For now, there will be no Pre-concert Conversations live in the concert hall. However, Maestro Michael Francis has recorded video versions of his popular talk, straight from the Mahaffey Theater stage.
Rachmaninoff on Paganini
Music Director Michael Francis and General Manager Ed Parsons talk about this weekend’s concert, which features Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst, pianist Natasha Paremski on Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and Ravel’s Mother Goose Ballet.
Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony
Go deeper into the power of Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony and the poetry of Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in this Pre-concert Conversation video. TFO musicians perform excerpts, with key insight from Michael Francis and Ed Parsons.
A Noble Pairing
Michael Francis and Ed Parsons tell the story of Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, which uses lively and virtuosic music to poke fun at the noble class. Double the fun with two versions, by Lully and Strauss, in this weekend’s Soundwaves concert, A Noble Pairing.
Tchaikovsky & Vivaldi for Strings
Concertmaster Jeffrey Multer sits down with General Manager Ed Parsons to talk about the pieces on our program, Tchaikovsky & Vivaldi for Strings.
American Heroes
The American Heroes concert is full of great fanfare. Music Director Michael Francis and General Manager Ed Parsons take you through the pieces with musical examples.
Come inside John Shaw’s studio for a tour of the unusual instruments you’ll hear in the Schwantner Percussion Concerto, part of the American Heroes concert.
Mozart’s Symphony No. 40
Principal Guest Conductor Stuart Malina and General Manager Ed Parsons discuss this weekend’s program, which includes Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 and his Concerto for Flute and Harp featuring TFO’s Clay Ellerbroek and Anna Kate Mackle.
Brass with a Beat
Resident Conductor Daniel Black and General Manager Ed Parsons go online for our popular Pre-Concert Conversation to talk about this weekend’s Soundwaves concert.
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7
Learn to listen deeper to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, Jessie Montgomery’s Strum and Zoltan Kodaly’s Dances of Galanta.
Legends from the Americas
Get to know our fun new Soundwaves concerts. Maestro Michael Francis takes you through Copland’s Appalachian Spring, Joplin’s The Entertainer, and Piazzolla’s Serie del angel with a special message from Principal Bassoon Joshua Baker.