Newton’s New Philharmonia Orchestra Continues 2018-2019 Season with
An Evening of Brahms
First Baptist Church, Newton │March 9-10, 2019
Newton, MA January 26, 2019 – Newton’s New Philharmonia Orchestra, Francisco Noya, Music Director, will continue its 2018-2019 Season with An Evening of Brahms, with Grammy Award-winning piano soloist, Michael Lewin. The second performance in the Classics series, An Evening of Brahms will take place on Saturday, March 9 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 10 at 3:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 848 Beacon Street in Newton Centre. Tickets for the performances are $10-48 and are now available online at www.newphil.org
A German composer, Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897) is one of the most revered and popular composers to come out of the romantic period. An Evening of Brahms will feature performances of his compositions: Piano Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No. 4. Music Director Francisco Noya will lead the orchestra in this performance, bringing to life the emotional moments of these Brahms compositions.
“Johannes Brahms is known today as one of the three B’s of classical music, spoken together with Bach and Beethoven,” said Adrienne Hartzell, executive director of the New Philharmonia Orchestra. “We are thrilled to be performing these beautiful pieces, under the leadership of Francisco Noya and with the incredible talent of Michael Lewin. It promises to be a performance to remember.”
Brahms’s Symphony No. 4 was the last of his symphonies. Written in 1885, Brahms was beginning to think both of retirement and the time remaining. He brings together a collection of everything learned during his career, building a sense of unrest in the first two movements, and then changes tone with an upbeat third movement, only to come crashing back to unrest in the fourth and final movement. It is seen as some of the darkest music of the 19th century.
An Evening of Brahms will also feature a performance of Piano Concerto No. 1. The piece brings to life the highs and lows of falling in love and realizing it was never meant to be. His first major work, Brahms spent years perfecting the composition. While dealing with love and loss in his early twenties, he slowly developed the work, revising and rewriting for many years. Not well received when it was first performed in 1859, the work grew in popularity until it was finally recognized as a masterpiece.
Piano Concerto No. 1 leads with a beautiful piano solo, to be performed by award-winning pianist Michael Lewin. A Professor of Piano at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and Artistic Director of the Boston Conservatory Piano Masters Series, Lewin has performed in over 30 countries, winning a Grammy Award in 2014 for the New Age Album “Winds of Samsara”. Lewin is one of America’s most sought-after teachers. He has taught many prize-winning pianists, gives master classes worldwide and is a frequent international competition judge.
The weekend performances of An Evening of Brahms will be dedicated to the memory of Susan Kaplan who had an infectious passion for the arts. She was the former Executive Director of the Fund for the Arts in Newton, former Chairman of the Newton Cultural Council and a long-time supporter of the New Phil and all things arts and culture related in Newton. Kaplan recently passed away from Lymphoma.
“Susan’s passion for the arts was an inspiration to others. Her generosity and hard work helped grow and develop Newton’s vibrant art community,” Hartzell said. “We are proud to honor her legacy and dedication with these performances.”
An Evening of Brahms will be held on Saturday, March 9 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 10 at 3:00 p.m. in the historic First Baptist Church, 848 Beacon Street in Newton Centre. Tickets range from $10 – $48 are available online at http://www.newphil.org/ or by calling the New Philharmonia at 617-527-9717.
About Francisco Noya, Music Director
Francisco Noya was appointed music director of New Philharmonia in the spring of 2016, following the 20-year tenure of founding Music Director Ron Knudsen. Noya began his professional career in his native Venezuela as conductor of the Youth Orchestra of Valencia, one of the original ensembles of El Sistema. Today, Noya is a prominent figure in the Boston and New England music scene and has earned a reputation as a versatile interpreter of symphonic and operatic literature. In addition to his appointment at the New Philharmonia Orchestra, he also serves as resident conductor of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, the music director & conductor of the Boston Civic Symphony and is a respected member of the conducting faculty of the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Upcoming Performances
The New Philharmonia Orchestra is currently in the middle of the 2018 – 2019 season. The 2018-2019 New Phil Classics Series continues on March 18-19, 2019 with American Fête. On April 28, 2019 the orchestra will host its second family concert with Quintessentially American. For more information, visit www.newphil.org
About the New Philharmonia Orchestra
The New Philharmonia Orchestra, founded in 1995, is a 75-member nonprofessional regional orchestra based in Newton. The orchestra’s mission to perform “music for all” has been advanced by presenting programs of diverse repertoires of classical music for the enjoyment of audiences of all ages and experiences. The orchestra also strives to provide its nonprofessional players the opportunity to achieve a high level of ensemble performance not otherwise available.
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