Fort Wayne Philharmonic Announces 80th Season
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fort Wayne, IN (June 1, 2023) -- Today, Music Director Andrew Constantine and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic announced the concert line-up for the 2023-24 Season. The Season will consist of Masterworks and Pops Series concerts available for purchase as single tickets or part of a subscription package. Other concerts will include the Matinee Series, the intimate chamber music of the Freimann Series, and a reimagined Family Series highlighting music from around the world.
Said Music Director Andrew Constantine, “The Fort Wayne Philharmonic’s 2023-24 Season is one that has given me an incredible amount of joy in planning. Not only does it offer us the opportunity to present to you some of the greatest music ever written, we’ll also be hosting a truly outstanding array of guest artists and soloists in a welcoming and comfortable environment. I can’t wait to share with you a journey that will help shape the Philharmonic’s new and exciting future!”
The Paul Yergens and Virginia Yergens Rogers Foundation Masterworks Series features time-honored masterpieces and contemporary favorites. The new Season kicks off with the music of iconic film composer Korngold and guest violinist Gil Shaham. Next up is Concerto for Oboe with Orion Rapp. Other highlights of the upcoming Season include innovative cellist Thomas Mesa, the rich sounds of pianist Michelle Cann, internationally acclaimed violinist Rachel Barton Pine, Grammy Award nominee Philippe Quint on the violin, and the outstanding sounds of Fabio Bidini on piano.
The Sweetwater Pops Series is also packed with fresh programs and beloved guest artists. Tony Award winner, Grammy Award winner, and alumna of Fort Wayne’s Northrop High School, Heather Headley kicks off this Season’s Pop Series with Broadway showstoppers and songs of inspiration. Fort Wayne’s favorite holiday tradition returns with Holiday Pops in December. The Season continues when the French Quarter comes to Fort Wayne with Byron Stripling’s Mardi Gras, and we’ll hear crooner and guest artist Tony DeSare’s take on Sinatra. The 2023-24 Pops Series wraps up with the group “Go Now” as they honor the great rock tunes of the Moody Blues.
The Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company Freimann Series offers audiences chamber music classics up close and personal. This series, programed by the Philharmonic musicians, will showcase favorite composers of the Romantic era. The Family Series continues with music from around the globe, including the sounds of Mexico, China, and more.
Special events start with holiday fun. The Muppet Christmas Carol brings Charles Dickens’s classic tale to life through the magic of Jim Henson and The Muppets. Then experience a Symphony of Steel at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, where audiences will be transported to the holidays of yesteryear with small ensembles set in a unique setting of 120 historic automobiles. Later next Spring, local favorite Bach in the Barn returns, offering an intimate listening experience in a countryside setting.
Philharmonic President and CEO Brittany Hall said that audiences can look forward to new, engaging and impactful experiences. “As we launch the 80th Season in our new home at the Purdue Fort Wayne Auer Performance Hall, we are excited about the future of the Philharmonic as we amplify new and returning world-renowned artists to Fort Wayne.”
“Together we will look towards the future with powerful and community-centric performances,” she said.
Subscription tickets go on sale for new subscribers on July 26, 2023, and single tickets to performances go on sale August 15, 2023. Current subscribers have early access. Subscribers get priority seating at the very best prices. Subscribe for the 2023-24 Season and receive priority access next year!
2023-2024 Season Concert Listing
Paul Yergens and Virginia Yergens Rogers Foundation Masterworks Series – All 7:30 p.m. at Auer Performance Hall in the Purdue Fort Wayne Music Building
Opening Night: Gil Shaham & Pictures at an Exhibition – October 7, 2023
Concerto for Oboe with Orion Rapp – November 11, 2023
Cello Virtuoso Thomas Mesa – January 20, 2024
Mozart Requiem – February 17, 2024
Rachel Barton Pine & Dvořák’s 7th – March 9, 2024
Beethoven with Philippe Quint – April 13, 2024
Fabio Bidini plays Rachmaninoff – May 4, 2024
Sweetwater Pops Series – All 7:30 p.m. at Auer Performance Hall in the Purdue Fort Wayne Music Building
Heather Headley – October 14, 2023
Holiday Pops – December 14-17, 2023
Byron Stripling’s Mardi Gras – February 3, 2024
Sinatra and Beyond with Tony DeSare – March 23, 2024
Go Now! The Music of the Moody Blues - May 11, 2024
Matinee Series – All 2:00 p.m. at Auer Performance Hall in the Purdue Fort Wayne Music Building
Holiday Pops – December 16-17, 2023
Cello Virtuoso Thomas Mesa – January 20, 2024
Sinatra and Beyond with Tony DeSare – March 23, 2024
Beethoven with Philippe Quint – April 13, 2024
Brotherhood Mutual Freimann Insurance Company Series – Wed. 7:30 p.m. at History Center, Sun. 2:00 p.m. at PFW
Freimann 1 – October 25, 2023 and October 29, 2023
Freimann 2 – January 24, 2024 and January 28, 2024
Freimann 3 – February 28, 2024 and March 3, 2024
Freimann 4 – May 8, 2024 and May 12, 2024
Family Series - All 11:00 a.m.
Día de los Muertos – October 28, 2023 at PFW
Year of the Dragon: A Lunar New Year Celebration – January 27, 2024 at Arts United Center
Mystery Destination! - March 2, 2024 at PFW
Johnny Appleseed Goes to the Symphony – April 6, 2024 at Arts United Center
Special Events
The Sound of Innovation – a NEW series at downtown Fort Wayne’s Electric Works
Pops Special – The Muppet Christmas Carol - November 16, 2023 at PFW
Symphony of Steel – December 7, 2023 at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum
Messiah by Candlelight – December 22, 2023 at PFW
Masterworks Special – The Romance of Brahms: Part I – February 2, 2024 at PFW
Patriotic Pops --> Celebrate Independence Day with FREE concerts