New Philharmonic announces 2018-19 season of classics, Broadway favorites

Posted April 07, 2018 8:00 pm

By Scott C. Morgan

Kirk Muspratt is the music director and conductor of the New Philharmonic, which is based at College of DuPage's McAninch Arts Center in Glen Ellyn. Courtesy of McAninch Arts Center

The New Philharmonic, the resident orchestra at College of DuPage's McAninch Arts Center, has announced its 2018-19 season, which features a mix of classical standards, esteemed soloists and Broadway favorites.

Music director and conductor Kirk Muspratt has programmed and will conduct the six-concert season:

• "Show Boat and Show Tunes" (Sept. 29 and 30) is a Broadway pops concert focusing on earlier songs by composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II working with other collaborators - namely lyricist Lorenz Hart and composer Jerome Kern. Guest artists include soprano Brooklyn Snow, mezzo-soprano Kate Tombaugh, tenor Aaron Short and bass-baritone David Govertsen with the Northwest Indiana Symphony Chorus.

• Cellist Richard Hirshl of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Nov. 3 and 4) is the guest soloist for concerts featuring Rachmaninoff's "Vocalize," Beethoven's Symphony No. 4 and fragments from Tchaikovsky works such as "Eugene Onegin" and "The Sleeping Beauty."

• "The Nutcracker" with Von Heidecke Chicago Festival Ballet (Dec. 15 and 16) returns for another magical run of Tchaikovsky's classic Christmas evergreen.

Soprano Alysa Jordheim is one of the soloists for the New Philharmonic's New Year's Eve concert. Courtesy of Rebecca Fay Photography

• New Year's Eve Concert (three performances on Dec. 31) features the return of soprano Alisa Jordheim and baritone Corey Crider from the 2017 edition.

• "Die Fledermaus" (Jan. 26 and 27) is Johann Strauss II's most popular comic operetta with plotting involving much trickery and exposed infidelity. Michael La Tour directs the production, which will be performed in English.

Pianist Winston Choi returns as a soloist with the New Philharmonic to perform Camille Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 on Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14, 2019.

• Pianist Winston Choi (April 13 and 14) returns as a soloist for a concert featuring Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2 and Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27.

Discounted season tickets (20 percent off) are on sale now, with full-price single tickets going on sale on Saturday, Aug. 4. For details, call (603) 942-4000 or visit atthemac.org.

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