The Experience
Sergei Rachmaninoff, who played his riveting piano concertos with the Philadelphians, and whose Symphonic Dances were composed for them, believed the Philadelphia Orchestra the finest he’d heard anywhere. Olympic standards keep it at the pinnacle of the world’s best — precision, balance, flow and those sumptuous strings. This is the place to hear Brahms, Mahler, Beethoven and Debussy polished to a sheen — and in a new venue that gleams.
Excellent sightlines in The Kimmel Center’s Verizon Hall include seats surrounding the stage that provide close-ups of first-class maestros and some extraordinary players. Listen for oboist Richard Woodhams whose beautiful tone reflects a historic lineage: Woodhams’ teacher, the late John de Lancie, sat in the same chair, as did de Lancie’s mentor, the great Marcel Tabuteau, before him.
History
The orchestra's musical cohesion comes from players’ pride and long leadership by extraordinary music directors: Leopold Stokowski created the orchestra's sound and began its multimedia adventures; Eugene Ormandy built its reputation with now-legendary recordings and premieres; Riccardo Muti added sex appeal and a brilliant discipline; Wolfgang Sawallisch has replenished traditions and recruited bold, young principals. Electrifying programs are the mandate of Christoph Eschenbach, who took the podium in September 2003.