The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is looking forward to a full concert calendar in January 2023, including a collaboration with hip-hop artist and trap pioneer Jeezy. A prolific artist with more than a dozen gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums, Jeezy will perform his Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation101 album with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as part of a black-tie concert series, Classically Ours, on Friday, January 27 at 8:00pm in Symphony Hall. The event, produced by Next Level Events, is sold out.
Earlier in January, a dynamic duo takes Symphony Hall stage, as young Israeli pianist Tom Borrow plays Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with guest conductor Kazem Abdullah, Thursday, January 12 at 8:00pm and Sunday, January 15 at 3:00pm. The evening also includes works by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, including his Symphony No. 7 and Finlandia. (Program change note: The Sibelius works represent a program change from the original program, which included Ives’ Symphony No. 2.)
The ASO takes the entire program on the road as it travels to the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, FL, on Friday, January 13 at 8:00pm.
Broadway superstar Leslie Odom, Jr. performs at Symphony Hall on Saturday, January 14, at 8:00pm. This Tony, Emmy, and Grammy® Award-winning artist will perform songs from his three albums and wide-ranging career in theater, television, and movies. After making his Broadway debut at age 17 in RENT, Odom Jr. has gone on to other well-known roles such as Aaron Burr in Hamilton (for which he won a Tony and a Grammy® Award).
Classical pianist Jonathan Biss returns to Symphony Hall on Thursday, January 19, and Saturday, January 21 at 8:00pm, playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in a concert evening that transports audiences to Vienna. ASO Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles conducts the performance which includes Bruckner’s Eighth Symphony.
Comedian, actor, and writer Shane Gillis appears at Symphony Hall on Friday, January 20 at 7:30pm to a sold-out crowd. Gillis is a stand-up comic who is co-host of the podcast Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast and is a regular host of programs on SiriusXM Radio. In addition, Gillis’ debut comedy special, Shane Gillis: Live in Austin has more than 6 million views on YouTube.
The month concludes with a piece familiar to ASO audiences, Brahms’ A German Requiem, featuring the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus under the baton of Maestro Runnicles, Thursday, January 26, and Saturday, January 28 at 8:00pm in Symphony Hall. The chorus has performed this piece to rave reviews at Carnegie Hall and with the Berlin Philharmonic, and it has become a signature piece of the Orchestra and Chorus. Soloists include soprano Ying Fang and baritone Russell Braun.
February opens with Music Director Nathalie Stutzmann, as she conducts the ASO in Prokofiev’s Sinfonia concertante, featuring cellist Edgar Moreau, and Shostakovich’s Fifth, Symphony Thursday and Friday, February 2 and 3 at 8:00pm. (Program soloist change: cellist Johannes Moser withdrew from the program, replaced by Edgar Moreau.)
The following weekend, Thursday and Saturday, February 9 and 11 at 8:00pm, guest conductor Han-Na Chang leads the Orchestra as violinist Sayaka Shoji plays Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1. The classical concerts for the month conclude on Thursday and Friday, February 23 and 24, with virtuoso pianist Conrad Tao playing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G with guest conductor Ryan Bancroft. Also on the program is Negro Folk Symphony by Alabama native composer William Dawson, a piece inspired by and filled with melodies from American spirituals.
Symphony Hall LIVE has another full roster of concerts in February, beginning with Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band presenting the Trouble Is…25th Anniversary Tour with special guest Samantha Fish on Saturday, February 4 at 7:30pm. On Valentine’s Day, February 14 at 8:00pm, folk-rock duo Drew and Ellie Holcomb presents An Evening with Drew and Ellie Holcomb: The Residency Tour.
The rock shows continue with three sold-out shows from Grateful Dead founding member and guitar legend Bobby Weir & Wolf Brothers, featuring The Wolfpack with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. This unique blend of rock band and orchestra play in Symphony Hall on February 17, 18, and 19 at 8:00pm. A limited number of tickets remain through Ticketmaster.
In between rock shows, Symphony Hall LIVE presents comedian Sarah Silverman on her latest tour Friday, February 10 at 8:00pm. This Emmy Award-winning comedian and actor is known for her insightful and bawdy humor.
And finally, 16-time Grammy® Award-winning musician and composer David Foster and his wife, Broadway star Katharine McPhee, present An Intimate Evening with David Foster & Katharine McPhee, featuring songs from Foster’s long songwriting career and McPhee’s biggest hits from TV and Broadway, Saturday, February 25 at 3:00pm and 8:00pm.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce important community partnerships in the coming months. On February 11, the ASO welcomes the Susan G. Komen Foundation for a “Pink Night.” On February 24, the ASO celebrates the Black Greek Letter Organizations of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), collectively referred to as the Divine Nine (D9). On March 4, the ASO hosts the HBCU Alliance to celebrate local and national Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit these important organizations and their missions.
THE PEACH REVIEW® 