The Oklahoma City Philharmonic kicks off its 35th season at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9, at Civic Center Music Hall, part of the Inasmuch Foundation Classics Series.
Opening Night celebrates an evening of all Tchaikovsky, featuring Ukrainian violinist Anastasia Petryshak.
“This season is about humanity,” said Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate, OKCPHIL Music Director. “It is about the deep-seated humanity of you, me—all of us. Humanity with all its emotional expressions. In our case, the deep-seated humanity of our heroes, our geniuses, our composers who are born with gifts. Imagining the most beautiful melodies and inspiring music, yet fully human with all their ups and downs.”
Tchaikovsky was a genius, Mickelthwate said, with his music being played all over the planet to hundreds of millions of people.
“It inspires, it gives hope,” he added. “But most of all it nurtures something deep, deep within us. Was Tchaikovsky an enlightened prophet above all carnal woes? Far from it. He wrote, despite his pain and insecurities. In every piece, he transcended anew, fought anew, and was victorious anew. Each of his pieces was rooted in deep struggles. By composing, he is setting an example, lending reprieve to millions.”
The first half of the program will be Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, which coincides with Lyric Theatre’s September world premiere, “Concerto,” a new play by Alan Olejnikzak about the intriguing stories behind that famous work.
“Alexander and I have been working on this collaboration since 2021,” said Michael Baron, Lyric’s Producing Artistic Director. “We hope to bring a new perspective on Tchaikovsky’s musical legacy. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event that Alexander and I can’t wait to share with our audiences.”
Prior to each of the Classics performances, Mickelthwate presents a pre-concert talk, explaining in-depth the concert programming. Open seating for the pre-concert discussion begins at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.
Single tickets for Opening Night/Tchaikovsky and all OKCPHIL performances go on sale Friday, Aug. 25 at okcphil.org or by phone at (405) 842-5387.
