Opening Night

Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major begins with the crack of a whip and the race is on, with piano and orchestra joyfully driving to the finish. A love letter to America that weaves fast-paced, jazz-laced bravado into a masterwork that demands the ultimate virtuoso, it’s in very good hands here with Yuja Wang, whose five-star reviews hail her ability to shift “from delicate finesse to fierce intensity ... with superb control” (The Guardian).

Contemporary composer Julia Wolfe’s works make headlines, change hearts, and draw new fans with each new bold venture. Pretty, co-commissioned by The Philadelphia Orchestra, boldly combines a vernacular American sound with noise, power, delicacy, and aggression. The Philadelphia Inquirer hailed Pretty as “the work of a rich creative mind having a blast, playing with traditional symphonic expectations.”