The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has announced its next European tour, which will take place from Aug. 22-Sept. 7.
Roughly every other year, the musicians embark on a multi-country tour to perform in some of the finest music halls in Europe. They do this to bolster their reputation abroad as well as the reputation of the city. It is a traditional pilgrimage expected of major symphony orchestras around the world, and a key recruitment perk for top conducting and musician talent.
“The reputation of the orchestra in Europe is incredibly well-regarded, and the invitations to be a part of the world’s premier venues and festivals is a testament to the caliber and quality of the Orchestra under Music Director Manfred Honeck’s leadership,” said the symphony’s president & CEO, Melia Tourangeau, in a statement.
This year, the orchestra will tour nine cities in Austria, Italy and Germany, including Salzburg, Grafenegg, Merano, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne, Wiesbaden and Vienna.
Music aficionados in Europe tend to pack halls for the symphony due to its reputation for high-octane performances.
These tours cost millions of dollars. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a special endowment for its international junkets and raises money specifically for the tours.
Before departing, the symphony will perform a final concert Aug. 15 in Heinz Hall to showcase some of the music it will play in Europe. That repertoire includes: Mahler’s first and fifth symphonies, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, Rachmaninoff’s third piano concerto, John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine,” which the PSO commissioned and premiered in 1986, Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, and Bruch’s First Violin Concerto.
The Allegheny Conference on Community Development’s Pittsburgh Regional Alliance will attend some of the stops in Germany to develop the Steel City’s business ties. According to the Conference, more than 80 German-owned firms – including Bayer, Bosch, Covestro, LANXESS, Veka Inc., and Ventana USA – operate in the region, representing some 200 establishments and employing nearly 11,000 people.
The complete European schedule:
Aug. 22: Grosse Festspielhaus, Salzburg (Austria)
Aug. 25: Wolkenturm, Grafenegg (Austria)
Aug. 29: Kurhaus, Merano (Italy)
Aug. 31: Konzerthaus, Dortmund (Germany)
Sept. 1: Tonhalle, Dusseldorf (Germany)
Sept. 3-4: Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg (Germany)
Sept. 5: Cologne Philharmonie, Cologne (Germany)
Sept. 6: Das Kurhaus, Wiesbaden (Germany)
Sept. 7: Vienna Konzerthaus, Vienna (Austria)
Jeremy Reynolds: jreynolds@post-gazette.com. His work at the Post-Gazette is supported in part by a grant from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Getty Foundation and Rubin Institute.
First Published: April 25, 2024, 9:30 a.m.
Updated: April 26, 2024, 7:34 p.m.