Detroit Symphony Closes Season with 3 Weeks of Music

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will close its 2021-2022 season with three spectacular programs conducted by Music Director Jader Bignamini at Orchestra Hall. Bignamini will also conduct The DSO in Concert for Anne Parsons, the orchestra’s late President Emeritus, on May 17, and its annual Heroes Gala on June 18.

From May 12-15, Bignamini will conduct Beethoven’s iconic Symphony No. 9, famous for its heart-swelling “Ode to Joy” in the final movement. The program also features the DSO premiere of Hannah Lash’s In Hopes of Finding the Sun, written as a companion piece to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The choir for both works will include artists from local groups Opera MODO and Audivi. Featured soloists are soprano Ailyn Pérez, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, tenor Saimir Pirgu, and bass Luiz-Ottavio Faria. The concerts will take place Thursday, May 12 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, May 13 at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 14 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, May 15 at 3 p.m.

From May 20-22, pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet joins Bignamini for Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G, inspired by the composer’s tour of North America, where he first became smitten with the sounds of jazz. DSO Principals Eric Nowlin (viola) and Wei Yu (cello) take the spotlight in Richard Strauss's Don Quixote, a tone poem portraying the adventures of the "ingenious" man from La Mancha. The program also includes Carlos Simon’s Fate Now Conquers, inspired by a notebook entry by Ludwig van Beethoven.The concerts will take place on Friday, May 20 at 10:45 a.m., Saturday, May 21 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, May 22 at 3 p.m.

In June, Bignamini and the DSO welcome back acclaimed violinist Gil Shaham for a performance of Barber's Violin Concerto, Op. 14, on a program that also features two works by acclaimed musician, composer, and bandleader Wynton Marsalis: his Herald, Holler and Hallelujah! (DSO co-commission) and Blues Symphony. The concerts will take place Friday, June 10 at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 11 at 8 p.m., and Sunday, June 12 at 3 p.m.

In addition to these PVS Classical Series performances, Bignamini will conduct a free concert to celebrate the life of late President Emeritus Anne Parsons on May 17 at 6 p.m.at Orchestra Hall. The program will feature orchestral and chamber music that holds a special connection to Anne and will also be webcast on dso.org. The musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra are generously donating their services for this performance. Parsons, who passed away on March 28 following a courageous battle with cancer, served as the DSO’s President and CEO for more than 17 years, leading with grace, courage, and conviction. To learn more about her legacy and explore giving a tribute gift to the DSO in her memory, please visit dso.org/rememberinganne.

Bignamini will also conduct the tenth Heroes Gala and Benefit Concert on June 18. The event will honor community philanthropists Linda Dresner and Ed Levy, with proceeds to support the DSO’s commitment to transforming the lives of young people through music education. The program will feature Grammy Award-winning violinist Hilary Hahn and will include Pablo de Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy with Hahn, Gioachino Rossini’s Overture to Semiramide, Amilcare Ponchielli’s "Dance of the Hours" from La Gioconda, Camille Saint-Saëns’s "Bacchanale" from Samson and Delilah, and Jeronimo Gimenez’s Intermezzo from La Boda de Luis Alonso.

The May 14, May 21, and June 11 concerts will be webcast for free at dso.org and via Facebook Live as part of the DSO’s Live from Orchestra Hall series. The May 20 concert will be broadcast and streamed live on 90.9 WRCJ in Detroit and a network of stations across Michigan.

To protect the health and well-being of our patrons, musicians, and staff, our safety policies include vaccine or test requirements for all guests and contactless e-ticketing. Visit dso.org/safetyplan for more information.

Tickets for the PVS Classical Series performances start at $15 and can be purchased at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at 313.576.5111, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets for The DSO in Concert for Anne Parsons are free, but must be reserved in advance.

The title sponsor of the DSO’s Classical Series is PVS Chemicals, Inc. DSO Live is presented by Ford Motor Company Fund and made possible by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Digital programming is produced from the Al Glancy Control Room.