of musical exploration.
Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m., The Perch, 2008 E. Arizona Street, $15-$25 sliding scale; tickets and information.
Stars and Stripes Forever! — Thursday through Sunday, Academy of Music
With America’s 250th anniversary in mind, Philadelphia Ballet opens its season with a very fun look at American music and movement from very different angles. There’s Jerome Robbins and Bernstein’s Fancy Free (the 1944 ballet that eventually became On the Town), sharing the bill with Balanchine dancing to Gershwin in Who Cares? and Sousa’s patriotic Stars and Stripes. This American sampler ends with Eliot Feld’s Variations on “America.”
Oct. 8-11, various times, Academy of Music, 240 South Broad Street, tickets starting at $27; tickets and information.
Pines of Rome — Friday and Saturday, Marian Anderson Hall
Here’s a concert tailor-made to show off The Philadelphia Orchestra’s considerable colors. Dalia Stasevska conducts Respighi’s dazzling Pines of Rome, while the always-engaging violinist Gil Shaham takes on Saint-Saëns’s passionate Third Violin Concerto. Sibelius’s mysterious Pohjola’s Daughter and the Orchestra’s first performances of Scottish composer Anna Meredith’s propulsive Nautilus round out a wonderfully colorful program.
Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. and Oct. 10 at 8 p.m., Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street, $29-$197; tickets and information.
Teddy Leads Adams & Beethoven — Oct. 11, Marian Anderson Hall
The remarkable young musicians of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra get quite a workout this weekend! Curtis alum and Grammy-winning conductor Teddy Abrams returns for Beethoven’s mischievous Eighth Symphony and John Adams’s pulsating, brilliantly colored Harmonielehre, now a modern classic. Conducting Fellow Mariana Corichi Gómez takes the podium for Tania León’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Stride, written to honor suffragist Susan B. Anthony.
Oct. 11 at 3 p.m., Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, 300 South Broad Street, $28-$60; tickets and information.
Poulenc Woodwind Masterworks — Oct. 11, Trinity at 22nd
It’s hard to argue with this lineup! Dolce Suono Ensemble brings together flutist Mimi Stillman, oboist Philippe Tondre, clarinetist Ricardo Morales, bassoonist Rick Barrantes Agüero, horn player Jeffrey Lang, and pianist Charles Abramovic for an all-Poulenc afternoon. His irresistible Sextet for Piano and Winds anchors a program that also includes the Trio for oboe, bassoon, and piano and instrumental sonatas.
Oct. 11 at 3 p.m., Trinity at 22nd, 2212 Spruce Street, $30, $10 for students; tickets and information.
