Nashville Symphony Announces 2023/24 Season

“Here in Music City, the Nashville Symphony audience is among the most adventurous in the world. This means we can put our own Nashville stamp on every program by elevating under-represented voices and championing the American composers of our time,” said Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero. “Placing these works in the context of well-known repertoire refreshes the classics and helps us hear them in a whole new light.”

Guest artists include pianist and longtime Symphony collaborator Garrick Ohlsson performing Brahms’ First Piano Concerto (Sep. 14 to 16), Janice Carissa performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 (Feb. 2 & 3), Jennifer Koh performing Barber’s Violin Concerto (Feb. 22 to 24), Zuill Bailey performing Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 (Apr. 5 & 6), and Gil Shaham performing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto (May 2 to 4).

The Classical Series culminates with two profound performances: Guerrero conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 10 (May 16 to 18), completing his multi-year survey of all ten Mahler symphonies. And the centerpiece of the final concert in the Classical Series is Carmina burana with the Nashville Symphony Chorus, and Blair Children’s Chorus (May 30 to Jun. 2).

“Over the past few years, the world around us has changed in profound ways, and the Nashville Symphony has created a new strategic framework to address the challenges and opportunities ahead,” said Chief Operating Officer Tonya Robles. “The Symphony is now, more than ever, committed to serving the entirety of Nashville and Middle Tennessee both onstage and off, and we’re confident that the 23/24 season will inspire and engage our diverse community with extraordinary live orchestral music.”

RHAPSODY IN BLUE CENTENNIAL
The Nashville Symphony will also observe the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and its innovative spirit this season with versions that span three genres.

On opening night, Nashville superstar and long-time Symphony friend and collaborator Béla Fleck will recreate the fiendishly difficult piano concerto on banjo. Fleck began working on the Gershwin as a high school student, and now, at the height of his artistry, the Orchestra will present the world premiere of his country rendition (Sep. 9). Pianist Tony DeSare will perform a jazzier take on the Pops Series with conductor Byron Stripling (Jan. 11 to 13), and the original will be part of the Classical series performed by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, who will do double duty by performing Gershwin’s Concerto in F on the same concert (Apr. 12 to 14).

LIVE RECORDINGS

With 14 GRAMMY® Awards and 27 nominations, the Nashville Symphony is one of the country’s most prolific recordingorchestras, championing American composers and giving definitive performances of their music — and the Orchestra — to a global audience. This season, Guerrero and the Symphony will be live recording four works for future commercial release. Written for (and with) the guest soloist, New York Philharmonic Principal Trombone Joseph Alessi, Guerrero brings the late jazz legend Chick Corea’s Trombone Concerto. (Nov. 2 to 4). Guerrero and Alessi gave the world premiere in August of 2021 with the São Paulo Symphony, and Alessi has since been performing the concerto all over the world to great critical and audience acclaim. Antonio Estevez’s Cantata Criolla (Nov. 17 & 18) will be recorded with tenor Aquiles Machado and baritone Juan Tomás Martínez, based on a Venezuelan mythic poem about a singing contest between Florentino and the Devil.