STORY AND LINK: OC Philharmonic Society announces 2012-2013 season

By Robert D. Thomas
Music Critic
Pasadena Star-News/San Gabriel Valley Tribune/Whittier Daily News

As we into February, 2012-2013 classical music season schedules will begin to appear. First out of the box is the Orange County Philharmonic Society, which will present 12 concerts and recitals throughout Orange County during its upcoming season.

The current season has an unusually large number of significant visiting orchestras — still to come are the Chicago Symphony, led by Riccardo Muti, on Feb. 17; Baltimore Symphony (Marin Alsop) on March 28; Cleveland Orchestra (Franz Welser-Möst) on April 17; Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields (Joshua Bell) on April 26; Los Angeles Philharmonic (Rafael Frubeck du Burgos) on April 28; and New York Philharmonic (Alan Gilbert) on May 8.

The 2012-2013 orchestral lineup begins with Esa-Pekka Salonen leading the London Philharmonia on Nov. 14 in performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 and Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique (which seems like an excess of riches). Other orchestras playing next season are:
• Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique and Monteverdi Choir, led by Sir John Eliot Gardiner, performing Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis on Nov. 19 and Symphony No. 9 on Nov. 20;
• BBC Concert Orchestra (Keith Lockhart) in a program of 20th century British music on Feb. 12;
• St. Louis Symphony (David Robertson) on March 18; and
• Los Angeles Philharmonic (Gustavo Dudamel) on May 24.

Recitalists include pianist Louis Lortie, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and violinist Itzhak Perlman.

All of the orchestra concerts and some of the recitals will be played at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, but other recitals will be played at the Irvine Barclay Theatre and the new Soka Performing Arts Center in Aliso Viejo.

Details: www.philharmonicsociety.org
___________

(c) Copyright 2012, Robert D. Thomas. All rights reserved. Portions may be quoted with attribution.