KUALA LUMPUR: Music fans can look forward to another wonderful year with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) and Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) with Season 2020.
The new season will see popular local artistes Aishah and Datuk M Nasir collaborating with the MPO for their solo concerts at the DFP in April and October respectively.
A special Hari Raya concert, titiled Senandung Lebaran and featuring other popular vocalists, will see the MPO also paying tribute to renowned composer S Atan in June.
The concerts will witness the MPO performing symphonic interpretations of Malaysia’s local music legacy.
Adding variety to the season offerings this year, DFP will present a solo concert by pop and R&B group Ruffedge in March and a Malam Ritma Keroncong show by Yayasan Warisan Johor in October.
The Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (MPYO) will push its music boundaries through its collaborations with famed Indonesian jazz band Krakatau in February and local indie group Hujan in July.
Tengku Irfan, the MPO Youth Brand Ambassador and pianist extraordinary, will return to dazzle music fans with the MPO in June.
Kees Bakels, the founding music director of the MPO who was the central force behind the creation of the MPO in 1998, is the orchestra’s conductor laureate this season. Season 2020 will see the MPO continuing to present the best in classical music.
One highlight will be when the MPO celebrates Beethoven’s 250th birthday anniversary with presentations of the composer’s great music throughout the season, collaborating with violinist Karen Gomyo and Malaysian pianist Ng Chong Lim, among others.
Fans of ballet can look forward to the MPO’s fourth Ballet Festival, after successful editions in 2013, 2016 and 2018.
This time around, audiences will be treated to presentations of popular ballet works, The Nutcracker and Cinderella, in this two-weekend festival in June.
Due to its successful presentations in 2015 and 2018, the MPO will present Cirque de la Symphonie in February, complete with a live violin aerialist!
Artistes who will be performing with the MPO for the first time include mezzo soprano Fleur Barron, pianist Lukas Vondracek, and violinists Marc Bouchkov and Clara-Jumi Kang.
Luminaries making a comeback on the DFP podium are conductors Fabio Mechetti, Roberto Gonzalez and Junichi Hirokami. Also returning to enthrall their fans this season are flautist Sharon Bezaly, cellist Istvan Vardai and horn player Radovan Vlatkovic.
This season will also introduce a new subscription programme, called Friends of DFP, which offers great discounts and benefits.
Visit www.mpo.com.my for more information and to view or download the digital brochure for the new season. Call the Box Office at 03-23317007 or email boxoffice@dfp.com.my.