São Paulo Symphony Orchestra

Led by their Music Director, Marin Alsop, and joined by violinist Ning Feng, the orchestra will perform programmes showcasing the music of South American composers alongside works by Prokofiev, Paganini and Strauss and touch upon Marin’s close association with Leonard Bernstein by performing his Candide overture.

Programme 1

PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 1 in D major, “Classical”, Op 25
PAGANINI Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op 6
Violinist: Ning Feng
-interval-
CAMARGO GUARNIERI Suite Vila Rica (excerpts)
R STRAUSS Der Rosenkavalier Suite

Programme 2

BERSTEIN Candide Overture
VILLA-LOBOS Bachianas Brasileiras, No 4
GINASTERA Dances from Estancia, Op 8
-interval-
RIMSKY-KORSAVKOV Scheherazade, Op 35

Performances

14 February 2019
Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai, China

15 February 2019
Shandong Grand Theatre, Jinan, China

16 February 2019
NCPA, Beijing, China

21 February 2019
Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong

22 February 2019
Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Hong Kong

In Edinburgh on 22 August and collaborating with the festival chorus, they perform two choral works - Villa-Lobos Chôros No.10, A.209 'Rasga o coração' and Bernstein Chichester Psalms and close with a performance of Shostakovich Symphony No.5.

In London as part of the BBC Proms the orchestra will perform a concert opening with Brazilian composer Marlos Nobre's Kabbalah. As a late night event, the orchestra will be joined by musicians from the São Paulo Jazz Symphony Orchestra for a landmark celebration of Brazilian popular-music from the past 100 years.

Their performance at the Lucerne Festival will showcase Marlos Nobre 'Kabbalah', Grieg Piano Concerto performed by Gabriela Montero, Villa-Lobos Prelude from Bachianas Brasileiras 4 and Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances.

Performances

22 August 2016
Usher Hall, Edinburgh

24 August 2016, 19:00
Royal Albert Hall, London  

24 August 2016, 22:15
Royal Albert Hall, London  

26 August 2016
KKL Concert Hall, Lucerne

The concerts in London, Manchester and Dublin were part of a wider European tour. This followed an acclaimed UK performance by the orchestra in 2012, when Intermusica brought the orchestra to the BBC Proms.

London:
Guarnieri Symphony No.4 ‘Brasilia’
Bernstein West Side Story: Symphonic Dances
Berio Sinfonia

Dublin/Manchester:
Assad Saravá
Bernstein West Side Story: Symphonic Dances
Mahler Symphony No.1 in D major ‘Titan’

Conductor and others:
Marin Alsop conductor
The Swingle Singers

Press
“…a stellar performance, full of colour, vitality and drama… though they play with the technical proficiency of a top professional orchestra, they somehow retain the spirit and passion of a wide-eyed youth orchestra.”
Bachtrack.com

“High-energy, vividly coloured… what a corker of an encore Alsop found with Victory Stride by James P Johnson, composer of the “Charleston”, a jazzy, uplifting, raucous winner – brilliant!”
Financial Times

“This [Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances] was a taught performance, disciplined enough for the seemingly abandoned Mambo to evaporate into a deliciously sweet Cha-Cha, and with big melodies that melted the heart without curdling into sentimentality.”
Guardian

“One might excuse the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra for feeling jaded as this Manchester performance was the penultimate concert in a demanding fifteen date European tour. Yet the playing at this concert in the Bridgewater Hall International Concert Serieswas anything but lacklustre with the reliable baton of chief conductor Marin Alsop ensuring an enthusiastic performance steeped with vitality.”
Seen and Heard International.com

“Between these three works, the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra have displayed immense ability, control and charm, and under the baton of Alsop, these qualities are very much at the fore of this evening’s performance. A wonderful orchestra, with a wonderful conductor, in a wonderful setting – is there anything else you could possibly desire?”
GoldenPlec.com

Performances

25 October 2013
Royal Festival Hall, London

26 October 2013
National Concert Hall, Dublin

27 October 2013
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

Conducted by Marin Alsop, the performance at the BBC Proms also marked the first ever performance by a Brazilian orchestra at the British festival. The orchestra brought with them a programme offering the musical soundscapes of both North and South America, such as Dvorak’s Symphony ‘From the New World’ and works by Villa Lobos.

BBC Proms:
Dvorák Symphony No.9 in E minor, Op.95 'From the New World'
INTERVAL
Copland Fanfare for the Common Man
Tower Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman
Villa Lobos Momoprécoce, fantasy for piano and orchestra
Ginastera Dances from Estancia, dance suite from the ballet, Op.8a

Snape Proms, Aldeburgh:
Dvorák Cello Concerto in B minor, Op.104 – 40
INTERVAL
Tchaikovsky Symphony No.4 in F minor

Performances

15 August 2012

BBC Proms

16 August 2012

Snape Proms, Aldeburgh