13 Jul
Music Worcester Announces 2023-2024 Season

Music Worcester

Announces

2023-2024 Season

165th Season has 20 Genre-Spanning Performances planned for 2023-24 

Subscription packages for three or more events, along with single tickets, are on sale at musicworcester.org.

Celebrating its 165th Season of presenting world class performing arts to Central Massachusetts, MUSIC WORCESTER's genre-spanning schedule features more than 20 different events, from classical works old and new, to jazz, Celtic, spiritual, and more. 

MUSIC WORCESTER's Executive Director Adrien Finlay promises “an incredibly exciting, wide-ranging roster of talent for the 2023-24 Season, one that welcomes acclaimed artists making their Worcester debuts, as well as others returning to delight our audiences as beloved friends.”    

MUSIC WORCESTER's 2023 Artist-in-Residence, violinist Vijay Guptakicks-off the season September 23rd in concert with his Darshan Trio and dancer Yamini Kalluri, continuing his residency with performances and collaborations with local non-profits established earlier in the year.  

He returns November 10th with a performance of composer Reena Esmail’s cantata "This Love Between Us" in a concert collaboration between Gupta, The Worcester Chorus, CONCORA, and the Kuchipudi-inspired Kritya Dance Ensemble.  

“We’re excited to have one of the most sought-after conductors in the world, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, make his first appearance with us leading his Montreal-based Orchestre Métropolitain,” said Finlay. “We’re also looking forward to the debuts of a cappella sensation Voces8, Gospel choir American Spiritual Ensemble, soprano Jeanine De Bique, and mandolin master, vocalist, and  composer Chris Thile, who joins The Knights for a concert on October 27th.”

Among the musicians familiar to MUSIC WORCESTER audiences this season are Canada’s reigning Celtic couple Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy on March 9th, comedic ensemble Mnozil Brass on March 1st, and guitarist Frank Vignola who performs May 18th with violinist Tessa Lark, also making her MUSIC WORCESTER debut. 

“Our own Worcester Chorus continues, as it has for so many decades, to serve as an integral part of MUSIC WORCESTER, performing five different programs on the schedule,” said Finlay. “In addition to November’s concert with Vijay Gupta, the Chorus will sing the annual "Messiah" December 2nd; The Worcester Chorus Women’s Ensemble presents their Holiday Concert December 17th,  on February 25th "Voices of Eternal Light" features the Chorus with The Women’s Ensemble, and the Chorus is back in full for Bach’s stirring "Mass in B-Minor" May 5th.” 

The National Symphony Orchestra Ukraine which last appeared in Worcester during the 2019-20 Season, returns to perform February 9th. MUSIC WORCESTER is donating all ticketing proceeds from this concert to humanitarian relief causes supporting basic needs on the ground in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees worldwide, including the World Central Kitchen and the United Nations Refugee Agency

As a bridge to the 2023-24 Season, Summer@MW presents a three-concert series that brings bluegrass master Sam Bush to the Hanover Theatre on Thursday June 9th,  jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant to the BrickBox Theatre at JMAC July 21st; and jazz guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli at Mechanics Hall July 22nd.

Tickets and information on these and all Music Worcester events can be found at musicworcester.org.

The 2023-2024 Season  

Darshan Trio: See Yourself Vijay Gupta, violin; Dominic Cheli, piano; & Yoshika Masuda, cello Exploring pairings of composers: Esmail & Mendelssohn, Pärt & Beethoven, Couperin & Ravel. Saturday, 9/23/2023 at 8PM Tuckerman Hall   

Gavilán Brothers Documentary Viewing & Recital Aldo López-Gavilán, violin & Ilmar Gavilán, piano Recital and showing of the 2020 film Los Hermanos, detailing the brothers’ start in Cuba to their international careers. Sunday, 10/15/2023 at 4PM St. John’s High School   

Avi Avital, mandolin & Hanzhi Wang, accordion Kreisler Praeludium and Allegro, Mozart Sonata No. 21, De Falla Danse Espagnole No. 1,  Villa-Lobos Bachiana Brasilieras No. 5, Saint-Saens Intro/Rondo Capriccioso. Sunday, 10/22/2023 at 4PM  BrickBox Theater at JMAC   

The Knights Orchestra Chris Thile, mandolin & vocals Caroline Shaw Is a Rose: And So, Thile New Work for Mandolin & Orch, Dvorak Quartet No. 12, "American,” Bach Double Violin Concerto, Chris Thile & Colin Jacobsen, soloists. Friday, 10/27/2023 at 8PM Mechanics Hall   

Lucerne Festival Orchestra Midori, violin Daniel Dodds, conductor Honegger  Pastorale d/été, Schumann Violin Concerto, Beethoven Romance in F Major, Beethoven Symphony No. 4. Friday, 11/3/2023 at 8PM  Mechanics Hall   

This Love Between Us Worcester Chorus & CONCORA Chris Shepard, Artistic Director,  Vijay Gupta, violin, Kritya Dance Ensemble. Reena Esmail This Love Between Us, Bach Sinfonia in D & Magnificat.    Friday, 11/10/2023 at 8PM Mechanics Hall   

Handel Messiah Worcester Chorus Chris Shepard, Artistic Director. Saturday, 12/2/2023 at 8PM Mechanics Hall   

Holiday Concert Worceseter Chorus Women’s Ensemble Mark Mummert, Artistic Director Sunday, 12/17/2023 at 4PM  Trinity Lutheran Church   

Tchaikovsky, Paganini, & Gershwin  Andrew Armstrong, piano; Kevin Zhu violin, Jan Vogler cello.  Bach Cello Suite No. 1, Paganini Caprices for Violin, Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue, Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A Minor.  Wednesday, 1/24/2024 at 7:30PM  BrickBox Theater at JMAC   

National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine Volodymyr Sirenko, conductor Volodymyr Vynnytsky, piano.  Berezovsky Ukrainian Symphony, Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No 2, Dvorak Symphony No 8  Friday, 2/9/2024 at 8PM Mechanics Hall   

Voces8 A cappella sensation and 2023 Grammy-nominated ensemble. Saturday, 2/10/2024 at 8PM Mechanics Hall   

Jeanine De Bique, Soprano & Warren Jones, piano. Program to feature songs/lieder by Benjamin Britten, Hugo Wolf, H.T. Burleigh, & others, as well as Caribbean folk songs. Friday, 2/23/2024 at 8PM Curtis Performance Hall   

Voices of Eternal Light The Worcester Chorus & Worcester Chorus Women’s Ensemble   Haugen Anne Frank: A Living Voice, Lauridsen Lux Aeterna. Sunday, 2/25/2024 at 4PM  First Baptist Church   

Mnozil Brass Friday, 3/1/2024 at 8PM Mechanics Hall   

Orchestre Métropolitain Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor Tony Siqi Yun, piano  Cris Derksen new commission, Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2, Sibelius Symphony No. 2 in D Major.  Sunday, 3/3/2024 at 4PM Mechanics Hall   

Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy Saturday, 3/9/2024 at 8PM  The Hanover Theatre   

American Spiritual Ensemble Saturday, 4/6/2024 at 8:00PM Curtis Performance Hall   

Bach B Minor Mass The Worcester Chorus Chris Shepard, Artistic Director Orchestra of Emmanuel Music Sunday, 5/5/2024 at 4PM Mechanics Hall   

Marc-Andre Hamelin Ives Second Piano Sonata "Concord," Schumann "Forest Scenes", Ravel Gaspard de la nuit  Thursday, 5/9/2024 at 7:30PM Mechanics Hall   

Tessa Lark, violin/fiddle & Frank Vignola, guitar Classical meets jazz. Friday, 5/18/2024 at 8PM Tuckerman Hall

Tickets and information on these and all Music Worcester events can be found at musicworcester.org.

COVID 19 PROTOCOLS

Contact Venues for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.  

ABOUT MUSIC WORCESTER

MUSIC WORCESTER, INC originally known as the Worcester County Music Association, for years ran the Worcester Music Festival. Current programs reflect the merger in the mid-1990s of the Festival with the International Artists Series and the MA Jazz Festival. Performances regularly include visiting orchestras and guest soloists, chamber music ensembles and ballet companies, world music and jazz groups, and choral masterworks. Multiple educational programs currently serve youth and families of greater Worcester: masterclasses by visiting artists, Tickets to Opportunity, Festival Singers, in-schools residencies, and the Artist-in-Residency program currently led by violinist Vijay Gupta. Integral to MUSIC WORCESTER's annual operations, The Worcester Chorus has been part of the organization since the very first concert season in 1858.

MUSIC WORCESTER

BOX OFFICE PHONE # 508-754-3231 x 202

319 Main Street

Worcester, MA 01608-1511

Box Office/Ticketing Hours: Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm

NOTE: Office hours vary during concert weeks 

www.musicworcester.org