This fall and winter’s classical music season features a series of notable performances and appointments across major U.S. venues, highlighting emerging talents and celebrated artists alike.
South Korean pianist Yunchan Lim, just 22 years old and a recent graduate from the New England Conservatory, is generating considerable attention with his recital series at Carnegie Hall. Over the course of four concerts scheduled between October and May, Lim will present the complete Mozart sonatas, including the emotionally intense Sonata in A minor, composed during a period of personal loss for Mozart at an age comparable to Lim’s current stage in life.
On the orchestral front, Elim Chan will conduct the San Francisco Symphony in a single appearance this season at Davies Symphony Hall from October 29 to 31 ahead of her formal tenure beginning next fall as the orchestra’s music director. The program will feature Brahms’s “Nänie,” Arvo Pärt’s “Magnificat” with the Symphony Chorus, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with soloist Renaud Capuçon, and selections from John Adams’s “Doctor Atomic” Symphony, a work adapted from his opera about J. Robert Oppenheimer.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is introducing its new music director, British conductor Daniel Harding, with a series of concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall from November 6 to 8. Harding, who has had a relatively limited career in the United States compared to his predecessor Gustavo Dudamel, will lead works by Brahms, Bernstein, and contemporary composer Betsy Jolas in his initial engagement with the orchestra ahead of officially assuming leadership next season.
Carnegie Hall will also host harpsichordist Jean Rondeau on November 6 in a recital that offers a comprehensive exploration of French Baroque music. Rondeau’s performance includes pieces by François and Louis Couperin, as well as compositions by Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer and Jean-Philippe Rameau, following his recent release of a 10-disc survey devoted to Louis Couperin.
On November 11, the 92nd Street Y in New York welcomes the French early music ensemble Les Arts Florissants, led by founder William Christie and co-music director Paul Agnew. The program will focus on Monteverdi madrigals, showcasing the ensemble’s celebrated stylistic command, with Christie now in his ninth decade.
The Metropolitan Opera returns to Janáček’s “Jenůfa” from November 16 through December 4 in a production imported from London’s Royal Opera House, directed by Claus Guth. This staging features soprano Asmik Grigorian in the title role alongside Nina Stemme, Allan Clayton, and Sean Panikkar. The opera’s conductor, Tomas Hanus, hails from Brno, the city where “Jenůfa” premiered in 1904.
These varied offerings signify a dynamic and rich classical season, combining fresh interpretations, established expertise, and an international array of performers across some of the country’s most prestigious venues.