The Peabody Institute, which marked the 150th anniversary of its founding in February, will keep the celebration going with a strong 2007-2008 lineup of concerts by faculty, students, alumni and guest artists - and ticket price reductions.
Marin Alsop will take time out from her inaugural season as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to conduct the Peabody Symphony Orchestra Oct. 31 in a high-octane program of Adams, Bernstein (Age of Anxiety) and Shostakovich (Symphony No. 5).
Led by Hajime Teri Murai, the Peabody Symphony will also be heard in a broad cross-section of repertoire during the season, from Beethoven, Schumann and Mahler to Benjamin Britten (Les illuminations, with soprano Hyunah Yu), Roberto Sierra (Danzas Concertantes, with guitarist Manuel Barrueco Sept. 29) and Peter Klatzow (Concerto for Marimba, with soloist Ji Hye Jung).
The institute's second symphonic ensemble, Peabody Concert Orchestra, will be just as busy and adventurous, offering works by Tchaikovsky, Dvorak and Mussorgsky, among others, such as American composers Charles Ives and John Corigliano. Conductor Edward Polochick will bring choral ensembles together with this orchestra for performances of Masses by Schubert (April 18) and Puccini (Dec. 12).
Eminent pianist and longtime faculty member Leon Fleisher will be joined by Peabody colleagues for the Piano Quartet No. 2 by Brahms on Dec. 9. Also on that program will be music by Bach, including a solo keyboard work played by Fleisher and the cantata Ich habe genug, featuring baritone William Sharp.
The two other piano quartets by Brahms are also slated during the season - No. 1 on Oct. 24, with pianist Katherine Jacobson; No. 3 on Jan. 23, with Peabody director Jeffrey Sharkey.
Speaking of pianists, alumnus Awadagin Pratt will return to play music by Beethoven and Liszt Feb. 1. Faculty member Amit Peled will perform the complete cello sonatas of Beethoven with pianist alumni artist Alon Goldstein Jan. 29. The Peabody Trio will give several concerts, covering both the traditional (Beethoven on Dec. 4) and the contemporary (Zhou Long, Shulamit Ran and others Oct. 10).
Peabody Opera Theatre's projects include Britten's The Turn of the Screw (Nov. 15-18) and Mozart's The Magic Flute (March 12-15). Peabody Chamber Opera will explore Purcell's Dido and Aeneas (Nov. 3) and Catherine Reid's The Yellow Wallpaper (Feb. 14-17) off-campus.
Composer/pianist Uri Caine will "re-imagine" music by Mozart and Mahler in a chamber concert April 22 and also will perform with the Peabody Jazz Orchestra on April 25. Other jazz attractions include the Cyrus Chestnut Trio on Sept. 25. Organ recitals, wind ensemble concerts, modern music programs and more will be on the calendar as well.
Ticket prices for most events have been scaled back for next season - $15 for adults (previously $18), $10 for seniors (unchanged), $5 for students (previously $8). Opera tickets will be $10 to $25. Subscriptions will go on sale Aug. 29, single tickets on Sept. 5. For more details, go to peabody.jhu.edu/events.
Temirkanov cancels with BSO
Yuri Temirkanov, music director emeritus of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, has canceled scheduled performances April 24-27 because of a scheduling conflict. Temirkanov, recently appointed principal guest conductor of the Bolshoi Opera in Moscow, will be involved in a production of Bizet's Carmen with the company in April. He is now slated to return to the BSO podium during the 2008-2009 season.
Replacing Temirkanov for the April program will be Yan Pascal Tortelier.
tim.smith@baltsun.com