A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS

MAR 2 | 7:30pm Rialto theater, tacoma
MAR 3 | 2:00pm pioneer park pavilion, puyallup

pictures at an exhibition

Yaniv Attar, Conductor
Hector Del Curto, Bandoneon
Katherine Filiss, Oboe, NWS 2024 Youth Concerto Competition Winner

Goossens, Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in One Movement

Piazzolla, Aconcagua (Bandoneon Concerto)

Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition (arr. Lindberg)

Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition was originally written for solo piano, and we are thrilled to bring audiences this brilliant arrangement for chamber orchestra by Christian Lindberg. Each movement of Mussorgsky’s masterpiece was inspired by a piece of artwork by Viktor Hartmann, including hatching chicks, children at play, Baba Yaga’s hut, catacombs, rattling crates and more, linked by promenade movements that draw you deeper into this musical gallery. Northwest Sinfonietta is again teaming up with Spaceworks Tacoma, our partner in the arts, to create and incorporate new works by local artists into this program. Bandoneon soloist Hector Del Curto joins Northwest Sinfonietta for Piazzolla’s Aconcagua for solo bandoneon, harp, piano and strings. Bandoneon is the instrument of Argentinian tango, which Astor Pizzolla mastered and revolutionized, and this concerto is arguably the ‘Aconcagua’ or peak of his body of work. We are delighted to be able to showcase the winner of our 2024 Youth Concerto Competition, Katherine Filiss, with American composer Eugene Goossens’ Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in One Movement.

JUST ADDED
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29 (LEAP DAY!) | 7PM
TACOMA URBAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1105 Mlk jr way, tacoma

ART OF TANGO

Join us for this FREE community performance event exploring Argentinian tango with Northwest Sinfonietta, bandoneonist Hector Del Curto, Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center, Marisela Fleites and more. This event is both a performance AND a participatory experience! Enjoy performances of many of the most exquisite and well-known works of Astor Piazzolla, including Libertango, Oblivion and Café 1930 with choreographed dances by Marisela Fleites and Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center. Tango dancers are welcome to dance Palomita Blanca and Gallo Ciego, and beginners will have an opportunity to learn and try out some basic steps. This event is FREE to the community with support from Tacoma Venues and Events and Tacoma Creates. Join us and connect with other music and dance lovers for this immersion in tango. This event is a great lead-up to Northwest Sinfonietta’s concerts on March 2 & 3 which feature Hector Del Curto performing Piazzolla’s bandoneon concerto, Aconcagua.

Image courtesy of Willow Bader.

MAY 4 | 7:30pm rialto theater, TAcoma
MAY 5 | 2:00pm pioneer park pavilion, Puyallup

bach, beethoven & bass

Jeffery Meyer, Conductor
Xavier Foley, Double Bass
Denise Dillenbeck, Violin

Clarice Assad, Suite for Lower Strings on Themes of Bach

Bottesini, Gran duo concertante

Xavier Foley, For Justice and Peace

Beethoven, Symphony No. 7

The favorite three B’s—Bach, Beethoven and…Bass? Yes! The extraordinary double bassist Xavier Foley is joining us for our season finale, performing Botessini’s virtuosic Gran duo concertante with Concertmaster Denise Dillenbeck, and his own sweeping composition, For Justice and Peace, which speaks straight to the heart. Clarice Assad’s Suite for Lower Strings opens this love-fest for the lowest-sounding instrument of our string family. Each playful movement highlights famous and recognizable themes by J.S. Bach in this fantasy suite. To close our season, Artistic Partner Jeffery Meyer leads the orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, a sublime epic filled with Beethoven’s optimism in the face of adversity, and ultimately hope for the future. 

SOLD OUT — OCT 7 | 7:30pm FOSS WATERWAY SEAPORT MUSEUM, tacoma
sold out — OCT 8 | 2:00pm pioneer park pavilion, puyallup

WINe & DINE

Jeffery Meyer, Conductor
Dan Williams, Oboe
Jennifer Krikawa, Soprano · Ivy Zhou, Soprano · Andrew Etherington, Tenor
PLU Opera Chorus, James Brown, Director

Juan Pablo Contreras, Mariachitlán

Roupen Shakarian, Oboe Concerto (World Premiere) - with flight of wines

J. Strauss II, selections from Die Fledermaus

Come party with us! We're opening this season of favorites with Juan Pablo Contreras's joyful homage to the birthplace of mariachi music, the Mexican state of Jalisco, where mariachis play their songs on every corner, vying for the love and attention of the crowds. We are thrilled to be premiering Roupen Shakarian's Oboe Concerto written for oboist and wine aficionado Dan Williams. We’ll serve a complimentary flight of wines and munchies with this light, delightful work. The second half is an opera extravaganza. We are collaborating with the PLU Opera Chorus and soloists Andrew Etherington, Ivy Zhou and Vashon Opera diva Jennifer Krikawa to bring our favorite Die Fledermaus selections to the party, including the famous champagne song. 

*The Saturday performance is held at the Foss Waterway Seaport Museum in Tacoma, with assigned table seating. 

sold out - DEC 16 | 7:30pm courthouse square ballroom, tacoma
DEC 17 | 2:00pm pioneer park pavilion, puyallup

the four seasons

Rachell Ellen Wong, Violin
Denise Dillenbeck and Dawn Posey, Violin

J.S. Bach, Double Violin Concerto

Kian Ravaei, Pluck (World Premiere)

Vivaldi, The Four Seasons

Northwest Sinfonietta Concertmaster Denise Dillenbeck and Associate Concertmaster Dawn Posey open this program of Baroque favorites with Bach’s beloved Concerto for Two Violins, then lead Northwest Sinfonietta strings in a world premiere performance of ‘Pluck,’ a jubilant piece by emerging composer Kian Ravaei inspired by steel-guitar fingerpicking and Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. The second half welcomes violinist Rachell Ellen Wong—a rising star on both the historical performance and modern violin stages. She will play/conduct Vivaldi’s timeless blockbuster favorite, The Four Seasons, taking us on a journey through the beauty, drama, danger and joys of Spring, Summer, Fall and teeth-chattering Winter. Each year this December concert creates magical moments and memories during the holiday season. Bring the whole family!

*The Saturday concert is held at the Courthouse Square Ballroom in Tacoma.

JAN 20 | 7:30pm schneebeck hall, tacoma
JAN 21 | 2:00Pm pioneer park pavilion, puyallup

sky & sea

Mei-Ann Chen, Conductor
Matt Drumm, Jeffery Lund, Mark Goodenberger, Bonnie Whiting, Percussion Quartet

Marjan Mozetich, Postcards from the Sky

Viet Cuong, Re(new)al, Percussion Quartet Concerto

Debussy, La Mer (arr. Helder)

One of our favorite things? Taking care of the Earth and this beautiful Puget Sound region we call home. Canadian composer Marjan Mozetich’s expansive and moving Postcards from the Sky opens this program, which then features four outstanding local percussionists in Viet Cuong’s concerto for percussion quartet, Re(new)al, inspired by the renewable power of hydro, wind and solar energy. Debussy’s iconic La Mer, arranged by Marlijn Helder for chamber orchestra closes the program. We are delighted to collaborate with local organizations doing great work in our communities to combat the effects of pollution and climate change. Stay tuned for opportunities to connect with Tacoma Tree Foundation and Communities for a Healthy Bay around this concert.

*The Saturday concert is held at University of Puget Sound’s Scheebeck Hall.