♦ PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
♦ Shostakovich’s Final Symphony
Heinz Hall
01/31 7:30PM
02/02 2:30PM
SIBELIUS: Pohjola’s Daughter
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Oboe Concerto
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 15
Notes: Written in 1971 when Shostakovich’s health was declining, the final symphony by this profoundly private composer is a reflection on his life and career: intensely personal, enigmatic, and somewhat surreal, with inexplicable quotes from music by Rossini, Glinka and Wagner alongside references to his own music from his younger years.
♦ Dvorak’s New World
Heinz Hall
02/14 7:30PM
02/15 7:30PM
02/16 2:30PM
CARLOS SIMON: Four Black American Dances [PSO Premiere]
SAINT-SAËNS: Violin Concerto No. 3
DVORÁK: Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”
Notes: Dvorák traveled to America in the 1890s, and this wild new country thrilled him. He admired the beauty of African American spirituals and was fascinated by Native American traditions. When describing his “New World” symphony, he said, “I tried to write only in the spirit of those national American melodies,” but his Ninth is clearly an expression of both the Old World and the new. Alongside Dvorák’s familiar symphony, violin phenom María Dueñas returns to perform Saint-Saëns, plus a PSO premiere Simon that puts dance at the heart of connection.
♦ Ax Plays Mozart
Heinz Hall
02/21 7:30PM
02/23 2:30PM
HANNAH ISHIZAKI: Spin [World Premiere & PSO Commission]
MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 25
KORNGOLD: Symphony in F-Sharp Major [PSO Premiere]
Notes: Always a favorite of Pittsburgh audiences, Emanuel Ax returns to perform Mozart’s sublime, elegant, and altogether extraordinary piano concerto. Music Director Manfred Honeck leads the PSO premiere of Korngold’s only symphony, penned in his best melodic Hollywood style as a swashbuckling musical tribute to the life and achievements of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. A world premiere by Pittsburgh native Hannah Ishizaki completes the program.
♦ CITY THEATRE
♦ THE REAL JAMES BOND…WAS DOMINICAN
1300 Bingham Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Performance Dates & Times: https://citytheatrecompany.org/play/the-dnaworks-production-of-the-real-james-bond-was-dominican/
Notes: Written and Performed by Christopher Rivas. Developed with and Directed by Daniel Banks
January 18 – February 16, 2025
What happens when a James Bond-obsessed Dominican boy (who won’t go anywhere without his Nerf gun) finds out that the real James Bond was Dominican? Learning that Bond creator Ian Fleming drew upon the life of Porfirio Rubirosa—a Dominican diplomat, international polo champion, race-car driver, and spy—as the inspiration for 007 shook actor Christopher Rivas’ very foundation. Set to a live percussion score and immersive projections, The Real James Bond…Was Dominican is a young man’s guide to love, color, code-switching, white-washing, fake-it-til-you-make-it, and the roller coaster of finding one’s true self.
♦ PITTSBURGH CAMERATA
♦ Portraits
Shadyside Presbyterian Church
02/09 3:00PM
Notes: Portraits – in conjunction with the Souls Shot exhibition; featuring commissioned work by Michael Markowski in honor of the 50th anniversary
♦ BACH CHOIR OF PITTSBURGH
♦ A Choral Celebration of Black History Month
Eastminster Presbyterian Church
250 N. Highland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206
02/22 7:30PM
02/23 4:00PM
Notes: In celebration of Black History Month, the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh features the music of Adolphus Hailstork, a modern-day composer whose creations reflect his own African American, Native American and European ancestry, and other Black composers, whose works have enriched diverse musical genres, from classical to contemporary. You will hear the jazzy tunes of Duke Ellington and Pittsburgh’s own Billy Strayhorn, sacred themes by R. Nathaniel Dett, Mark Butler and Undine Smith Moore, and the poems of Langston Hughes set to music by Margaret Bonds and Leslie Adams, among others. Through these diverse and powerful works, the Bach Choir recognizes and honors the enduring contributions of Black artists to the world of choral music and offers an evening of reflection, joy, and beauty.
♦ PITTSBURGH OPERA
♦ Armida
Benedum Center
01/25 8:00PM
01/28 7:00PM
01/42 7:30PM
02/02 2:00PM
Notes: All’s fair in love and war. To prevent the capture of Jerusalem by the knights of the First Crusade, The Prince of Darkness has sent the enchantress Armida into the world to seduce the Christian heroes and turn them from their duty. The bravest of these, Rinaldo, has fallen under Armida’s spell. But, to her surprise, she becomes enchanted by him as well. She comes to love him so deeply that she cannot bring herself to destroy him. For both, duty clashes with desire. As war rages around them, will love conquer them both?
Containing some of Haydn’s most inspired music, not only is Armida Haydn’s most highly regarded opera, but the composer himself referred to it as his best work. These will be Pittsburgh Opera’s first performances of Armida. Pittsburgh Opera will mount a new production.
♦ PITTSBURGH BALLET THEATRE
♦ Romeo and Juliet with the PBT Orchestra
Benedum Center
02/14 7:30PM
02/15 2:00PM
02/16 7:30PM
Notes: The world’s most famous love story is brought to life by PBT in the emotional and timeless saga of Romeo and Juliet. Jean-Christophe Maillot’s version of the ballet takes a fresh approach to Shakespeare’s classic story by focusing on the youthfulness of the characters, and portrays the tragedy from the perspective of the priest, whose good intentions ultimately lead to the demise of the two young, star-crossed lovers. Sergei Prokofiev’s unforgettable music, played by the PBT Orchestra, underscores the beauty and passion of this beloved ballet. Join us for a moving performance full of romance that will reach your heart and soul.
Choreography: Jean-Christophe Maillot | Music: Sergei Prokofiev
♦ PITTSBURGH SPEAKERS SERIES
♦ Adm. James Stavridis
Heinz Hall
February 19, 8:00pm
Notes: The 16th NATO Supreme Allied Commander, James Stavridis attended the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, and spent 37 years in the Navy, rising to the rank of 4-star Admiral. He oversaw NATO operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, the Balkans, and counter piracy off the coast of Africa. He led the US Southern Command in Miami, charged with military operations through Latin America.
He served as senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Navy and the Secretary of Defense. He led the Navy’s premier operational think tank for innovation, Deep Blue, immediately after the 9/11 attacks. He also commanded a Destroyer Squadron and a Carrier Strike Group, both in combat. He was the longest serving Combatant Commander in recent US history.
Highly decorated, his awards include the Battenberg Cup for commanding the top ship in the Atlantic Fleet and the Navy League John Paul Jones Award for Inspirational leadership. Following his military career, he served as Dean of his alma mater The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he earned his PhD. In 2016, he was vetted for Vice President by Secretary Hillary Clinton, and subsequently invited to discuss a cabinet position with President Donald Trump.
A best-selling author, Stavridis has published twelve books on leadership, character, risk, the oceans, maritime affairs, and Latin America, and hundreds of articles in leading journals. His most recent books are To Risk It All: Nine Conflicts and The Crucible of Decision, 2034: A Novel of the Next World War, a New York Times bestseller, and 2054: A Novel.
Stavridis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and Chief International Security Analyst for NBC News. He is Partner and Vice Chair, Global Affairs of The Carlyle Group and Chair of the Board of Trustees, Rockefeller Foundation.