Event
Ode to Joy
Naples Philharmonic Masterworks
Naples Philharmonic
Alexander Shelley, artistic and music director
Naples Philharmonic Chorus
Jeremy T. Warner, director
Chancel Choir of Moorings Presbyterian Church
Christopher Dekker, director
Kirsten Mackinnon, soprano
William Thomas, bass
Mendelssohn— Verleih uns Frieden (Grant Us Peace)
Anna Clyne — Color Fields
Beethoven — Symphony No. 9, “Choral”
Join Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley as he conducts the Naples Philharmonic and Naples Philharmonic Chorus in a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, featuring the iconic “Ode to Joy.”
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is often hailed as a turning point in classical music. The final movement, based on Friedrich Schiller’s poem about brotherhood and unity, was revolutionary, incorporating vocals into a symphony for the first time. While early critics found it cryptic and eccentric, it is now considered one of Beethoven’s greatest masterpieces.
The evening begins with Mendelssohn’s Verleih uns Frieden, a small yet profound work composed after his visit to the Vatican. Though modest in scale, this piece delivers a powerful message of peace and tranquility.
Adding a contemporary touch to the program, British-American composer Anna Clyne’s Color Fields draws inspiration in part from painter Mark Rothko’s color field painting Yellow, Red, Orange. A painter as well as a composer, Clyne explicitly connects specific colors to musical notes in this boldly percussive composition.
Prelude at 6:30pm
Join the conductor before the performance for an insightful 30-minute prelude discussion about the program.
Music and Museum
All Masterworks tickets include same-day admission to The Baker Museum. Museum hours on day of performance: 10am-7:30pm. In addition, the doors to Hayes Hall will open 90 minutes prior to this performance. Arrive early to enjoy the exhibitions and light fare available at Heidi's Place.
The Artistic and Music Director position is generously endowed by Sharon and Timothy Ubben.
Tickets start at $29.
Naples Philharmonic
Naples Philharmonic
Founded in 1982, the Naples Philharmonic normally performs over 140 orchestral and chamber concerts, as well as opera and ballet, education, community and special event concerts from September through June each year.
Meet the Musicians
Alexander Shelley
Artistic and Music Director Meet Alexander
Jack Everly
Principal Pops Conductor Meet Jack
James Ehnes
Artistic Partner Meet James
Manuel López-Gómez
Associate Conductor Meet Manuel
Alvin Ho
Assistant Conductor Meet Alvin
Alexander Shelley
Alexander Shelley
A “natural communicator, both on and off the podium” (The Daily Telegraph), Alexander Shelley performs across six continents with the world’s finest orchestras and soloists. A passionate and articulate advocate for the role of music in society, he has spearheaded multiple award-winning and groundbreaking projects unlocking creativity in the next generation and bringing symphonic music to new audiences.
With a conducting technique described as “immaculate, everything crystal clear and a tool to his inborn musicality” (Yorkshire Post), Alexander is known for the precision and integrity of his interpretations, for his creative programming and for the breadth of his repertoire. He collaborates with artists such as Lang-Lang, Joshua Bell, Daniel Hope, Hélène Grimaud, Itzhak Perlman, Renée Fleming and Thomas Hampson alongside some of the finest orchestras of Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australasia.
As of January 2015, Alexander has served as principal associate conductor of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with whom he curates an annual series of concerts at Cadogan Hall and tours both nationally and internationally. In September 2015, Alexander succeeded Pinchas Zukerman as music director of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, the youngest in its history.
In 2016, Alexander was awarded the ECHO prize for his second Deutsche Grammophon recording, Peter and the Wolf, and both the ECHO and Deutsche Grunderpreis in his capacity as artistic director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen’s Zukunftslabor, a visionary project of grass-roots engagement, which uses music as a source for social cohesion and integration.
He has a wealth of experience conducting and presenting major open-air events; in Nuremberg alone, he has, over the course of nine years, hosted more than half a million people at the annual Klassik Open Air concerts — Europe’s largest classical music event.
Meet Alexander
Naples Philharmonic Chorus
Naples Philharmonic Chorus
Founded in 1991, the Naples Philharmonic Chorus is made up of adult singers of all ages and backgrounds, and performs in both pops and classical concerts each season with the Naples Philharmonic, including the orchestra’s popular Holiday Pops and Patriotic Pops programs.
Naples Philharmonic Chorus
Jeremy T. Warner
Jeremy T. Warner
Jeremy T. Warner is a passionate promoter of the choral arts. Since 1998, he has held a variety of conducting and artistic director positions throughout the academic, local community and church choral scenes. He is a respected clinician and has prepared professional choirs for touring performances in a variety of choral-orchestral settings, including multiple international tours. Jeremy completed his Master of Music in choral conducting at the University of Memphis, Bachelor of Music in theory and composition at Union University, three supplementary years of doctoral studies in choral conducting and a four-month residency in Salzburg, Austria.
Meet Jeremy
Chancel Choir of Moorings Presbyterian Church
Chancel Choir of Moorings Presbyterian Church
Christoher Dekker, director
While many churches have found their voice through more modern music aesthetics, the Moorings Choirs confirms the centuries-old history of choral repertoire that celebrates God with generations of saints who have come before. They boldly embrace the participation of choirs in worship and celebrate the life they bring to worship and to God.
The semi-professional Chancel Choir consists of both professional and volunteer singers, participating in worship 52 Sundays throughout the year. The choir sings everything from modern American music by Stephen Paulus to the English Cathedral standbys of CHH Parry, renaissance polyphony and the occasional gospel anthem. The Chancel Choir is a spirited and joyous group passionate about embracing Moorings’ mission of transforming lives for Christ.
