From magic bells to time-travelling DeLoreans, the classic arts scene in New York is never quiet. Here is just a sampling of some of the classic arts events happening this week.
The New York Philharmonic’s The Art of the Score series continues this week with concerts of Alan Silvestri’s Back to the Future film score played live to a screening of the movie. David Newman conducts the four concerts March 19-22 at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall. The Philharmonic will also present a Very Young People’s Concert March 22, hosted by NY Philharmonic violist Rebecca Young, in which musicians from the Philharmonic will use music from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt to teach about dynamics in music.
Simon McBurney’s production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte returns to the stage of the Met this week, opening March 23. The production, which had its Met premiere in 2023, features a live visual artist using projected drawings, shadow puppets, and more visual artistry to provide a setting to the classic operatic fairy tale. The production also features a foley artist providing live sound effects. Soprano Kathryn Lewek returns to her signature role as the Queen of the Night, alongside soprano Golda Schultz as Pamina, tenor Ben Bliss as Tamino, baritone Thomas Oliemans as Papageno, and bass Stephen Milling as Sarastro. Performances also continue at the Met this week of Puccini’s La Bohéme, Verdi’s Aida, and Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick.
The Cleveland Orchestra, led by conductor Franz Welser-Möst, gives two concerts at Carnegie Hall this week. On March 18, the orchestra will give a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and Leonore Overture No. 3, as well as Janáček’s Suite from From the House of the Dead. On March 19, the orchestra will perform Stravinvsky’s Pétrouchka, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. Carnegie Hall will also host performances this week from chamber ensemble Nevermind (March 19); mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron with pianist Kunal Lahiry (March 20); and pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii (March 21).
The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra returns to the 92nd Street Y with violinist Noah Bendix-Balgley March 18. A champion of klezmer music, Bendix-Balgley will join the ensemble to perform Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances for violin and orchestra, and Fidl-Fantazye: A Klezmer Concerto by Bendix-Bagley and Samuel Adler. The program will also include Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte and Brahms’ Hungarian Dances.
Los Angeles-based music collective Wild Up comes to the 92nd Street Y to present the New York premiere of their Darkness Sounding festival. The ensemble will play three concerts March 21-23 presenting an assortment of new music and premieres, including Tony Conrad’s Four Violins, Andrew McIntosh’s Fixations, and Sarah Davachi’s Lower Melodies.
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