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EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF MUSIC WITH THE PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IN ITS 2019-2020 SEASON

February 5, 2019

PITTSBURGH, PA—Inviting audiences to “Experience the Power of Music,” the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) today announced its 2019-2020 season, including the BNY Mellon Grand Classics Series, the PNC Pops Series, and Special concerts.  The 2019-2020 season will be the 12th under the direction of its Music Director Manfred Honeck, and the 124th in the PSO’s celebrated history.

“It is invaluable to gather together for music. It is also unforgettable to experience music with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Honeck as they explore the map of our humanity,” said Melia Tourangeau, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Symphony. “From the opening weekend spectacular through the fabulous finale, the 2019-2020 season is irresistible with music that is emotional and exciting.”

“This season promises to be a compelling musical journey that will inspire and provoke Pittsburgh and audiences beyond.  At heart, we are all humans and need to share love, laughter, sadness and joy,” said Manfred Honeck, Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. “At the center of this stand-out season is the exceptional artistry of our Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musicians and the power of great music to stir the soul.”

“We’re excited to introduce you to new works and new musical voices, and to discover new ways with signature works and with returning friends,” said Honeck. “I’m particularly looking forward to exploring the meaning and the stories behind the music of Mozart and Beethoven, two of the most significant and profound musical giants and visionaries.”

Experience the Power of Music:
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS   

The Grammy Award-winning Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will welcome many of the world's greatest artists to the Heinz Hall stage, including celebrated return and debut guest conductors, composers and soloists. In all, the PSO will welcome six debut artists and survey 10 works across the season that will be heard in Pittsburgh for the first time.

Artists making their debuts with the PSO next season are:

  • Narek Hakhnazaryan is an Armenian cellist who has performed with major orchestras and in recital and chamber music across around the world. He will make his debut with the PSO and Manfred Honeck over Thanksgiving weekend.
  • Seong-Jin Cho is an acclaimed pianist and Deutsche Grammophon recording artist who regularly performs in many of the world's most prestigious concert halls.  The South Korean pianist will join the PSO in January of 2020 to play Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2.
  • Baiba Skride is a sought-after musician by chamber ensembles and orchestras around the world. The Latvian violinist will play Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in her debut with the PSO in February of 2020.
  • Jakub Hrusa, conductor, and Alina Ibragimova, violin, will each make their anticipated debuts with the PSO in March 2020 for a program including Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1 and Brahms Symphony No. 1. Hrusa is the Chief Conductor of the Bamberg Symphony and is a frequent guest with many of the world's greatest orchestras. Ibragimova performs music from baroque to the present day on both modern and period instruments.
  • Matthias Pintscher, conductor and composer, will make his PSO debut leading the orchestra as well as the premiere of his work Ex Nihilo in April of 2020.

Additional highlights include:

  • Julia Wolfe: The Pulitzer-Prize winning composer's work Fountain of Youth is a PSO co-commission together with Carnegie Hall and the New World Symphony, and will have its PSO premiere as the opening work of the 19/20 season (Opening Weekend Spectacular) under the baton of Manfred Honeck.  This weekend will mark the first performance of a work by Wolfe (most recently named the 2019 Musical America Composer of the Year) and the PSO, and is the first of 10 PSO premieres across the season. 
  • Mozart+: Three of the most renowned violinists performing today each play one of the Mozart Violin Concerti, plus a dazzling bonus piece in the Mozart+ concerts.  Audience members will experience the inventive genius, charm and whimsy of Mozart intricately paired with brilliant companion pieces that highlight the unique poignancy and power of Mozart to speak to modern ears. 
  • The Year of Beethoven Begins: Pittsburgh joins the world in celebrating the launch of Beethoven 250th Anniversary celebrations, showcasing the power, heroism, humanity, and revolutionary spirit of Beethoven's groundbreaking and visionary voice.  Throughout the season, the PSO performs signature works including the Third and Seventh Symphonies, as well as a concert version of Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, and the great choral masterwork, Missa Solemnis, together with the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.
  • Superstar Soloists: It’s a season with everything, from the light classic waltzes of the Strauss Family, to the monumental Bruckner Seventh and Ninth Symphonies, plus some of the greatest soloists in the world. Marvel at the virtuosity of Gil Shaham, Hélène Grimaud, James Ehnes, Augustin Hadelich, Yefim Bronfman and more.  Significant conductors returning to the podium are Osmo Vanska, Vasily Petrenko, Juraj Valcuha, Sir Mark Elder, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Juanjo Mena, Pablo Heras-Casado, and David Robertson. 
  • European Tour Launch: The Pittsburgh Symphony embarks on an 11-concert, 10-city, five-country European Cities Tour to many of the greatest stages of the world in October and November 2019. Pittsburgh audiences will experience a special preview of the works being performed on tour with three magnificent programs in mid-October. Additional tour repertoire will be featured in a special one-night-only concert at St. Vincent Basilica on September 21.
  • Recording Weekends: Winner of the prestigious Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance in 2018, the Pittsburgh Symphony and Music Director Manfred Honeck will join forces again with recording weekends in January and June of 2020.  Works to be recorded for future release include Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 7.

Experience the Power of Music:
SUBSCRIBER SPECIAL CONCERTS

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Gala
As is tradition, the 2019-2020 season celebrates the new concert season with one of the best parties of the year — the Pittsburgh Symphony’s annual gala concert and associated dinner and soiree events on Saturday, September 14. “A Night in Black and White,” this year’s theme features superstar pianist Lang Lang performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 along with brilliant orchestral showpieces of great range and contrast. The concert will be led by Music Director Manfred Honeck. Gala concert tickets will be made available for purchase to the public in late spring. Proceeds from the concert and associated events benefit the extensive learning and community engagement initiatives at the Pittsburgh Symphony and help assure the orchestra’s continued artistic excellence. For more information about Gala and Soiree tickets and packages, please contact psoevents@pittsburghsymphony.org.

Gala: A NIGHT IN BLACK AND WHITE

September 14

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Lang Lang, piano
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24

BNY Mellon Grand Classics Special: Handel’s Messiah

December 7

Osmo Vänskä, conductor
The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh [Matthew Mehaffey, director]
The Pittsburgh Symphony, an all-star cast of soloists and The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh join together for one of the most festive musical events of the year.

Film with Orchestra
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in Concert

October 3, 2019

Experience the beloved movie that captivated audiences around the world, complete with John Williams' Academy Award®-winning score performed live by a full symphony orchestra in sync to the film projected on a huge HD screen!
™ & © Universal Studios.
©A.M.P.A.S.®

Celtic Woman: Home for Christmas

December 18, 2019

Celebrate this holiday season with the celestial voices of multi-platinum Irish singing sensation Celtic Woman as they present Home For Christmas -- The Symphony Tour

Film with Orchestra
Raiders of the Lost Ark in Concert

February 27, 2020

Relive the magic on the silver screen with the original great adventure… Raiders of the Lost Ark… with John Williams' epic score performed live to the picture by a full symphony orchestra!
 © 1981 Lucasfilm Ltd.  All Rights Reserved.  Presentation licensed by Bantha Music c/o Walt Disney Music Company. © All rights reserved.

The Chieftains: The Irish Goodbye Tour

March 9, 2020

After fifty-seven years of making some of the most beautiful music in the world, The Chieftains remain as fresh and relevant as when they first began. Come see them perform at what will be a memorable evening of music, song and dance on this final journey.

Special Concert: Anne-Sophie Mutter

June 13, 2020

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin
For more than 40 years, violin virtuoso Anne-Sophie Mutter has been a fixture in all of the major concert halls of the world, making her mark on the classical music scene as a soloist, mentor and visionary.  In a special one-night-only concert event, Mutter joins forces with Manfred Honeck and the PSO to perform the Beethoven Violin Concerto.  

Experience the Power of Music:
BNY MELLON GRAND CLASSICS

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra would like to recognize and thank BNY Mellon for its 2019-2020 title sponsorship of the BNY Mellon Grand Classics series, marking BNY Mellon’s 19th consecutive year as title sponsor of the series. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel and Delta Air Lines is the official airline of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Radio station WQED-FM 89.3 and WQEJ-FM 89.7 is the official voice of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. (*denotes debut)

BNY Mellon GC 1: OPENING WEEKEND SPECTACULAR!

Friday, September 20, 2019
Sunday, September 22, 2019

Manfred Honeck, conductor
James Ehnes, violin

Julia Wolfe: Fountain of Youth   *PSO Co-Commission   *PSO Premiere*
Mozart: Concerto No. 4 in D major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 218   
Dvořák: Scherzo capriccioso, Opus 66
Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo capriccioso in A minor for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 28
Borodin: "Polovtsian Dances" from Prince Igor            

BNY Mellon GC 2: BEETHOVEN “EROICA”            

Friday, October 11, 2019
Sunday, October 13, 2019

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Matthias Goerne, baritone

Sibelius: “The Swan of Tuonela”, No. 2 from Legends, Opus 22
Schubert/Strauss: Lieder    *PSO Premiere*  
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat major, Opus 55, "Eroica"

BNY Mellon GC 3: FROM PITTSBURGH TO EUROPE

Friday, October 18, 2019
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Sunday, October 20, 2019

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Igor Levit, piano

FRIDAY
Mason Bates: Resurrexit 
Mozart: Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major for Piano and Orchestra, K. 482  
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Opus 47

SATURDAY
James MacMillan: Larghetto for Orchestra
Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Opus 43
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Opus 47

SUNDAY
Mozart: Concerto No. 22 in E-flat major for Piano and Orchestra, K. 482  
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D minor

BNY Mellon GC 4: THANKSGIVING TRADITION

Friday, November 29, 2019
Sunday, December 1, 2019

Manfred Honeck, conductor
*Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello

Khachaturian: Concerto-Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra   *PSO Premiere*   
Strauss Family: Waltzes and Polkas

BNY Mellon GC 5: MOZART & SIBELIUS

Friday, December 6, 2019
Sunday, December 8, 2019

Osmo Vänskä, conductor
Augustin Hadelich, violin

Nielsen: Helios Overture, Opus 17   *PSO Premiere*
Mozart: Concerto No. 2 in D major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 211   
Thomas Adès: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, “Concentric Paths”   *PSO Premiere*
Sibelius: Symphony No. 3 in C major, Opus 52   *PSO Premiere*

BNY Mellon GC 6: PROKOFIEV ROMEO & JULIET

Friday, January 17, 2020
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Sunday, January 19, 2020

Manfred Honeck, conductor
*Seong-Jin Cho, piano

Puccini/Honeck/Ille: Symphonic Suite from Turandot (concept by Manfred Honeck, orchestration by Thomas Ille)   *PSO Premiere*         
Liszt: Concerto No. 2 in A major for Piano and Orchestra 
Prokofiev: Selections from Romeo and Juliet

BNY Mellon GC 7: BEETHOVEN “FIDELIO”

Friday, January 24, 2020
Sunday, January 26, 2020

Manfred Honeck, conductor
The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh [Matthew Mehaffey, director]

Beethoven: Fidelio (opera in concert)

BNY Mellon GC 8: VALENTINE’S ROMANCE

Friday, February 14, 2020
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Sunday, February 16, 2020

Vasily Petrenko, conductor
Ray Chen, violin

Elgar: Cockaigne, Opus 40 “In London Town”
Sibelius: Concerto in D minor for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 47  
Ravel: - Suites No. 1 & 2 from Daphnis et Chloé

BNY Mellon GC 9: TCHAIKOVSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO

Friday, February 21, 2020
Sunday, February 23, 2020

Juraj Valčuha, conductor
*Baiba Skride, violin

Glazunov: Valse de Concert No. 1 in D major, Opus 47
Tchaikovsky: Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 35  
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 3 in C minor, Opus 44     *PSO Premiere*

BNY Mellon GC 10: GRIEG’S BELOVED PIANO CONCERTO

Friday, March 6, 2020
Sunday, March 8, 2020

Sir Mark Elder, conductor
Yulianna Avdeeva, piano

Berlioz: King Lear Overture, Opus 4
Grieg: Concerto in A minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 16  
Sibelius: Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Opus 39

BNY Mellon GC 11: BRAHMS FIRST

Friday, March 13, 2020
Sunday, March 15, 2020

*Jakub Hrusa, conductor
*Alina Ibragimova, violin

Shostakovich: Concerto No. 1 in A minor for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 99   
Brahms: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Opus 68

BNY Mellon GC 12: PETRUSHKA! 

Friday, March 27, 2020
Sunday, March 29, 2020

Jukka-Pekka Saraste, conductor
Randolph Kelly, viola

Kodály: Dances of Galánta  
Bartók:Concerto for Viola and Orchestra
Stravinsky: Petrushka (1911 version)              

BNY Mellon GC 13: GIL SHAHAM RETURNS

Friday, April 3, 2020
Sunday, April 5, 2020

*Matthias Pintscher, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin

Mozart: Concerto No. 5 in A major for Violin and Orchestra, K. 219
Ravel: Tzigane for Violin and Orchestra
Matthias Pintscher: Ex Nihilo   *PSO Premiere*
Debussy: La mer: Three Symphonic Sketches

BNY Mellon GC 14: BEETHOVEN MISSA SOLEMNIS

Friday, April 17, 2020
Sunday, April 19, 2020

Manfred Honeck, conductor
The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh [Matthew Mehaffey, director]

Beethoven: Mass in D major, Opus 123, "Missa Solemnis"

BNY Mellon GC 15: HÉLÈNE GRIMAUD

Friday, April 24, 2020
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Sunday, April 26, 2020

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Hélène Grimaud, piano

Brahms: Symphony No. 3 in F major, Opus 90   
Brahms: Academic Festival Overture, Opus 80
Schumann: Concerto in A minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 54

BNY Mellon GC 16: Mother’s Day Weekend: ROMANTIC CHOPIN

Friday, May 8, 2020
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Sunday, May 10, 2020

Juanjo Mena, conductor
Benjamin Grosvenor, piano

Haydn: Symphony No. 85 in B-flat major, “La Reine”
Chopin: Concerto No. 1 in E minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 11     
Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 in A major, Opus 90, "Italian"  

BNY Mellon GC 17: PROGRAM AND SOLOIST TO BE ANNOUNCED

Friday, May 15, 2020
Sunday, May 17, 2020

Pablo Heras-Casado, conductor

BNY Mellon GC 18: TCHAIKOVSKY’S “PATHÉTIQUE”

Friday, May 29, 2020
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Sunday, May 31, 2020

David Robertson, conductor
Jan Lisiecki, piano

Georges Lentz: Jerusalem (after Blake)   *PSO Premiere*
Mendelssohn: Concerto No. 1 in G minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 25     
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Opus 74, "Pathétique"

BNY Mellon GC 19: BEETHOVEN SEVENTH

Friday, June 12, 2020
Sunday, June 14, 2020

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Nikolaj Znaider, violin

Webern: Im Sommerwind
Brahms: Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 77          
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A major, Opus 92

BNY Mellon GC 20: BRONFMAN PLAYS BEETHOVEN

Friday, June 19, 2020
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Sunday, June 21, 2020

Manfred Honeck, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano

Beethoven: Concerto No. 4 in G major for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 58       
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7 in E major (ed. Nowak)     

Season tickets are available in packages of six, seven, 14 and 20 concerts and range in price from $102 to $1,470. Tickets for individual concerts will go on sale in August. Show times on Fridays and Saturdays will remain at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Season tickets are available by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412.392.4900 or visiting pittsburghsymphony.org.

Experience the Power of Music:
PSO 360

PSO360 continues in the 19/20 season with five unique performances in the dynamic PSO360 sound space. As part of this intimate concert format, audiences will experience the artistry of Pittsburgh Symphony musicians and their special guests up close – at the center of the sound on the Heinz Hall stage. The Pittsburgh Symphony would like to recognize and thank Cohen & Grigsby for its series sponsorship of PSO360.

Saturday November 30, 2019
Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello

Monday December 9, 2019
Holiday Brass Spectacular with PSO Brass Musicians

Saturday February 22, 2020
Baiba Skride, violin

Saturday March 7, 2020
Yulianna Avdeeva, piano

Saturday April 18, 2020
PSO Musicians play Beethoven

Experience the Power of Music:
PNC POPS

Soul, Revolution, Holiday, Broadway, Bugs Bunny, Shaffer,  
Doo Wop and Subscriber Specials

The PNC Pops brings audiences the musical power of soul, revolution, the holidays, Broadway, Bugs Bunny, Paul Shaffer, and Doo Wop. It's the best of the past and present, with a wonderful variety of themes and a broad spectrum of styles.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra would like to recognize and thank PNC for its 2019-2020 title sponsorship of the PNC Pops series, marking PNC’s 19th consecutive year as title sponsor of this series. The Pittsburgh Symphony would also like to recognize and thank Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for its 2019 title sponsorship of Highmark Holiday Pops. Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony. Radio station WQED-FM 89.3 and WQEJ-FM 89.7 is the official voice of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Pops 1 - Respect: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin

October 4-6, 2019
John Morris Russell, conductor

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra pays some R-E-S-P-E-C-T to Aretha Franklin, featuring your favorite hits from the Queen of Soul! You’ll hear powerhouse vocalists perform “Respect,” “Think,” “Rescue Me” and much more, in this incredible kickoff to the PNC Pops season.

Pops 2 - Revolution: The Beatles Symphonic Experience

November 15-17, 2019
Todd Ellison, conductor

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ greatest album, Abbey Road, with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Revolution: The Beatles Symphonic Experience features new arrangements of “Come Together,” “Because,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “Hey Jude,” and many more hits from their catalogue, plus hundreds of rare and unseen photos of the Fab Four!

Pops 3 - Highmark Holiday Pops

December 13-15, 2019*
Daniel Meyer, conductor
Ashley Brown, vocals
Christopher Sanders, special guest
The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh

Deck the halls with boughs of holly–and all of your favorite holiday music! Bring the whole family to experience Pittsburgh's holiday tradition with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, Broadway star Ashley Brown, and Santa Claus, too!

*Plus additional non-subscription concerts on Dec. 14, 20, 21 and 22.

Pops 4 - Blockbuster Broadway!

February 7-9, 2020
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Jessica Hendy, vocals
Kelli Rabke, vocals
Scott Coulter, vocals
John Boswell, vocals and piano
The Hamlisch-Page Student Choir

The only thing better than spending and evening at a hit Broadway show is spending an evening with ALL of them. Celebrate Wicked, Jersey Boys, The Lion King, Annie, The Phantom of the Opera and more in one thrilling performance!

Pops 5 - Bugs Bunny at the Symphony

30th Anniversary Edition
March 20-22, 2020
George Daugherty, conductor

“What’s up, Doc?” An enormously fun blend of classical music and classic animation! Bugs Bunny and his Looney Tunes pals return for the 30th anniversary of the landmark Bugs Bunny at the Symphony concerts.  The world's most iconic Looney Tunes -- from What's Opera, Doc? to The Rabbit of Seville and a dozen others -- will be projected on the big screen, while their exhilarating original scores are played live. Created by George Daugherty & David Ka Lik Wong.
TM & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.   
(s19)

Pops 6 - Paul Shaffer

May 1-3, 2020
J. Ernest Green, conductor
Paul Shaffer, vocals and keyboard
Valerie Simpson, vocals

Join Paul Shaffer for an evening of his favorite pop, R&B and jazz songs, along with legendary Motown singer-songwriter Valerie Simpson! Shaffer, known as David Letterman’s bandleader and musical director for more than three decades, will take you on a remarkable trip down memory lane with his music and his stories in this incredible concert with the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Pops 7 - The Doo Wop Project

June 5-7, 2020
Lawrence Loh, conductor
Dwayne Cooper, vocals
Dominic Nolfi, vocals
Charl Brown, vocals
Dominic Scaglione, Jr., vocals
Russell Fischer, vocals
Santino Paladino, piano

From five guys singing harmonies on a street corner to the hits on the radio today, The Doo Wop Project takes you from the origins of Doo Wop to the favorites you know and love. You'll hear the music of the Crests, the Belmonts, the Flamingos, Smokey Robinsonthe Temptations, the Four Seasons and much more! Straight from Broadway, their unbelievable voices recreate—and sometimes entirely reimagine—some of the greatest music in American pop and rock history!

Season tickets are available in seven-concert packages and range in price from $133 to $658. Tickets for individual concerts will go on sale in August. Show times on Fridays and Saturdays will remain at 8 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m. Season tickets are available by calling the Heinz Hall box office at 412.392.4900 or visiting pittsburghsymphony.org.



About the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

Over the last quarter century, MANFRED HONECK has firmly established himself as one of the world's leading conductors, renowned for his distinctive interpretations and arrangements of a wide-range of repertoire. For more than a decade, Honeck has served as Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, continuing a great legacy of music-making that is celebrated at home, abroad and on recordings, including the 2018 Grammy Award for Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 and Barber's Adagio for Strings. Since 2008, Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra have served as cultural ambassadors for the city as one of the most frequently toured American orchestras. In addition to performing at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, the orchestra regularly performs in major European music capitals and at leading festivals such as the Beethovenfest Bonn, BBC Proms, Musikfest Berlin, Lucerne Festival, Rheingau Musik Festival, Grafenegg Festival and the Salzburg Festival, and continues a close relationship with the Musikverein in Vienna. The PSO and Honeck return to Lincoln Center in May 2019 and their next European tour takes place in fall 2019. Under Honeck's leadership of the Pittsburgh Symphony, he instituted a new initiative to preserve the orchestra's celebrated sound, resulting in more than a dozen recordings on the Reference and Exton labels. Together, Honeck and the PSO have recorded symphonies by Beethoven, Bruckner, Dvořák, Mahler, and Tchaikovsky, as well as Strauss tone poems. They have received critical acclaim and honors from around the world, including the "Best Orchestral Performance" Grammy Award in 2018, along with two other Grammy nominations. Honeck has conceived of and conducted several large-scale or operatic works as semi-staged productions for the concert hall, including Handel's Messiah, Haydn's The Creation, and later this season in Pittsburgh he will lead performances of Berlioz's The Damnation of Faust. Beyond the podium, he has conceptualized and arranged a number of staged works into symphonic "Fantasies" or "Suites," among them Janáček's Jenůfa (Grammy nominated), Strauss's Elektra, Dvořák's Rusalka, and Tchaikovsky's ballet Sleeping Beauty, which he frequently programs on concerts with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, at home and on tour, as well as with orchestras throughout the United States and abroad.

As a guest conductor, Honeck is a regular guest with all of the major American orchestras, including Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco. He continues to appear in the world's leading concert halls and festivals, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Berliner Philharmoniker, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Staatskapelle Dresden, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Accademia di Santa Cecilia Rome, Vienna Philharmonic, and the Verbier Festival. He served as Music Director of the Staatsoper Stuttgart from 2007 to 2011, and has led operatic performances at Komische Oper Berlin, Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, Royal Opera of Copenhagen, Salzburg Festival, Semperoper Dresden and the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia. Born in Austria, Honeck received his musical training at the Academy of Music in Vienna. He was a member of the viola section of the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera Orchestra for eight years. Transitioning to conducting, he began his career as an assistant to Claudio Abbado, and as artistic leader of the Vienna Jeunesse Orchestra. He received the prestigious European Conductor's Award in 1993 at the Zurich Opera House, and has served as Music Director of the Norwegian National Opera, Principal Guest Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Music Director of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and most recently as Principal Guest Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. Honeck also has served as Artistic Director of the International Concerts Wolfegg in Germany for more than twenty years.Manfred Honeck has received honorary doctorates from several North American universities. Most recently, he was awarded the honorary title of Professor by the Austrian Federal President. An international jury of critics selected him as the International Classical Music Awards "Artist of the Year" 2018.

The 2018 GRAMMY Award-winning PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, known for its artistic excellence for more than 120 years, is credited with a rich history of the world's finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. Past music directors have included Fritz Reiner (1938-1948), William Steinberg (1952-1976), Andre Previn (1976-1984), Lorin Maazel (1984-1996) and Mariss Jansons (1995-2004). This tradition of outstanding international music directors was furthered in fall 2008, when Austrian conductor Manfred Honeck became music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony. The orchestra has been at the forefront of championing new American works and gave the first performance of Leonard Bernstein's Symphony No. 1 "Jeremiah" in 1944 and John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine in 1986. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and illustrious history in the areas of recordings and radio concerts. Its "Pittsburgh Live!" series with Reference Recordings has resulted in back-to-back Grammy Nominations in 2015 and 2016. As early as 1936, the Pittsburgh Symphony broadcast on the airwaves coast-to-coast and in the late 1970s it made the ground-breaking PBS series "Previn and the Pittsburgh." The orchestra has received increased national attention since 1982 through network radio broadcasts on Public Radio International, produced by Classical WQED-FM 89.3, made possible by the musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. With a long and distinguished history of touring both domestically and overseas since 1900 — including international tours to Europe, the Far East and South America—the Pittsburgh Symphony continues to be critically acclaimed as one of the world's greatest orchestras.

MELIA P. TOURANGEAU was appointed president and chief executive officer in May 2015 and began her tenure in July 2015. The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, known for its artistic excellence for more than 120 years, is credited with a rich history of the world's finest conductors and musicians, and a strong commitment to the Pittsburgh region and its citizens. The Pittsburgh Symphony has an annual operating budget of approximately $32 million and employs 76 full-time administrative staff and 97 contracted musicians. Tourangeau strives to develop trust and communication throughout the organization and with its constituents. Tourangeau came to the Pittsburgh Symphony from the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera, the only combined 52-week orchestra and opera organization in the United States.

Tourangeau served as president and CEO of that organization beginning April 2008. Under her leadership USUO increased ticket revenue over $1 million, returned the Annual Fund to pre-recession levels and secured over $6 million in bridge support between 2008 and 2012. Expense increases were held to 6% over a six-year period averaging a 1% increase annually between 2007 and 2013. Utah Symphony's seventh music director, Thierry Fischer, was identified and contracted beginning in 2008. Prior to joining the USUO, Tourangeau was appointed president of Grand Rapids Symphony in April 2005 after a year-long national search.  As president, Tourangeau was responsible for the overall financial, operational and administrative management of the organization with an $8.5 million annual operating budget, an administrative staff of 33 and 75 contracted professional musicians. Under her leadership, GRS balanced the budget and increased community support.

HEINZ HALL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is owned and operated by Pittsburgh Symphony, Inc., a non-profit organization, and is the year-round home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The cornerstone of Pittsburgh's Cultural District, Heinz Hall hosts many events that do not feature its world-renowned Orchestra including Broadway shows, popular touring artists, comedians, speakers and much more. For a full calendar of upcoming non-symphony events at the hall, visit heinzhall.org.

Media Contacts
Julie Goetz | Director of Communications
jgoetz@pittsburghsymphony.org | 412.392.4866