Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, which was founded in 1895, ranks among the most storied American orchestras. Its ascent into the top tier was achieved in the 1930s under the leadership of Otto Klemperer and Fritz Reiner, who helmed the PSO as Guest Conductor and Principal Conductor, respectively. During Reiner’s tenure (1938–48), the musicians also made their first foreign tour and became especially active on the recording front. For nearly a quarter century (from 1952 to 1976), William Steinberg led the Orchestra and enhanced its international reputation; not by chance was during his tenure (in 1964) that the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra became the first American ensemble to perform at the festivals held in Lucerne. Music directors André Previn (1976–84), Lorin Maazel (1988–96), and Mariss Jansons (1997–2004) added to this great legacy, bringing their own respective emphases on innovation. Manfred Honeck has served as Music Director since the 2008-09 season; with him the orchestra has undertaken a major concert tour of Asia and five European tours. In the summer of 2017, the ensemble and Honeck will perform at the Rheingau Music Festival and the Salzburg Festival and in Grafenegg, London, and Bucharest. In addition to its classical concerts in Heinz Hall and regular appearances in such American music centers as Carnegie Hall in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra each year offers a series of pops and family concerts and presents a summer season in parks throughout Allegheny County. Hundreds of recordings document the ensemble’s artistic legacy: its performance of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony under Honeck won the International Classical Music Award in 2012.

LUCERNE FESTIVAL (IMF) debut on 30 August 1964 in works by Weber, Schubert, Piston, Hindemith, and Ravel under the direction of William Steinberg.

Further information: pso.culturaldistrict.org

June 2017