Farewell, Miguel

Miguel Harth-Bedoya takes final bow with blockbuster Fort Worth Symphony season

Miguel Harth-Bedoya will end his 20-year tenure as music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra with a season full of favorite works and world premieres he says he can't wait for his final audiences to hear.

Highlights of the 2019-2020 season, unveiled by FWSO on January 18, include a Latin Spectacular Festival, the premiere of a work by a Fort Worth composer, collaborations with pop artists Michael Bolton and Kenny G, an all-Beethoven gala with one-name violin superstar Midori, and — a can't-miss show for kids of the '80s — the movie Ghostbusters with a score played live by the orchestra.

"This season will be a momentous one for me, and I want it to showcase all we can do as an orchestra,” Harth-Bedoya says in a release. “From the joy of revisiting beloved favorites to the shared pride in presenting world premiere works, we will celebrate how far we have come together over the past two decades."

Harth-Bedoya announced in May 2018 that next season would be his last; he has not yet revealed his future plans, but as Conductor Laureate, he will return to lead the orchestra occasionally. A search for his replacement is underway.

The 2019-2020 season will also be the orchestra's first under new President and CEO Keith Cerny. “My hope is that Fort Worth will join us in celebrating 20 years of daring artistic growth, deep community engagement, and innovation in performance under a visionary conductor with a commitment to this city on, and off, the podium,” Cerny says.

The season features a mix of Classical, Romantic, and 20th-century composers — it's been a passion of Harth-Bedoya's to play works by living composers. There will be world premieres by Victor Agudelo and Fort Worth composer Till MacIvor Meyn and a U.S. premiere of the orchestral version of the popular chamber work Clockworking by María Sigfúsdóttir.

The symphonic season charges out of the gate September 13-15, 2019, with a Fort Worth fan favorite: Rachmaninoff's impossibly difficult and dreamy Piano Concerto No. 3, played with South Korean pianist Yekwon Sunwoo. It will be an encore performance, of sorts, of his final-round performance with FWSO at the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, where he captured the gold medal.

Other favorites on the season include Mahler's Symphony No. 3; Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique; Barber's Adagio for Strings; Dukas' The Sorceror’s Apprentice; and Beethoven's beloved Symphony No. 9, "Choral."

The Pops series will bring to Bass Hall some of the "tribute" concerts audiences enjoy at the summer Concerts in the Garden series. There will be the music of The Beatles, Journey, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and more. Halloween week calls the Ghostbusters movie and music to the stage, October 25-27, 2019.

The hottest date night of 2020 is sure to be a pops concert featuring Grammy winner Kenny G's sultry sax-playing, May 22-24.

But first comes the hottest date night of 2019, Michael Bolton's sultry love ballads, performed by the Grammy-winning artist with the symphony in a special concert, September 20.

The FWSO brings back its Family Series; one highlight will be "Journey to Space," showcasing iconic scores from famous films about the final frontier, March 7, 2020.

Finally, a full-circle nod to Harth-Bedoya's time with FWSO, a two-night Latin festival will take place August 31-September 1, 2019. "In the year 2000, the same year he began his 20-year tenure with the FWSO, Miguel won an Emmy Award for a televised Latin Spectacular program he conceived and presented," the orchestra says. "Now, in Miguel’s final festival weekend with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, we come full circle with an exploration of symphonic and jazz music from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Puerto Rico."

Here is a closer look at the full season, with descriptions provided by FWSO:

2019-2020 Symphonic Series
• September 13-15, 2019: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Yekwon Sunwoo, piano (MEYN: Remix, RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 3; BRAHMS: Symphony No. 4)
• October 11-13, 2019: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Kelley O’Connor, mezzo-soprano; Mahler Festival Choir; Texas Boys Choir; (MAHLER: Symphony No. 3)
• November 8-10, 2019: Garrett Keast, conductor; Chloë Hanslip, violin (BARBER: Adagio for Strings and Violin Concerto; COPLAND: Symphony No. 3)
• November 22-24, 2019: Christian Arming, conductor; Lis de la Salle, piano (BRAHMS: Academic Festival Overture; MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 20, K. 466; DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 7)
• January 10-12, 2019: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Jon Kimura Parker, piano; María Sigfúsdóttir, visiting composer (MARÍA SIGFÚSDÓTTIR: Clockworking (U.S. premiere); GRIEG: Piano Concerto; SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2)
• January 31-February 2, 2020: Yaniv Dinur, conductor; Allan Steele, cello (BOULANGER: D’un matin de printemps; TCHAIKOVSKY: Variations on a Rococo Theme; BERLIOZ: Symphonie Fantastique)
• February 28 - March 1, 2020: Robert Trevino, conductor (WAGNER: "Prelude and Liebestod" from Tristan und Isolde; BARTOK: Suite from The Miraculous Mandarin; RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 2)
• March 13-15, 2020: Carlos Izcaray, conductor; Ingrid Fliter, piano (DUKAS: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice; SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto; SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 10)
• April 3-5, 2020: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Twyla Robinson, soprano; Blythe Gaissert, mezzo-soprano; Clifton Forbis, tenor; Michael Adams, Baritone; Beethoven Festival Choir (VIVIAN FUNG: Pizzicato; BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9, “Choral”)
• May 15-17, 2020: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Augustin Hadelich, violin; Victor Agudelo, visiting composer (VICTOR AGUDELO: Algor ra a suceder (World Premiere); DVOŘÁK: Violin Concerto; TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4)

Latin Spectacular Festival
• August 31, 2019: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Jesús Castro-Balbi, cello; Michael Ward-Bergeman, hyper-accordion (OSVALDO GOLIJOV: Azul; REVUELTAS: Los Noches de los Mayas)
• Sunday, September 1, 2019: Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; Paquito D’Rivera, saxophone and clarinet (concert featuring jazz, tango, and Caribbean music with Cuban-born saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer Paquito D’Rivera)

The Pops Concerts
• September 6-8, 2019: “Songs of Journey, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, & More!” – Michael Krajewski, conductor (featuring music from the '70s and '80s such as “Landslide,” “Faithfully,” “Hotel California,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Take It Easy,” and more)
• October 25-27, 2019: “GHOSTBUSTERS Film with Live Orchestra” – Peter Bernstein, conductor (featuring Director Ivan Reitman’s two-time Oscar and two-time Golden Globe-nominated film, Ghostbusters, screened live as the FWSO performs Elmer Bernstein’s Grammy-nominated score and Ray Parker Jr.’s Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping theme song, “Ghostbusters”)
• November 15-17, 2019: “Unforgettable: Nat and Natalie” – William Waldrop, conductor; Denzal Sinclaire and Dee Daniels, vocalists (featuring the music of legendary, Grammy Award-winning performers Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole)
• November 29-December 1, 2019: “Home for the Holidays” – Miguel Harth-Bedoya, conductor; (featuring seasonal holiday favorites performed by the orchestra and special guests)
• January 24-26, 2020: “REVOLUTION: The Beatles Symphonic Experience” (featuring a multi-media symphonic tribute to The Beatles which includes arrangements transcribed from the original master recordings at Abbey Road accompanied by hundreds of rare and unseen photos, video, and animation for a sensational multimedia journey)
• March 6-8, 2020: “Oh What a Night!” Carl Topilow, conductor; Connor Bogart, vocalist (featuring cherished hits from your favorite musicals such as Sweeney Todd, The Music Man, Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma, Chicago, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, West Side Story, and Jersey Boys)
• May 22-24, 2020: Kenny G, saxophonist (featuring Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and highest selling instrumental musician of our time performs hits such as “Havana,” “Forever in Love,” “Heart and Soul,” “Silhouette,” and “My Heart Will Go On”)

The Family Series Concerts
• September 7, 2019: Michael Krajewski, conductor (featuring Camille Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals)
• October 26, 2019: Halloween Spooktacular (featuring music from The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Danse macabre, In the Hall of the Mountain King, Harry Potter, and much more)
• March 7, 2020: Journey to Space, Carl Topilow, conductor (featuring NASA images and videos projected above the orchestra as they perform music from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Apollo 13, Star Trek, and iconic themes from composer John Williams scores to Super Man and Star Wars)

Special Concerts and Gala
• September 20, 2019: Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and social activist, Michael Bolton will join the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra for a one-night-only chance to experience his greatest hits performed live in a program titled "Michael Bolton: The Symphony Sessions"
• December 9, 2019: A holiday tradition, the FWSO will perform Handel’s Messiah, featuring the University of North Texas A Cappella Choir
• December 31, 2019: Ring in 2020 with "New Year’s Eve: A Gershwin Celebration" featuring pianist Shelly Berg and vocalist Ann Hampton Calloway performing Gershwin’s greatest hits, including An American in Paris and more, conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya
• January 3, 2020: Combining National Geographic natural history footage with original music by Emmy and BAFTA-nominated Bleeding Fingers Music featuring composers Austin Fray and Andrew Christie, the "National Geographic: Symphony for Our World" is a multimedia journey through the spectacles of wildlife
• February 8, 2020: In his final gala concert, Miguel Harth-Bedoya will lead the orchestra in a celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth in a program of his fifth symphony and his violin concerto, featuring world-renowned violinist Midori

Subscriptions for the 2019-2020 season go on sale January 18 and can be purchased by calling 817-665-6000 or at fwsymphony.org.

Symphonic subscriptions range from $176-$776. Pops subscriptions range from $200.97-$630.70. The Latin Spectacular Festival subscriptions range from $34-$153. Family Subscriptions are $56.40 for adults and $26.70 for children. The FWSO’s Student Subscription program will offer discounted tickets for high school and college students. For $35, students can attend unlimited Symphonic concerts for one full year.

Single tickets will go on sale July 29, 2019.

2017 Cliburn gold medalist Yekwon Sunwoo returns to play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3.

Yekwon Sunwoo, 2017 Van Cliburn Piano Competition winner

Photo courtesy of The Cliburn

2017 Cliburn gold medalist Yekwon Sunwoo returns to play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3.

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Ancient Sculpture News

Fort Worth museum one of only 3 in U.S. to get rare sculpture exhibit

Lorenzo di Masi/Torlonia Collection

The Torlonia Nile

A major exhibition of ancient Roman masterworks is coming to the U.S. for the first time to be viewed at only three museums — including the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth.

Called Myth and Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection, it's an assemblage of works stewarded by the Torlonia Family beginning in the early-19th century, and will be installed at the Kimbell from September 14, 2025 – January 25, 2026.

As part of the Foundation’s mission to showcase these historical works to the public, the exhibition will premiere at the Art Institute of Chicago on March 15 through June 29, before traveling to the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. Its third stop will be at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, from March 14 - July 19, 2026.

The Torlonia Collection was established during the course of the 19th century by the Franco-Italian banker Prince Giovanni Torlonia and his son Alessandro, then handed down over generations, eventually growing into the largest private collection of ancient Roman sculptures.

Today, the Torlonia Foundation represents the culmination of the Family’s continued passion for art. Created at the behest of Prince Alessandro Torlonia (1925–2017), the Foundation’s mission is to preserve and promote the Torlonia Collection and Villa Albani Torlonia.

In 1876, Prince Alessandro Torlonia (1800-1886) created a museum to house and exhibit the Family’s holdings, which was open to small groups until its closure at the onset of World War II. The sculptures remained unseen by the public from that time until the Foundation’s first exhibition at the Musei Capitolini in Rome in 2020. That was followed by a stint at the Louvre, the first presentation of the collection outside of Rome, where it has drawn more than 600,000 visitors to date, an unprecedented feat.

The exhibit
The curators of Myth & Marble: Ancient Roman Sculpture from the Torlonia Collection are Lisa Ayla Çakmak and Katharine A. Raff of the Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition is co-organized by the Art Institute of Chicago and the Torlonia Foundation, in collaboration with the Kimbell Art Museum, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and The Museum Box. All of the sculptures in the exhibition have been restored by the Foundation with the support of Bvlgari.

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue co-published by the Art Institute of Chicago and the Torlonia Foundation, edited by Lisa Ayla Çakmak and Katharine A. Raff, with essays by Silvia Beltrametti and Salvatore Settis.

The North American presentation will feature 58 highlights from the Torlonia Collection, including 24 newly restored works that have not been on view in nearly a century. The sculptures date from approximately the 5th century BCE to the early 4th century CE, with the majority of the works dating to the High Imperial period (1st–2nd centuries CE). Highlights include examples of the most emblematic genres of ancient marble sculpture, acquired by the Torlonia Family from the most prominent collections of Rome’s patrician families, as well as from excavations made on the Family’s own estates throughout Italy.

“The Foundation is excited to be sharing the Torlonia Collection with audiences in North America for the first time. This exceptional group of ancient sculptures is a testament to the enduring cultural legacy of ancient Rome, as well as the vision and passion of multiple generations of the Torlonia Family,” said Alessandro Poma Murialdo, President of the Torlonia Foundation.

The presentation is organized thematically in six sections, featuring sculptures found on the Torlonia Family’s properties in Rome and the surrounding suburbs and their estate in Porto, Portugal, as well as a number of exceptional sarcophagi (stone coffins), among the largest sculpted works in marble to survive from ancient Rome.

The tour reinforces the work of the Foundation to advance the appreciation and understanding of this unparalleled collection and the rich cultural heritage it represents. The Foundation’s mission is carried out through a continuous joint effort between the public and private sectors, including with the cooperation of the Italian Ministry of Culture. The Foundation is supported by a longstanding collaboration with Bvlgari as the principal sponsor of the restoration project since its inception in Rome and throughout the global tour, and Chiomenti, who has lent invaluable support to the Foundation’s core activities.

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