On May 5 and 6, Elza van den Heever joins renowned conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center for a concert featuring works by Austrian composer Anton Bruckner.
The program will begin with Bruckner’s sacred choral work, “Christus factus est,” followed by the composer’s Symphony No. 9. The Ninth Symphony, considered one of Bruckner’s most significant works, was left unfinished at the time of his death in 1896. The orchestra will perform the piece as the composer intended, with Te Deum as its finale. Gustav Mahler, who treasured Bruckner’s score, described it as written “for the tongues of angels.”
Ms. van den Heever completes a thrilling quartet of soloists for these performances including mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung, tenor Sean Panikkar, and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green. They will also be joined by the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, directed by Joe Miller.