Flicka!

March Program

March 4-9
San Francisco (Herbst), Berkeley, Atheron, Walnut Creek

Nicholas McGegan, conductor
Frederica von Stade, mezzo-soprano

REBEL: Les Caractères de la danse
GLUCK: Selected Arias
STOOKEY: Into the Bright Lights (U.S. Premiere)
RAMEAU: Les Indes galante, suite d’orchestre

Few names resonate in the world of classical music and opera like “Flicka” – the nickname given by friends and fans alike to mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade.

Music Director Nicholas McGegan and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra are proud to feature the beloved singer – and Bay Area resident – in what is likely to be among her farewell performances after a remarkable 40-year career.

Von Stade performs the U.S. premiere of Into the Bright Lights, a work of importance to both the soloist and the Orchestra. The cycle of three songs takes as its lyrics Flicka’s own poetry, expressing her feelings on the process of singing and aging. The music has been composed by Philharmonia Baroque Chorale alumnus Nathaniel Stookey (The Composer Is Dead), with the Orchestra’s distinctive sound specifically in mind.

Flicka will also perform selected arias by Christoph Willibald Gluck, the great reformer who set opera on the path we have come to know. The program is further enriched with suites composed for French baroque ballet by Jean-Philippe Rameau and Jean-Féry Rebel.

Hear this unique collaboration between one of America’s finest artists – a true national treasure – and America’s most exciting period instrument ensemble!

More Information

Nicholas McGegan
Frederica von Stade
Christoph Willibald Gluck
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Jean-Féry Rebel