Pitt Night at the Symphony

Featuring music by: John Corigliano,…

Pitt Night at the Symphony

Featuring music by: John Corigliano, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Hector Berlioz

Heinz Hall

600 Penn Ave.

412-624-4498 (Pitt Arts)

Sept. 28

Pitt Art’s kicks off its Pitt Night series this year with a night at the symphony.

For this school year, Pitt Arts has made arrangements with six downtown venues in the Cultural District to take part in Pitt Night. The events will cater to Pitt students, staff and faculty with cheap seats, transportation from campus and a reception with refreshments along with a chance to meet the artists and performers.

The first Pitt Night will be at Heinz Hall at 8 p.m. tonight. The event coincides with opening night for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s (PSO) season.

The night will begin with a performance of John Corigliano’s “Promenade Overture.”

A contemporary composer, Corigliano is PSO’s Composer of the Year, a distinction awarded to him for his recent contributions to contemporary classical music.

In the past Corigliano has won both a Pulitzer Prize and an Oscar for Best Film Score. Throughout PSO’s season the symphony will be playing selections from his work.

Next on the bill is Tchaikovsky’s “Piano Concerto No. 1,” which will be performed by Alexander Toradze, a Georgian-born pianist currently residing in the United States.

PSO’s guest performance by Toradze is the highlight of the event as Toradze is an international favorite among current pianists playing in the Romantic tradition.

Pitt Night will close with “Symphonie Fantastique” by Hector Berlioz, a 19th century French composer. His “Symphonie Fantastique” has been described as a sensual musical fantasy.

Parts of this symphony may sound familiar to fans of Stanley Kubrick. The director made use of Berlioz’s piece with a synth-style arrangement in “The Shining.”

All of the pieces will be conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier, who is a guest conductor for PSO.

The night will culminate with a Pitt Night reception provided by the Office of the Provost. It will feature dessert, refreshments and appearances by several of the night’s performers.

Keep an eye open for other Pitt Nights to come this school year with the Pittsburgh Opera for “Madame Butterfly,” Pittsburgh Public Theater and Pittsburgh Ballet Theater along with a few others.