Delta David Gier Leads Phoenix Symphony in Brahms' First Symphony

Delta David Gier Leads Phoenix Symphony in Brahms' First Symphony

Brahms Paired with Pulitzer Prize Winning Work to Showcase Contemporary and Traditional Masterpieces

PHOENIX - The Phoenix Symphony performs one of the hallmarks of symphonic music, "Brahms: Symphony No. 1" November 13-15. Delta David Gier, conductor of the New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concerts, leads these concerts featuring Brahms' Symphony No. 1 and a Pulitzer Prize winning work: Steven Stucky's Second Concerto for Orchestra. Thursday evening's concert, sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, begins at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday evening's concert, sponsored by Cigna Healthcare of Arizona, begins at 8 p.m. Friday morning's Coffee concert begins at 11 a.m. All concerts are at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix.

The first half of the program consists of Steven Stucky's Second Concerto for Orchestra, a work the New York Times declared "an electrifying piece... [that] stands apart from academic disputes about style and language, and strives for direct communication." The work later earned him the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in Music. Stucky, a frequent conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group and host of the New York Philharmonic's Hear & Now series, is among the leading composers of his generation, garnering commissions and worldwide acclaim, including two Grammy Awards.

From one grand piece to another, the second half of the concert consists of Brahms' monumental First Symphony. Largely overshadowed by Beethoven's fame and titanic compositions, Brahms' decades of struggle finally came to fruition in his symphonic work. The piece quickly rose to popularity and is revered as a masterpiece of his time.

Tickets for "Brahms: Symphony No. 1" range from $22 to $72 and can be purchased by calling the Phoenix Symphony Box Office at 602-495-1999 or by visiting www.phoenixsymphony.org. Other highlights of The Phoenix Symphony's 2008-09 Season include "Pictures at an Exhibition" (November 28-29), "Stravinsky: The Firebird" (February 19-21) and "Mahler: Symphony No. 4" with soprano Jessica Rivera (April 9 and 11).

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About Delta David Gier: Delta David Gier is the Music Director of the South Dakota Symphony and leads the New York Philharmonic's Young People's Concerts. Mr. Gier came to national attention in 1997 when he conducted a tour of Bizet's Carmen for San Francisco Opera's Western Opera Theater, and has since performed with many of the world's finest soloists and orchestras, including his St. Louis Symphony debut in April 2008. Mr. Gier studied at the University of Michigan with Gustav Meier, and as a student at Tanglewood and Aspen also studied with Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Masur, Erich Leinsdorf and Seiji Ozawa.

About The Phoenix Symphony: The Phoenix Symphony has been proudly serving the citizens of the Phoenix metropolitan area and Arizona since 1947. What began as an occasional group of musicians performing a handful of concerts each year (in a city of fewer than 100,000 people) today serves more than 300,000 people annually, with 275 concerts and presentations throughout the greater Phoenix area and beyond.

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Christie as the Virginia G. Piper Music Director and administrative leadership of President Maryellen H. Gleason, the orchestra is overseen by the non-profit Phoenix Symphony Association under Board Chairman Ed Wolf.

The 76-member Phoenix Symphony presents an annual season from September through the beginning of June, featuring full-length classical and pops concerts at Symphony Hall in downtown Phoenix, as well as concerts in Scottsdale, Mesa, Prescott and throughout central Arizona. The Symphony performs for more than 50,000 students and children, helping to introduce music to new generations through a variety of education and youth-engagement programs.

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BRAHMS: SYMPHONY NO. 1
Symphony Classics Concert No. 5
Friday Morning Coffee Classics No. 3

November 13 - Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m.
November 14* - Friday morning at 11:00 a.m.
November 15 - Saturday evening at 8:00 p.m.
Symphony Hall

THE PHOENIX SYMPHONY
Delta David Gier, conductor

STUCKY - Second Concerto for Orchestra
BRAHMS - Symphony No. 1

Tormented by the success and magnificent scope of Beethoven's masterful Symphony No. 9, Brahms agonized for decades before creating what would become his first symphony. The triumphant finale of Brahms' own masterpiece is certain to inspire.

*The Friday coffee concert is one hour of music selected from the evening's program.

Tickets: $22, $32, $42, $52, $62, $72
Friday Coffee Concert: $22, $28, $34
Friday "Meet the Artists" Luncheon: $25
PHOENIX SYMPHONY BOX OFFICE: 602-495-1999 or www.phoenixsymphony.org

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The Phoenix Symphony's 2007-08 Media Sponsors are The Arizona Republic and KAET.