Concert will also feature works by living American composer Jennifer Higdon and the legendary Tchaikovsky
Palm Beach Symphony welcomes piano virtuoso Jean-Yves Thibaudet for a special performance of Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major, which is the composer’s thrilling homage to the hurried pace and enthralling rhythms he discovered during his jazz age trip to America.
Led by Palm Beach Symphony Music Director Gerard Schwarz at the podium, the Masterworks Series performance begins at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, January 13 in Dreyfoos Hall at The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. The evening was generously underwritten by John D. Herrick. Guests will also enjoy a pre-concert performance by Flamingo Brass, led by conductor John Moore.
Jean-Yves Thibaudet headshot – Credit E. Caren
Gerard Schwarz headshot – Credit IndieHouse Films
Flamingo Brass – Credit IndieHouse Films
“Ravel’s concerto is different from those of Brahms, Dvořák or Beethoven, which are more of an equal partnership between the orchestra and the soloist,” explained Maestro Schwarz. “Ravel was influenced by jazz, and you’ll hear lots of little jazz inflections in all three movements. The piece begins with a slapstick, a percussion instrument that sounds like a whip. Then comes a piccolo solo, followed by a trumpet solo, before the piano comes in. The second movement starts with a beautiful cantilena played by the piano alone. The melody is then taken up by the English horn in what is probably the most significant solo for the instrument in all orchestral repertoire. The last movement is an exciting toccata that is very challenging for the pianist. I can’t wait to hear Thibaudet tackle the concerto!”
Through elegant musicality and an insightful approach to both contemporary and established repertoire, Thibaudet has earned a reputation as one of the world’s finest pianists. Maestro Schwarz first met Thibaudet when he won the Young Concert Artists award in New York in 1981. Maestro Schwarz had won 10 years prior on trumpet. “Few keyboard artists embody Ravel’s blend of supple elegance and unbridled bravura so naturally and effortlessly,” praised “Chicago Classical” of Thibaudet.
Thibaudet is especially known for his diverse interests beyond the classical world. In addition to his many forays into jazz and opera, including works which he transcribed himself for the piano, Thibaudet has forged profound friendships around the globe, leading to fruitful collaborations in film, fashion and visual art. A recording powerhouse, the French pianist extraordinaire appears on more than 70 albums and six film scores. During the 2023-2024 season, Thibaudet performed with the symphony orchestras of Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, San Diego, Baltimore, Nashville, Indianapolis, North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Chicago, among others. Appearances abroad included a tour of Europe with Boston Symphony Orchestra and concerts with Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Bern Symphony Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, Orchestre de Paris and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. Thibaudet records exclusively for Decca. His extensive catalogue has received two Grammy nominations, two ECHO Awards, the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Diapason d’Or, Choc du Monde de la Musique, Edison Prize and Gramophone awards. Among his numerous commendations is the Victoire d’Honneur, the highest honor given by France’s Victoires de la Musique. Previously a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Thibaudet was awarded the title Officier by the French Ministry of Culture in 2012. He is a devoted educator and is the first-ever Artist-in-Residence at the Colburn School, which awards several scholarships in his name.
Before Thibaudet sits at the keys, the Masterworks concert will open with the inspirational blue cathedral by Pulitzer Prize and three-time GRAMMY winning living American composer Jennifer Higdon. The piece sweeps listeners away in what the composer called “the feeling of celebration and ecstatic expansion of the soul.” It was composed in 2000 soon after the passing of her brother, Andrew Blue. She noted, “As I was writing this piece, I found myself imagining a journey through a glass cathedral in the sky…This piece represents the expression of the individual and the group…our inner travels and the places our souls carry us, the lessons we learn and the growth we experience.”
The composition also coincided with the 75th anniversary celebration of the Curtis Institute of Music. “blue cathedral is celebratory, but it has real depth,” Maestro Schwarz added. “It’s full of symbolism of education, the desire for learning and elation for the success from learning.”
Higdon is one of America’s most acclaimed figures in contemporary classical music, receiving the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto, a 2010 Grammy for her Percussion Concerto, a 2018 GRAMMY for her Viola Concerto and a 2020 GRAMMY for her Harp Concerto. In 2018, she received the prestigious Nemmers Prize, awarded to contemporary classical composers of exceptional achievement who have significantly influenced the field of composition. Most recently, she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Higdon enjoys several hundred performances a year of her works, and blue cathedral is today’s most performed contemporary orchestral work, with more than 700 performances worldwide. Her works have been recorded on more than 60 CDs. Higdon’s first opera, Cold Mountain, won the International Opera Award for Best World Premiere and the opera recording was nominated for two GRAMMY Awards. Her music is published exclusively by Lawdon Press.
The program culminates with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74, also referred to as the “Pathétique Symphony,” which was completed mere days before his death and shows this towering figure at the height of his powers. Maestro Schwarz explains that Tchaikovsky’s brother Modest named the piece “Pathitique,” which means impressioned suffering.
“It’s a very deep, remarkable piece. The scherzo movement in the second features a waltz in beats of five, but if I didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t notice because it flows so beautifully,” said Maestro Schwarz. “A heroic, triumphant march occupies the third movement. The audience often goes crazy after this third movement and applauds, but the piece is not over yet. There is a fourth and final movement, which is slow. It’s one of the most poignant in all of Tchaikovsky’s repertoire.”
The Masterworks concerts continue at the Kravis Center with Gil Shaham, violin (Feb. 6); Garrick Ohlsson, piano (March 2); Anne-Marie McDermott, piano (April 8) and a bonus seventh “Encore” concert featuring Kevin Kenner, piano (May 19).
The popular Symphony Sessions: Lunch and Learn for this performance is hosted by principal cellist Claudio Jaffé on Thursday, January 9 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Symphony’s conference room located in the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties building, 700 S. Dixie Hwy. in West Palm Beach. Guests will enjoy a three-course gourmet lunch catered by SandyJames Fine Food & Productions and a selection of wines curated by Palm Beach Symphony sponsor Private Cask Imports while deepening their connection with the musicians and performances through a glimpse behind the curtain of how the Symphony prepares for concerts, selects repertoire and more. They will learn about the subject matter and composer that will be performed during the upcoming concert, while enriching their concert experience. Tickets are $125 and complimentary valet parking will be provided.
The complete 2024-2025 Season schedule is available at palmbeachsymphony.org. Individual tickets for the concerts are on sale now. Concert tickets range in price from $25 to $95. Season subscribers have the option to add the seventh show to their package for a nominal fee. The concert can also be included in a build-your-own mini flex package. Tickets may be purchased online at PalmBeachSymphony.org, by phone at (561) 281-0145 and at the Palm Beach Symphony Box Office weekdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 700 South Dixie Highway, Suite 100, West Palm Beach.
Proud sponsors of Palm Beach Symphony include Cindy and Jerome Canty, Mrs. James N. Bay, Carol and Harold Baxter, C. Kenneth and Laura Baxter Foundation, Inc., JoAnne Berkow, Kathy Lee Bickham and John Bickham, Leslie Rogers Blum, Yvonne S. Boice Trust and Alfred Zucaro, Jeffrey and Tina Bolton, James R. Borynack and Adolfo Zaralegui / FINDLAY Galleries, Jerome J. Claeys, Thomas and Carol Bruce, CIBC Private Wealth, Amy and John Collins, The Colony Hotel, CORPGOV, Suzanne Mott Dansby, The David Minkin Foundation, Michelle DuBois and James Roiter, Jacqueline and Ray K. Farris, Mary and Will Demory, Herbert H. and Barbara C. Dow Foundation, Willard H. Dow and Kelly Winter, Dr. Richard and Diane Farber, Bill and Kem Frick/The Frick Foundation, Inc., Edith Hall Friedheim/Eric Friedheim Foundation, Gerry Gibian and Marjorie Yashar, Paul and Sandra Goldner, Douglas and Jo Gressette, Irwin and Janet Gusman, Walter Harper, Thomas E. Harvey & Cathleen P. Black Foundation, Doris Hastings Foundation, Carol S. and Joseph Andrew Hays, John Herrick, Addison Hines Charitable Trust, George Hines, HSS Florida, IPO Edge, Charles and Ann Johnson/The C and A Johnson Family Foundation, Elaine Kay, Aban and Percy Kavasmaneck, Leonard and Norma Klorfine Foundation, The Kovner Foundation, Gary and Linda Lachman/The Lachman Family Foundation, Patricia Lambrecht/The Lambrecht Family Foundation, Lugano Diamonds, Donald C. McGraw Foundation, The Honorable Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, The McNulty Charitable Foundation, Tish Messinger, David Moscow, Palm Beach Design Masters, Patrick and Milly Park/Park Foundation, Nancy and Ellis J. Parker, III, PNC Private Bank, Lois Pope, Provident Jewelry, Ari Rifkin/The Len-Ari Foundation, Dr. Martha Rodriguez and Dr. Jesus Perez-Mendez, Annette Urso Rickel Foundation, Karen Hunt Rogers, The Honorable Ronald A. Rosenfeld, David Schafer, Seth Sprague Foundation, Robin B. Smith, Kimberly V. Strauss, Dodie and Manley Thaler and the Thaler/Howell Foundation, Don and Mary Thompson, Jerome and Carol Trautschold, Sieglinde Wikstrom/The Wikstrom Foundation, and The Ann Eden Woodward Foundation/James and Judy Woods.
ABOUT PALM BEACH SYMPHONY
Palm Beach Symphony is South Florida’s premier orchestra known for its diverse repertoire and commitment to community. Founded in 1974, this 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization adheres to a mission of engaging, educating, and entertaining the greater community of the Palm Beaches through live performances of inspiring orchestral music. The orchestra is celebrated for delivering spirited performances by first-rate musicians and distinguished guest artists. Recognized by The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County with a 2020 Muse Award for Outstanding Community Engagement, Palm Beach Symphony continues to expand its education and community outreach programs with children’s concerts, student coaching sessions and master classes, instrument donations and free public concerts that have reached more than 56,000 students in recent years. For more information, visit www.palmbeachsymphony.
