Symphony’s new season features dip in prices

The Honolulu Symphony goes back to audience-pleasing basics in a new season filled with both familiar works and musical showmanship. Virtuosos on tap include violinist Jennifer Koh, pianist Horacio Gutiérrez, violinist Elmar Oliveira and bass-baritone Samuel Ramey.

There has also been some play in ticket prices. The "Halekulani Masterworks Season" has season tickets starting as low as $98.

COURTESY OF HONOLULU SYMPHONY Violinist Jennifer Koh will perform next March.

Outgoing symphony interim president Gideon Toeplitz stated that the organization's priority was "to make classical music accessible to as wide an audience as possible. ... We've lowered subscription prices and created new subscription packages that reflect different tastes. We are encouraging families to come to the symphony together to learn about music."

Concerts are at 8 p.m. Fridays and 4 p.m. Sundays. Season tickets are $189 to $812 for all 14 concerts, $98 to $406 for a half-season of seven concerts. For information and tickets, call 792-2000.

The Honolulu Symphony "Masterworks Season":

"Tchaikovsky Feast": 8 p.m. Sept. 29 and 4 p.m. Oct. 1. Jahja Ling conducts; Horacio Gutiérrez, piano soloist. "Marche Slave (Slavonic March)," Piano Concerto No. 1 and Symphony No. 4.

"Old World, New World": 8 p.m. Oct. 13 and 4 p.m. Oct. 15. JoAnn Falletta conducts; Elmar Oliveira, violin soloist. Joan Tower's "Made in America," Brahms' Violin Concerto and Richard Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier Suite."

"Exhilarating Glory": 8 p.m. Oct. 20 and 4 p.m. Oct. 22. Christopher Seaman conducts; Jon Nakamatsu, piano soloist. Britten's "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra"; Grieg's Piano Concerto; and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 5, "Reformation."

"American Delights": 8 p.m. Nov. 3 and 4 p.m. Nov. 5. James Paul conducts; Ian Parker, piano soloist, in an evening featuring Leonard Bernstein's "On the Town" and "On the Waterfront," and Gershwin's Piano Concerto and "An American in Paris."

"Explorations for Strings": 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 and 4 p.m. Nov. 12. Julian Rachlin conducts and plays violin and viola; Janine Jansen plays violin in a string fest. Bach's Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major, Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola, Bruch's Double Concerto for Violin and Viola and Piazolla's "Four Seasons of Buenos Aires."

"Straight from the Heart": 8 p.m. Nov. 17 and 4 p.m. Nov. 19. Rossen Milanov conducts; Fabio Bidini plays passionate piano. Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun," Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade."

"Emotion and Excitement": 8 p.m. Jan. 5 and 4 p.m. Jan. 7. Roberto Minczuk conducts; Colin Currie, percussion soloist. Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, "From the New World"; MacMillan's "Veni, veni, Emmanuel"; and Wagner's "Rienzi Overture."

"Deservedly Classic": 8 p.m. March 16 and 4 p.m. March 18. Rossen Milanov conducts; Jennifer Koh, violin soloist. Copland's "Appalachian Spring," Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Mozart's Symphony No. 40.

"A Date with the Devil": 8 p.m. March 23 and 4 p.m. March 25. Samuel Wong conducts; Samuel Ramey, bass-baritone soloist. Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffmann," Berlioz's "Damnation of Faust" and Stravinsky's "The Rake's Progress."

"Larger than Life": 8 p.m. April 6 and 7. JoAnn Falletta conducts; William Wolfram, piano soloist. Weber's "Oberon Overture"; Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, "Emperor"; Stravinsky's "The Fairy's Kiss: Divertimento"; and Tchaikovsky's "Francesca da Rimini."

"Youthful Energy": 8 p.m. April 13 and 4 p.m. April 15. Henry Miyamura and Joan Landry conduct, and Lilya Zilberstein plays piano in a team-up with the Hawaii Youth Symphony. Rimsky-Korsakov's "Russian Easter Overture," Foumai's "Dynasty: Concerto for Orchestra," Sibelius' "Finlandia," Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Beethoven's "Leonore Overture No. 3."

"A Choral Treat": 8 p.m. April 13 and 4 p.m. April 15. The Honolulu Symphony Chorus perform's Mendelssohn's "Elijah."

"Exotic Touch": 8 p.m. May 4 and 4 p.m. May 6. Andrea Quinn conducts; Lara St. John, violin soloist. Respighi's "Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 3"; Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5, "Turkish"; Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite, 1919"; and Ravel's "Bolero."

"So Agreeable": 8 p.m. May 4 and 4 p.m. May 6. Samuel Wong conducts; Mark Votapek, cello soloist; Ignace Jang, violin soloist. Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1, Vaughn-Williams' "The Lark Ascending," Sarasate's "Carmen Fantasy" and Brahms' Symphony No. 2.