O.C. Philharmonic Society Tunes Up for Expansion

The Orange County Philharmonic Society will continue in its healthy expansion mode next season, bringing back recitals after a three-year absence and increasing its number of offerings at both the Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa and the Irvine Barclay Theatre.

The budget and scheduling problems that caused a major retrenchment two years ago appear to be things of the past. “We’re out of those peaks and valleys,” executive director Dean Corey said Monday. “We had a good year this year, and that leveled things out.”

Next season will see eight orchestras at the center--the same number as this year. But 13 additional programs there will include recitals by mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal and violinist Itzhak Perlman; a production of “Orfeo ed Euridice” co-sponsored with Opera Pacific, and a diverse range of ethnic world music and dance events co-sponsored with the center.

The world music programs will include Ballet Folklorico de Mexico Sept. 9 and 10; guitarist Paco de Lucia and Sextet Oct. 17; Tango X 2, a dance group, Nov. 16; Fiesta Navidad twice on Dec. 23, and Samulnori, drummers and dancers from Korea, Feb. 3.

The center’s cooperation in presenting the world music events shows how far relations between the two organizations have come in just two years. In early 1993, then-center president Thomas Kendrick tried to block the Philharmonic Society from booking similar types of programs.

“This is now a very cooperative type of arrangement,” said Corey, who took over the Philharmonic Society later in ‘93, at roughly the same time the center replaced Kendrick with Tom Tomlinson. “The center puts its name on the programs, and that allows it to serve as a clearing house, which is not as ominous as it sounds,” Corey said. However, he added, “We still take the (financial) risk.”

There will be 13 concerts at the Irvine Barclay (up from 12), including six programs presented jointly with the Laguna Chamber Music Society; three concerts by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra on dates to be announced, and a series of diverse events including a recital by pianist Ursula Oppens, and concerts by Altan, an Irish traditional band, and the Frankfurt-based Ensemble Modern, which will play selections by the late Frank Zappa.

Altogether there will be 34 events as opposed to 25 this year (and 19 in 1993-94). This still falls short of the record 39 concerts and recitals the Society presented in 1991-92.

The classical programming will range from mainstream repertory by Mozart, Beethoven and Dvorak to first performances of works by Wolfgang Rihm and John Adams, including excerpts from a new opera (to be named). Adams is the composer of “Nixon in China” and “The Death of Klinghoffer.”

In addition to the “Orfeo” collaboration, the Society will present a concert version of Bartok’s opera “Bluebeard’s Castle” on a Nov. 18 program by the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the center.

The Society also will introduce a new pricing scale for single tickets for most concerts at the center. Segerstrom Hall will be divided into 12 sections and prices will range from $10 to $100. Currently, there are six price levels ranging from $17 to $45.

The budget for the season will rise to about $2.5 million from the current $2.1 million, all from an expected increase in ticket sales.

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O.C. Philharmonic Society’s 1995-96 Concert Season

AT THE ORANGE COUNTY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

* Saturday, Sept. 9, 8 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 10, 3 p.m.: Ballet Folklorico de Mexico; Amalia Hernandez, director. Program to be announced. (Non-subscription event; co-presented by the Orange County Performing Arts Center.)

* Thursday, Sept. 21, 8 p.m.: Cecilia Bartoli, mezzo-soprano. Program TBA. (Series C)

* Saturday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m.: Hong Kong Philharmonic; David Atherton, conductor; Edith Chen, piano: Suite from Stravinsky’s “Firebird”; Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3; Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances.” (Series A)

* Tuesday, Oct. 17, 8 p.m.: Paco de Lucia and Sextet. Program TBA. Co-presented with the Performing Arts Center. (C)

* Wednesday, Oct. 18, 8 p.m.: Itzhak Perlman, violin; Janet Guggenheim, piano. Program TBA. (Series B)

* Thursday, Nov. 16, 8 p.m.: Tango X 2. Co-presented with the Performing Arts Center. (C)

* Saturday, Nov. 18, 8 p.m.: Los Angeles Philharmonic; Kent Nagano, conductor; mezzo-soprano and bass to be announced. Mendelssohn’s Overture for Winds; Suite No. 2 from Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe”; Bartok’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” (concert version). (B)

* Saturday, Dec. 23, 3 and 8 p.m.: Fiesta Navidad; Mariachi los Camperos de Nati Cano and other artists; non-subscription event. Co-presented with the Performing Arts Center.

* Sunday, Jan. 21, 3 p.m.: St. Petersburg Philharmonic; Mariss Jansons, conductor; Pamela Frank, violin: Overture to Rossini’s “L’Italiana in Algeri”; Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1; Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”); (A)

* Saturday, Feb. 3, 8 p.m.: Samulnori: Drummers and Dancers of Korea. Program TBA. Co-presented with the Performing Arts Center. (C)

* Saturday, Feb. 10, 8 p.m.: Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; Kenneth Silleto, conductor: works by Handel, Bach, Dvorak, others. (B).

* Friday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m.: Los Angeles Philharmonic; Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor: Stravinsky’s Symphony in C; Mozart’s Symphony No. 40; Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements. (A)

* Saturday, Feb. 17, 8 p.m.: Chicago Sinfonietta; Paul Freeman, conductor; Leon Bates, piano: Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” and Concerto in F. Other works TBA. (C)

* Sunday, March 3, 3 p.m.: Jean-Pierre Rampal, flute; John Steele Ritter, piano. Program TBA. (A)

* Thursday, March 28, 8 p.m.: St. Louis Symphony; Leonard Slatkin, conductor: Haydn’s Symphony No. 70; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7; new work by Claude Baker to be announced. (B)

* Wednesday and Thursday, April 24 and 25, 8 p.m.: Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice”; Mark Morris Dance Group: Mark Morris, director and choreographer; Handel and Haydn Society Orchestra and Chorus: Christopher Hogwood, conductor; with Michael Chance, Dana Hanchard and Christine Berandes (non-subscription event, co-presented with Opera Pacific).

* Saturday, April 27, 8 p.m.: Dresden Staatskappelle Orchestra; Giuseppe Sinopoli, conductor: Strauss’ “Metamorphosen”; Bruckner’s Symphony No. 4 (“Romantic”). (A)

* Sunday, April 28, 3 p.m.: Dresden Staatskappelle Orchestra; Sinopoli, conductor; cellist to be named: Strauss’ “Don Juan”; Schumann’s Concerto in A minor for Cello; Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 (“Pathetique”). (B)

AT THE IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE

* Tuesday, Oct. 10, 1995, 8 p.m.: Piano Mix with Ursula Oppens. Program TBA. (Series E)

* Monday, Oct. 23, 8 p.m.: Beaux Arts Trio. Program TBA. (Series D)

* Sunday, Oct. 29, 3 p.m.: Hilliard Ensemble: “Officium: Medieval Chant with Improvisational Jazz.” (E)

* Tuesday, Nov. 21, 8 p.m.: St. Petersburg String Quartet. Program TBA. (D)

* Wednesday, Jan. 24, 8 p.m.: Orion String Quartet. Program TBA. (D)

* Monday, March 4, 8 p.m.: Daniel String Quartet. Program TBA. (D)

* Tuesday, March 12, 8 p.m.: Altan Irish traditional band. Program TBA. (E)

* Friday, March 29, 8 p.m.: Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio. Program TBA. (D)

* Wednesday, May 1, 8 p.m.: Ensemble Modern; John Adams, conductor: Varese’ “Octandre”; Conlon Nancarrow’s “Studies for Player Piano”; Frank Zappa’s “The Yellow Shark”; new works by Wolfgang Rihm and Adams. (E)

* Tuesday, May 7, 8 p.m.: Borromeo String Quartet. Program TBA. (D)

* To be announced: Three concerts by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

Series: A. Great Orchestras and More subscription series Prices: $49-$270

Series: B. Great Orchestras and More subscription series Prices: $49-$228

Series: C. Adams-Streeter International Festival Prices: $49-$270

Series: D. Chamber music series co-presented with the Laguna Chamber Music Society Prices: $80-$140

Series: E. Series Eclectic Prices: $54-$194

Prices of single tickets will vary according to the event, with most tickets ranging from $10 to $100. Information: (714) 553-2422.