Starting Thursday, February 12, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra will explore the sounds of famed Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s musical portfolio, marking the beginning of the organization’s 2015 Tchaikovsky Festival.
Similar to last February’s Beethoven Festival, the three-week marathon (Feb. 12 – March 1) will feature all six numbered Tchaikovsky symphonies, three piano concertos and other Tchaikovsky works for solo instruments and orchestra. In addition to Tchaikovsky-focused musical performances at Orchestra Hall, the DSO is offering listeners a vodka tasting event, Russian food sampling, chamber music events around Detroit and a series of panel discussions and lectures (including a discussion regarding Tchaikovsky’s assumed homosexuality, hosted in partnership with Ferndale-based LGBT resource organization Affirmations).
Pyotr Tchaikovsky is known for his world-renowned masterpieces, including: Romeo and Juliet, 1812 Overture, First Piano Concerto, Violin Concerto, his three ballets (The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty), and operas The Queen of Spades and Eugene Onegin, in addition to countless other works. His fondness for Russian-inspired repetition, pronounced meters and inexhaustible melodies has secured his place in music history as one of the greatest composers of the 19th century.
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s performances will feature conductor Maestro Leonard Slatkin, and special appearances by pianist Olga Kern, violinist Julian Rachlin and cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan. In accordance with the DSO’s digitally-versed initiatives, live webcasts for six Tchaikovsky Festival performances are available to stream via dso.org/live.
See the full Tchaikovsky Festival (#TchaikFest) performance schedule, videos and more here.
Watch the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s trailer for Tchaikovsky Fest below: