This autumn, Pretty Yende will make two highly anticipated debuts, first with the Philadelphia Orchestra on October 15, 16 & 17, and then with Washington National Opera on November 6, 8, 10, & 14. Under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Ms. Yende will perform some of Strauss’ most beloved lyrical songs, and also featured on the program is the world premiere of Robin Holcomb’s Paradise, a response to California’s deadly wildfires.
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s celebration of Beethoven’s masterworks continues with his “Pastoral” Symphony, brimming with buoyant melodies and a bucolic spirit, on October 15 & 17, and on October 16, the orchestra performs his lesser-known work, the Fourth Symphony, which was admired by many including Berlioz who insisted it was the work of an angel.
Following this engagement, Ms. Yende heads to Washington National Opera for the first in-person programming of the Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary season, the Come Home: A Celebration of Return concert. Pretty joins a star-studded cast led by WNO Principal Conductor Evan Rogister and backed by WNO’s Orchestra and Chorus, including Isabel Leonard, Lawrence Brownlee, Alexandria Shiner, David Butt Philip, and Christian Van Horn.
For WNO’s return to the stage, this concert features a musical tribute to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In honor of WNO’s beloved patron, the WNO family performs segments from the Justice’s favorite operas and commemorates her extraordinary contributions to American ideals.
Photo: Dario Acosta