Acclaimed mezzo-soprano joins Westchester Philharmonic

The Westchester Philharmonic’s reputation for discovering young talent before they become household names – Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, and Midori all performed with the orchestra as little-known teenagers – was also on display twenty years ago, when a mezzo-soprano named Michelle DeYoung bowed with the Phil. On Sunday, April 6th at 3 pm, two decades, three Grammy Awards, and millions of superlative accolades later, DeYoung returns to perform the richly romantic song cycle by Hector Berlioz, Les nuits d’été. Since her debut with the Philharmonic, Ms. DeYoung has become one of the world’s leading sopranos, appearing with the world’s leading orchestras and opera companies.

Conductor Kwamé Ryan, of Trinidad via Canada, is another rising star who makes his New York-area debut with the Philharmonic. The concert opens with Fauré’s lush and haunting Pelléas et Mélisande, inspired by a play of the same name. DeYoung then joins Ryan and the orchestra for Berlioz’ Les nuits d'été (“Summer nights”), set to six poems of love and loss from the volume La comédie de la mort (“The comedy of death”) by Berlioz’ close friend Théophile Gautier. The program concludes with Ryan and the orchestra performing Robert Schumann’s magnificent and energetic Fourth Symphony. A free pre-concert discussion at 2 pm led by Artistic and Executive Director Joshua Worby will feature insights on the program with Maestro Ryan.

Music lovers will have an opportunity to meet Conductor Kwamé Ryan over dinner and learn more about the program during Inside the Music on Saturday, April 5th, 2014 at 6:30 pm. A friendly and informal dinner at the Rye Grill and Bar will be followed by a discussion of the next day's concert. Inside the Music is a new series aimed at providing an in-depth look at concert repertoire and each conductor’s approach to navigating the orchestra through these classical greats.

Single tickets for the Sunday concert are on sale now and range from $30-$97. The Inside the Music dinner on Saturday costs $44. Call the Philharmonic box office at (914) 682- 3707 or visit www.westchesterphil.org for tickets.

Open Rehearsal
A free open rehearsal with the orchestra is scheduled for Sunday, April 6 at 11:00 am in The Concert Hall. Children and families welcome. Please visit www.westchesterphil.org for information before attending.

General Information and Tickets
All performances will take place in The Concert Hall at The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, New York. Single tickets range from $30-$97. Student/child/group discounts are available.

The pre-concert discussion with Maestro Ryan begins Sunday at 2 pm in The Concert Hall and is free for ticket holders. Inside the Music will be held Saturday at 6:30 pm at the Rye Grill & Bar, One Station Plaza, Rye, New York. Tickets are $44 and include dinner. Space is limited.

To purchase all tickets and for additional information call the Westchester Philharmonic Box Office at (914) 682-3707 ext. 10 or visit www.westchesterphil.org.  Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Card accepted.