The Broken Promise
Oct
7
7:30 PM19:30

The Broken Promise

Can art make you a better person? From promise to heartbreak, this powerful program traces the rise and fall of a culture that once believed art could save it. Parlando explores the story of German-Jewish life and identity through three striking works: Felix Mendelssohn’s bright and joyful Son and Stranger Overture, Franz Schreker’s lush and bittersweet Birthday of the Infanta Suite, and Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen, a haunting elegy written in the ruins of World War II. Together, they paint a portrait of hope, beauty, and the devastating betrayal of both German Jewry and Germany itself.

FELIX MENDELSSOHN  –  Son and Stranger Overture
FRANZ SCHREKER  –  The Birthday of the Infanta Suite
RICHARD STRAUSS  –  Metamorphosen

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Crossing Over
Dec
7
3:00 PM15:00

Crossing Over

How different is classical music from jazz, really? From smoky Soviet salons to mid-century Manhattan, jazz has left its mark on even the most unexpected corners of classical music. Join Parlando for a foot-tapping, genre-crossing evening that explores how classical composers borrowed the rhythms, harmonies and swing of jazz to create something entirely new. The program features Shostakovich’s sly and stylish Jazz Suite No. 1, Kapustin’s electrifying Piano Concerto No. 2, performed by rising star Maxim Lando, and Duke Ellington’s dazzling transformation of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite.

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In Vain
Feb
22
3:00 PM15:00

In Vain

What does it mean to make music in complete darkness? Join Parlando for an immersive performance of Georg Friedrich Haas’s in vain, a gripping, hour-long work that bends time, light and memory. Written in response to the far-right’s resurgence in Austria and described by The Guardian as “the first masterpiece of the 21st century,” in vain confronts the fragility of democracy through waves of harmony, shimmering stillness, and sudden rupture. As politics around the world grow darker, Haas offers both a warning and a vision: a plea to keep listening, even when the lights go out.

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The Cabaret Project: Part II
Apr
22
7:30 PM19:30

The Cabaret Project: Part II

Ian Niederhoffer, conductor
From smoky Berlin nightclubs to today’s jazz clubs, cabaret walks the line between satire and story. Join Parlando for The Cabaret Project: Part II, the second chapter of a two-season collaboration with soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, exploring cabaret’s blend of sharp-edged social commentary and deeply personal storytelling. This eclectic program features Ernst Krenek’s jazzy Fantasie on Jonny spielt auf, Hanns Eisler’s punchy Kleine Sinfonie, and Abel Meeropol’s haunting Strange Fruit, the searing ballad made famous by Billie Holiday. The concert features a world premiere orchestration of Zombie Blizzard by Aaron Davis and Margaret Atwood, a biting, humorous and moving song cycle about gender, loss and the strange beauty of survival.

ERNST KRENEK – Fantasie Jonny spielt auf for Salon Orchestra
HANNS EISLER – Kleine Sinfonie
ABEL MEEROPOL – "Strange Fruit" ft. Measha Brueggergosman-Lee
AARON DAVIS/MARGARET ATWOOD – Zombie Blizzard (World Premiere Orchestration) ft. Measha Brueggergosman-Lee

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American Aristocracy
Aug
10
7:30 PM19:30

American Aristocracy

Step back in time with Parlando, New York’s celebrated chamber orchestra, for a special evening celebrating Westerly’s own cinematic history. At the beautifully restored UNITED Theatre, enjoy a rare screening of American Aristocracy (1916), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks, filmed right here in Westerly and Watch Hill over a century ago. 

 

This homegrown piece of film history comes alive with a newly created orchestral score, performed live by Parlando and built entirely from music by New England composers active during the time the film was made. These pieces, full of energy and elegance, echo the spirit of early 20th-century life in Rhode Island and across the region.

 

It’s a night that bridges Westerly’s artistic past and present, uniting local heritage with world-class performance. A must-see event for film lovers, music fans, and proud Rhode Islanders alike.

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The Cabaret Project, Part 1
May
1
7:30 PM19:30

The Cabaret Project, Part 1

Ian Niederhoffer, conductor
Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, soprano

ERIK SATIE  –  Trois Petites Pièces Montées
FRANZ SCHREKER  –  Chamber Symphony
WILLIAM BOLCOM  –  Cabaret Songs

From sultry Parisian nightclubs to the biting sophistication of Berlin’s Weimar era, cabaret had a vibrant history years before it first appeared in New York. Join Parlando for the first installment of The Cabaret Project, a two-season collaboration with soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, exploring the art of cabaret and its journey across the Atlantic. The program includes Erik Satie’s whimsical Trois petites pieces montées, Franz Schreker’s evocative Chamber Symphony, and William Bolcom’s irreverent Cabaret Songs for Soprano and Chamber Orchestra.

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Mystic Chords
Feb
23
3:00 PM15:00

Mystic Chords

Suzanne Farrin, ondes martinot
Sophiko Simsive, piano
Ian Niederhoffer, conductor

BRYCE DESSNER  –  Aheym
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS  –  Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
OLIVIER MESSAIEN  –  Trois petites liturgies de la présence divine

How do composers convey their spirituality and identity through their music? Join Parlando on a mystical journey through heritage and time. The program includes Bryce Dessner’s fleet-footed Aheym, Ralph Vaughan Williams’s spellbinding Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, and Olivier Messaien’s transcendent Trois petites ligurgies de la présence divine.

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Sidewalk Tango
Dec
8
3:00 PM15:00

Sidewalk Tango

JP Jofre, bandoneon
Ian Niederhoffer, conductor

UNSUK CHIN  –  Gougalon
ERWIN SCHULHOFF  –  Suite for Chamber Orchestra, WV 58
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA  –  Suite Punta del Este

How are composers able to capture the hustle and bustle of the city? Join Parlando as it explores the sounds of the city, from Seoul to Berlin to Buenos Aires. The program includes Unsuk Chin’s kaleidoscopic Gougalon, Erwin Schulhoff’s jazzy Suite for Chamber Orchestra, and Astor Piazzolla’s Nuevo Tango Suite Punta del Este, featuring bandoneon soloist JP Jofre.

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Night Music
Sep
26
7:30 PM19:30

Night Music

Yoobin Son, flute
Parker Ramsay, harp
Ian Niederhoffer, conductor

GABRIEL FAURÉ  –  Nocturne from Shylock, Op. 57
TORU TAKEMITSU  –  Toward the Sea II
W.A. MOZART  –  Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra in C Major, K. 299     
     II. Andantino
BÉLA BARTÓK  –  Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, Sz. 106

From nocturnes to lullabies to Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, music and the night have long been linked. But what exactly makes music sound like nighttime? Join Parlando as conductor Ian Niederhoffer explores the music of the night. The program includes Gabriel Fauré’s serene Nocturne from Shylock, Toru Takemitsu’s eerie Toward the Sea II, featuring flautist Yoobin Son and harpist Parker Ramsay, music from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s dreamy Flute and Harp Concerto, and Bartok’s legendary Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta.

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Symphony of Laughter
Aug
24
7:30 PM19:30

Symphony of Laughter

Join us for an unforgettable evening of humor and harmony as Parlando presents a “Symphony of Laughter.” This unique live concert event celebrates the intersections between comedy and music, with the Parlando orchestra blending the whimsical scores of PDQ Bach, and the playful compositions of Saint-Saëns and others as they provide the perfect backdrop to hilarious clips from the genius of Charlie Chaplin and other comedy greats on the big-screen. Discover how classical music has historically energized and enhanced comedic performances, creating moments of joy and laughter. Whether you’re a classical music aficionado or a comedy lover, this event promises to entertain and delight.

 

Pieces will include: PDQ BACH –  Eine Kleine Nichtmusik 

CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS –  Carnival of the Animals 

DARIUS MILHAUD  –  Le bœuf sur le toit

THE TYPEWRITER – Leroy Anderson

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The New Babylon
Aug
26
7:30 PM19:30

The New Babylon

Step into the world of silent movies like never before in a live performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s The New Babylon. Prepare to be transported to the glory days of movie palaces as this legendary silent film comes to life with a captivating orchestral score performed right before your eyes. Featuring New York-based chamber orchestra Parlando performing Shostakovich’s vibrant score, The New Babylon brings the tale of two lovers caught in the throes of political upheaval in 19th century Paris to the United Theatre in a tribute to the early pioneers of movies and movie music.

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Cold War
Feb
26
2:00 PM14:00

Cold War

ARTISTS/INSTRUMENTS
Aubree Oliverson, Violin
Ian Niederhoffer, Conductor

COMPOSERS/TITLES
AARON COPLAND – Nonet for Strings 
MIECZYSŁAW WEINBERG – Concertino for Violin and String Orchestra
EDVARD MIRZOYAN – Symphony for String Orchestra and Timpani

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Between Sacred and Profane
Sep
22
8:00 PM20:00

Between Sacred and Profane

ARTISTS/INSTRUMENTS
Parker Ramsay, Harp
Ian Niederhoffer, Conductor

COMPOSERS/TITLES
REENA ESMAIL — Teen Murti
CLAUDE DEBUSSY — Danse sacrée et danse profane for Harp and String Orchestra
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN — Cavatina and Grosse Fuge Op. 130/133 (arr. string orchestra)

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Spring Forward
Apr
24
2:00 PM14:00

Spring Forward

COMPOSERS/TITLES

Mason Bynes — Spring, Sprang, Sprung
Inti Figgis-Vizueta — ensemble forecast
Anna Roberts-Gevalt — imagine sarah, between protests
Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate — Spirit Chief Names the Animal People
Aaron Copland — Appalachian Spring Suite for 13 Instruments

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Dialogues
Nov
14
2:00 PM14:00

Dialogues

ARTISTS

Maxim Lando, Piano
David Krauss, Trumpet
Ian Niederhoffer, Conductor

COMPOSERS/TITLES

ANTON WEBERN — Langsamer Satz (arr. Gerard Schwarz)
TED HEARNE – Law of Mosaics
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH – Piano Concerto No. 1

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Dual Selves
Feb
27
8:00 PM20:00

Dual Selves

ARTISTS

Ian Niederhoffer, Conductor

Robert Cuccioli, Narrator

COMPOSERS/TITLES

FRANZ SCHREKER – Intermezzo
GABRIELA LENA FRANK – Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout
ARNOLD SCHOENBERG – Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)

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