Event
Beethoven and Brahms
Naples Philharmonic Masterworks
Naples Philharmonic
Alexander Shelley, artistic and music director
Yeol Eum Son, piano
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich — Jubilation
Beethoven — Piano Concerto No. 3
Brahms — Symphony No. 1
Internationally renowned pianist Yeol Eum Son, celebrated for her poetic elegance and breathtaking technical control as a recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician, highlights the opening of a new season’s Naples Philharmonic Masterworks series, joining Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley and the orchestra in Beethoven’s deeply dramatic Third Piano Concerto — a work that found the composer moving away from Mozart’s influence and establishing his own heroic voice. The program concludes with Brahms’ First Symphony, a monumental work heralded for its ominous intensity before arriving at its thrilling and sunny conclusion, reminiscent of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.”
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.
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
Alexander Shelley
Alexander Shelley
Sharon and Timothy Ubben Artistic and Music Director
Alexander Shelley was named Sharon and Timothy Ubben artistic and music director in April 2023. He begins his tenure in this role in the 2024-25 season following a successful designate year in 2023-24 and will continue in the role through the end of the decade. As artistic and music director of Artis—Naples, Alexander provides artistic leadership for the entire multidisciplinary organization, including The Baker Museum and the Naples Philharmonic.
This appointment marks Alexander’s first titled position in the U.S. In addition to his role with Artis—Naples, the 2026-27 season marks his first year as principal conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra Ireland and music director of the Pacific Symphony. He continues to serve as principle associate conductor of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra — a position he has held since 2015.
Meet Alexander
Yeol Eum Son
Yeol Eum Son
Poetic elegance, an innate feeling for expressive nuance and the power to project bold, dramatic contrasts are among the arresting attributes of Yeol Eum Son’s pianism. She is known for her refined artistry and breathtaking technical control as well as her strikingly wide-ranging repertoire, from Bach and Mozart to Shchedrin and Kapustin. In high demand around the world as recitalist, concerto soloist and chamber musician, she continues to deepen her artistry through frequent collaborations with many of today’s leading conductors, including Sir Antonio Pappano, Roberto González-Monjas, Alexander Shelley, Joana Carniero and Anja Bihlmaier, among others.
Over the past few seasons, she has debuted with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra and São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra. Some of Son’s numerous orchestral collaborations in North America and Canada include the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Naples Philharmonic, Baltimore, Colorado, Detroit and St. Louis symphony orchestras; Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and the NAC Orchestra in Ottawa. Internationally, she has appeared with the London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Finnish Radio Symphony, Helsinki Philharmonic and Oslo Philharmonic, among others. As a recitalist, Son’s recent appearances include the Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland and the International Chopin Festival at Duszniki-Zdrój in Poland, among others.
