Sixty-five — the new 40 — is a splendid age, and it's a milestone that will be properly and festively marked by Mitchell Sardou Klein during the orchestra's LXV-th season, Oct. 25 through May 17, 2014.
The orchestra will have dual venues for the coming year, both splendid: Stanford's Bing Concert Hall and the newly renovated San Mateo Performing Arts Center. For Cupertino concerts, they return to Flint Center, not quite in the same category as the other two, but that's just my opinion.
Highlights of the season include world premieres of two commissioned works — one by Ron Miller for the opening program, and Jonathan Russell’s Double Concerto for Cello, Clarinet, and Orchestra on March 21-22.
There is an all-Bloch concert Nov. 22 and 24, and a Dave Brubeck tribute to Bay Area jazz great Taylor Eigsti Jan. 17-18.
The rich opening program on Oct. 25 offers the yet-unnamed Miller premiere, the Grieg Piano Concerto (with John O’Conor as soloist), the Brahms Academic Festival Overture and Walton's Crown Imperial; Handel's Zadok the Priestand Beethoven's Choral Fantasy with the Masterworks Chorale.
In addition to premieres, the five-program, 10-performance season features Klein’s signature mix of engaging works by composers ranging from Handel, Beethoven, and Brahms to Gershwin, Debussy, and Walton. Guest artists for the season include cellist Nathan Chan, clarinetist Jonathan Russell, baritone/cantor Stephen Saxon, and saxophonist Dayna Stevens.
Besides the Masterworks Chorale, the San Mateo High School Band, Stanford Symphonic Chorus and Youjin Lee, winner of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition, will also participate in the season.