Program highlights music from around the world, including works by Arturo Márquez, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Georges Bizet, Pietro Mascagni, AntonínDvořák, Aram Khachaturian, and John Williams
Family-friendly pre-concert activities include instrument try-outs, crafts, and dance and movement workshops
Ticket reservations available now atdso.org/DTEpowersDSO
Detroit, (August 21, 2024) – This fall, theDetroit Symphony Orchestra(DSO) will fill the city with music withtwo free community concertsat venues in Detroit and Farmington Hills, presented by theDTE Energy Foundation.
As in 2023, the concerts will again be conducted by DSO Assistant ConductorandPhillip & Lauren Fisher Community AmbassadorNa’Zir McFadden, who also serves as Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Known for his energetic presence, McFadden will lead the orchestra in an exhilarating program of family-friendly music from around the world—fromHarry Potterfavorites by John Williams, to Danzón No. 2 by Arturo Márquez and music fromSwan Lakeby Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, plus works by Pietro Mascagni, Antonín Dvořák, and Aram Khachaturian. The program also includes selections from Georges Bizet’sCarmen, which the orchestra will perform in full at Orchestra Hall in February 2025, featuring Music Director Jader Bignamini and an all-star cast in celebration of the opera’s 150th anniversary.
The DTE Foundation Community Concerts will also feature family-friendly pre-concert activities including instrument try-outs, crafts, and dance and movement workshops. The DSO will perform two additional DTE Foundation Community Concerts at venues in metro Detroit in June 2025, to be announced.
2024 DTE Foundation Community Concerts:
·FARMINGTON HILLS on Tuesday, September 17 at 7 p.m. at The Hawk - Farmington Hills Community Center(29995 W 12 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills, MI 48334)
·DETROIT on Wednesday, September 18 at 7 p.m. at Greater Grace Temple(23500 W Seven Mile Rd, Detroit, MI 48219)
·TWO CONCERTS IN JUNE—TO BE ANNOUNCED
For more than 50 years, the DTE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of DTE Energy, has supported the DSO and its cultural programs. The DSO is proud to once again partner with the organization to bring music to diverse communities throughout Southeast Michigan.
“The Detroit Symphony Orchestra represents the city’s rich history in music and the arts, helping it live on for future generations,” saidRodney Cole, President, DTE Foundation. “That’s why we’re proud to support the DTE Foundation Community Concerts program, so residents can enjoy these special performances and experience a fixture of Detroit culture for free in their communities.”
“The Detroit Symphony Orchestra belongs to our city,” saidDSO President and CEO Erik Rönmark. “The walls of Orchestra Hall are home, but there’s something special about traveling out into our communities and meeting people where they are. We are grateful to our friends at the DTE Foundation for their continued partnership, through which metro Detroiters build meaningful connections around music and enjoy moving performances.”
All DTE Foundation Community Concerts are free and open to the public, yet reservations are required for entry.Tickets can be reserved now atdso.org. All concerts are general admission (no seats will be assigned), and all seating is first-come, first-served. All concert venues are handicap accessible.
Available at the Box Office table during all concerts, the DSO offers sensory toolkits to use free of charge, courtesy of the Mid-Michigan Autism Association. The kits contain items that can help calm or stimulate a person with a sensory processing difference, including noise-reducing headphones and fidget toys.
Program Details
Na'Zir McFadden,conductor
ARTURO MÁRQUEZDanzónNo. 2
PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY Valse fromSwan LakeSuite, Op. 20a
GEORGES BIZET Selections fromCarmen
PIETRO MASCAGNI Intermezzo fromCavalleria rusticana
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁKPolonaise in E-flat major, B. 100
ARAM KHACHATURIAN Suite No. 3 fromGayane
JOHN WILLIAMSII. Dobby the House ElffromHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
JOHN WILLIAMSI. Hedwig’s Themefrom Suite fromHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
About the DTE Energy Foundation
The DTE Foundation is the philanthropic arm of DTE Energy, continuing the legacy of community support and involvement of its electric and natural gas utilities, which serve 2.3 million electric customers in Southeast Michigan and 1.3 million natural gas customers in Michigan. In 2023, the DTE Energy Foundation provided more than $16 million in grant support to nearly 300 nonprofits where the company has a business presence with a focus on driving positive, meaningful change in key areas like jobs, equity, human needs, and the environment. As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE aspires not only to be the best in the world, but the best for the world, serving as a force for growth and prosperity in the communities across Michigan. VisitDTEFoundation.comto learn more.
About the DSO
The acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. Led by Music Director Jader Bignamini since 2020, the DSO makes its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, offering a performance schedule that features the PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in metro area venues, as well as eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreakingLive from Orchestra Hallseries of free webcasts.
Since its first school concerts a century ago, and particularly since the founding of the Civic Youth Ensembles in 1970, the DSO has been a national leader in bringing the benefits of music education to students, teachers, and families in Detroit and surrounding communities. The DSO remains committed to expanding its participation in the growth and well-being of Detroit through programs like its Detroit Neighborhood Initiative—cultural events co-created with community partners and residents—and Detroit Harmony, a promise to provide an instrument and instruction to any student in the city who wants to learn. With unwavering support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to impact lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences
