DAYTON OH (Dec. 31, 2013) -- A season of bold new productions and cherished classics will be unveiled when Dayton Performing Arts Alliance announces its 2014-2015 New Horizons Ballet, Opera and Philharmonic season on New Year’s Eve at the Schuster Center. It’s all part of the New Year’s Eve Around the World celebration, one of three DPAA Signature Events this season that combined the talents of Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera and Dayton Philharmonic.
Subscriptions for all nine New Horizons series go on sale Thursday, January 2, 2014, at 10 a.m. at Ticket Center Stage (888) 228-3630, www.daytonperformingarts.org and by visiting the ticket location inside the Schuster Center. Renewing subscribers will be given priority seating over new subscribers thru April 30. Single tickets go on sale to the public June 1.
The New Horizons season will be announced by DPAA’s three artistic directors Thomas Bankston, Dayton Opera; Karen Russo Burke, Dayton Ballet; and Neil Gittleman, Dayton Philharmonic. DPAA President and CEO Paul Helfrich will also be on stage for the celebratory performance that includes complimentary champagne at intermission and a balloon drop during the finale. The performance will end by 10:30 p.m. and tickets are still available.
On September 21 and 22, 2014, the New Horizons season opens with the spectacular Russian Panorama, the first Signature Event. Gittleman and the Dayton Philharmonic, along with opera singers and ballet dancers, perform excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, Mussorgsky’s magnificent coronation scene from Boris Godunov as well as Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise and Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances.
The second Signature Event, Classical Destinations, marks the half-way point of the season at New Year’s Eve. Bizet’s opera The Pearl Fishers completes the season’s three Signature Events and again combines all three DPAA art forms.
Dayton Ballet Artistic Director Karen Russo Burke will team with DPAA Composer-in-Residence Stella Sung to create the World Premiere of an exciting new ballet in February 2015’s repertory production Creative Convergence. In March, Peter Pan will be performed for the first time with the full Philharmonic. The aptly named Ghost Stories repertory performance will begin the ballet’s season in October with Amy Seiwart’s Chasing Ghosts, the haunting Giselle Pas de Deux and a World Premiere by Dayton’s own DeShonna Pepper Robertson. The holiday family favorite The Nutcracker returns with nine performances, adding a performance on Monday, December 22, at 4:30 p.m.
Dayton Opera will bring Dead Man Walking to the Midwest for the first time in over a decade in February 2015. Jake Heggie’s opera is based on Sister Helen Prejean’s autobiographical account of her relationships with inmates on death row and the production will involve collaboration with The University of Dayton’s campus wide initiative Rites! Rights! Writes! Bankston recently returned from New York City where he conducted auditions for the new season’s productions of Mozart’s The Magic Flute, The Pearl Fishers and Russian Panorama.
Premier Health’s Classical Series starts and concludes with expansive, red-blooded Russian music when the series moves its Thursday evening performance to Friday. Saturday’s performance remains. Audiences will enjoy music inspired in or by America, France, Austria, Scotland, Argentina, and Britain. To honor the great English composer Benjamin Britten on his 100th Anniversary, Boston Pops Principal Conductor Keith Lockhart will conduct the War Requiem.
Audience-pleasing artists, both new and returning, will join the instrumentalists of Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Gittleman and Assistant Conductor Patrick Reynolds. In the Kettering Health Network SuperPops series, jazz great John Pizzarelli is back along with newcomers the Texas Tenors, Tiempo Libre and the DPO providing the musical score to the movie classic Singin’ In the Rain. The Rockin’ Orchestra Series includes headliners Indigo Girls and pays tribute to the music of Chicago, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and The Beatles’ Rubber Soul and Revolver albums. Single ticket sales date for the Indigo Girls, if any remain after Rockin’ Series sales, will be announced at a later date.
The Philharmonic introduces its new Sunday Chamber Series featuring the stellar talents of DPO Concertmaster Jessica Hung, the DPO Principal Quartet, Dayton Opera Artists-in-Residence and the DPO Brass and Percussion sections. All concerts will be performed at the intimate Dayton Art Institute Renaissance Auditorium.
This is the last season for Graeter’s Symphony Sundaes with three upcoming Mozart concerts in January, March and April at the Dayton Masonic Temple. However, ticket buyers can enjoy their free scoop of raspberry chocolate chip and other ice cream flavors when Classical Connections moves from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon at the Schuster Center. Gittleman will continue the unique Connections format of performance and discussion with four programs, one each on composers Tchaikovsky (with guest violinist Chad Hoopes), Mahler, Shostakovich and Gubaidulina.
Popular seasonal events, including the DP&L Foundation Family Series’ PhilharMonster and SuperPops’ Hometown Holidays, will be joined by two special events: a Halloween rock and orchestral tribute to the music of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the Christmastime performance of Handel’s Messiah at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Subscribing to a series offers savings up to 23% over single ticket prices. Subscription for Dayton Ballet is $128 to $288 and Dayton Opera $132 to $321. DPO Classical 9 (which includes the Season Opening Spectacular Russian Panorama and a Wildcard ticket to any performance in the New Horizons season) is $108 to $450 and Classical 6 is $72-$321. Rockin’ Orchestra is $128 to $350, SuperPops $147 to $393, Classical Connections $43 to $138, and Chamber and Family Series are $48 to $80 each. Discounts are available for Seniors, Students, Educators and Military.