Philharmonic director announces season’s details
The Las Vegas Philharmonic’s new music director, Donato Cabrera, makes his official debut with the orchestra Sept. 27, leading a program designed to showcase the talents of special guest Deborah Voigt, an acclaimed soprano with whom Cabrera has worked in San Francisco and Chicago.
“For many years now, we’ve threatened to work together,” Cabrera joked during a Monday news conference announcing his appointment, noting that it “just so happened that her dates coincided with ours.”
But, due to prior commitments, the season opener is only one of five Philharmonic concerts Cabrera will conduct in his first season at the orchestra’s helm; he’s also the San Francisco Symphony’s associate conductor and music director of its youth symphony, in addition to leading the Bay Area’s California Symphony and the Green Bay, Wis., Symphony Orchestra.
After Cabrera’s September debut, he won’t be back in Las Vegas until December, when he leads the Philharmonic’s annual holiday pops concert.
“I love doing these holiday concerts,” he said. “It’s a great way for the community to get together.”
Next March, Cabrera will conduct a program featuring Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony No. 4, “to give our orchestra a way to really shine,” plus Schumann’s cello concerto (featuring soloist Sergey Antonov) and “one of Schubert’s unsung masterpieces,” the Overture to “Rosamunde.”
He’ll also conduct a pops “Symphonic Spectacular” March 28, featuring favorite orchestral pieces, and conclude the Philharmonic’s Masterworks season April 25 with a “100 Years of Music” program ranging from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, which Cabrera called “such a valedictory way of ending this season,” to John Adams’ “The Chairman Dances,” from his “Nixon in China” opera.
“I love programming pieces by living American composers,” Cabrera said. “They actually exist!” (Cabrera first worked with Adams during the San Francisco Opera’s world premiere production of the composer’s “Dr. Atomic.”)
Las Vegan Matt Catingub — the principal pops conductor at the New Hampshire Music Festival, where Cabrera’s musical director — will lead two of the Philharmonic’s pops concerts, “Aloha From Las Vegas” (Nov. 15) and a season-ending Frank Sinatra tribute (May 16, 2015).
“I can’t tell you how excited I am Matt Catingub is part of this community,” Cabrera said.
Other concerts will be led by guest artists, including colleague Danail Rachev, who’s conducting a Nov. 22 concert featuring Brahms’ Symphony No. 4.
“I’m a little jealous,” Cabrera admitted, noting the Brahms symphony is “one of my favorite pieces,” and one many Philharmonic musicians “have been wanting to do for years.”
Overall, Cabrera said, “it’s such a wonderful season — I can’t believe I put it together.”
For ticket and other information, contact the Philharmonic at 702-749-2847 or visit www.lvphil.org.
The complete 2014-15 Las Vegas Philharmonic season:
Sept. 27 — The Philharmonic’s first Masterworks concert, featuring Cabrera’s debut and soprano Deborah Voigt.
Nov. 15 — “Aloha From Las Vegas,” the first pops concert of the Philharmonic season, featuring conductor, host and performer Matt Catingub (founder of Hawaii Pops and longtime pops conductor for the Honolulu Symphony) and Grammy-nominated singer Amy Hanaiali’i.
Nov. 22 — A Masterworks concert, with guest conductor Danail Rachev, featuring Weber’s Overture to “Oberon,” Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 (performed by guest Markus Groh) and Brahms Symphony No. 1.
Dec. 6 — Music director Cabrera returns for “Fa La La Las Vegas,” a holiday program with the Las Vegas Master Singers, featuring classical selections from Tchaikovsky and Vaughan Williams, plus Leroy Anderson favorites.
Jan. 10 — The Philharmonic’s annual “Rising Star” concert spotlights Bella Hristova performing Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, with Rei Hotoda (who led this year’s Philharmonic Youth Concert Series) conducting a program that also includes Ravel’s “Mother Goose” Suite and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 8.
Feb. 14 — Grammy-winner Sylvia McNair delivers “A Gershwin Valentine,” a pops concert celebrating such favorites as “Summertime,” ” ‘S Wonderful” and “The Man I Love.” Peter Bay conducts.
March 7 — Cabrera conducts a Masterworks concert featuring Schubert, Schumann and Mendelssohn, with guest Sergey Antonov performing Schumann’s Cello Concerto.
March 28 — A pops “Symphonic Spectacular,” with Cabrera conducting classical favorites from Rossini’s Overture to
“The Barber of Seville” (Looney Tunes, anyone?) to Leonard Bernstein’s Three Dance Episodes from “On the Town.”
April 25, 2015 — “100 Years of Music” concludes the Philharmonic’s Masterworks series, with Cabrera at the podium and pianist Joyce Yang playing Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini; Adams’ “The Chairman Dances” and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 round out the program.
May 16, 2015 — “The Chairman of the Board” salutes the music of Frank Sinatra, with Catingub returning to host, conduct and perform alongside drummer Steve Moretti.
