Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra makes Detroit debut

The concert will take place on Jan. 26 at Detroit’s Orchestra Hall

By Layla McMurtrie

Jan 4, 2024 at 11:25 am

Image: The A2SO will perform in Detroit on Jan. 26, with a second show in Ann Arbor on Jan. 27.

The A2SO will perform in Detroit on Jan. 26, with a second show in Ann Arbor on Jan. 27. Courtesy photo

Audio By Carbonatix

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For the first time in the group’s 95-year history, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (A2SO) will perform in Detroit.

The concert is set for 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 26 at Detroit’s Orchestra Hall as part of the Sphinx Organization’s 2024 SphinxConnect conference.

“Our Detroit performance is a momentous occasion for the Symphony,” A2SO Executive Director Sarah Calderini said in a news release. “This opportunity expands our reach, broadens our audience, and brings our mission to more listeners than ever. We’re set to reinvigorate our partnership and commitment with Sphinx, all in an incredible setting thanks to the deeply felt support of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.”

With performances from Sphinx artists as well as the A2SO, the event will celebrate the two organizations’ shared history, with support from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.

The concert will be directed by Earl Lee, music director of the A2SO and winner of the 2022 Solti Conducting Award. Cellist and 2023 Sphinx Organization Medal of Excellence awardee Tommy Mesa will perform Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1, and fellow Medal of Excellence winner and Leonard Bernstein Award recipient Jessie Montgomery’s Divided for Cello and String Orchestra will also be showcased.

“The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra has a long and illustrious partnership with Sphinx, dating back to our involvement in Sphinx’s inaugural competition in 1997," Lee said in a news release. “I’m excited to partner with Tommy [Mesa] to perform one of Haydn’s most instantly recognizable works, as well as feature Jessie [Montgomery’s] incisive and thought-provoking work for cello and orchestra — a poignant response to social and political unrest.”

The rest of the performance will feature two of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s most popular works, the Overture to his opera “The Marriage of Figaro” and his Symphony No. 41, nicknamed the “Jupiter” Symphony.

On Saturday, Jan. 27, the same program will be performed again at Ann Arbor's Michigan Theater.

Tickets to the concerts can be booked at a2so.org/mozart-jupiter, and discounts are available for students and children.

Slideshow

Our favorite Detroit music of 2023

Charles Trees: Capturing Animals (Portage Garage Sounds) For the past six years now, Portage Garage Sounds (founded by DJs/producers/brothers Shigeto and Kenjiro) has been pumping out singles, EPs and compilations of some of the deepest, most forward-thinking electronic music in the current Detroit scene. This year, the first LP to ever grace the label is the gorgeous, textured, kaleidoscopic Capturing Animals by Charles Trees (under the simple moniker Trees). The album gurgles, stabs, ascends, crashes, sings and lifts the listener up to the heavenly hellscape that Charles creates for us. A long-time player in the late-night/after-party spots that have ebbed and flowed through the city, Trees comes up for air on Capturing Animals and shares just a sliver of the avant-pop brilliance that he is brimming with. —Joe

Phased Out: Got It EP (Forge Again) Careening in at the end of the year is a four-track scorcher from Phased Out. They’re a band that I’ve been lucky enough to catch live on multiple occasions, playing many local bills and offering support to touring acts that roll through the dive bar venues. Phased Out recording their new tape Got It is like making a pie or a cocktail: the ingredients are simple, but when you use that good stuff, you can really taste the difference. The guitar, bass, and drums all mesh together seamlessly, for a noisy, potent wake up call. Dina Bankole lends her vocals on top of it all, recalling her days in Casual Sweetheart (definitely one of the best Detroit bands from the last decade). Grip a cassette while you can, and grab another so you’re prepared when your first copy wears out. —Joe

Sheefy McFly: P.E.R.M. EP (WRKSHP) Sheefy McFly is everywhere these days; with such a diverse range of creative output, it’s easy for some to forget that one of his primary mediums is music, and his recent rap EP P.E.R.M. (which stands for (“Painting Encourages Real MF’s”) is a potent reminder. With production by Chuck Inglish of the Cool Kids and Soulection’s very own Sango, as well as a verse from Detroit heavyweight Boldy James, the project deserves recognition for the collaborations alone. On top of that, Sheefy’s vocals effortlessly dance over a wide stylistic range in production, all while maintaining his signature recipe of casual braggadocio and smooth, clever wordplay. It’s not easy for an artist to assert themselves as both an up-and-comer and a burgeoning OG, paying tribute to the past while paving the way for their future all in one brush stroke, but Sheefy McFly has found a way to do just that. —Broccoli

Day Residue: Deadly Walk EP (self-released) Detroit punk has had a pretty solid year in 2023, and Day Residue has been no small part of that momentum. They’ve only been together for a few years, but they’ve put together an impressive run of performances in that time, including opening for Protomartyr last year at the Magic Stick (lead singer Joe Casey also shouted them out in a Loud and Quiet interview earlier this year). Their latest EP Deadly Walk, released in November of this year, starts off with a bang; the title track swells with a siren-like sound before the band launches into a wall of noisy guitars and pounding drums, joined shortly thereafter by distorted vocals courtesy of lead-singer Aleahia. The EP has an interesting range in terms of structure and sound, particularly in the last two tracks with the all-out thrash of “Piss Paradise” juxtaposing nicely with the punchiness of “Insults for Sale.” This is a band to watch in 2024, so go grab the EP and catch a show sometime soon if you dare! —Broccoli

Honorable mentions: Andrés ANDRÉS V, Bonny Doon Let There Be Music, Gulley Gesicht, Ladymonix Welcome 2 My House EP, Milfie Very Pretty EP, The Stools R U Saved?, Tyvek  Overground, XV On the Creekbeds On The Thrones, Zilched Earthly Delights.

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Gig alert Music News Things to Do Detroit's Orchestra Hall Detroit events Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra Detroit Symphony Orchestra The Michigan Theater

About The Author

Layla McMurtrie

Layla McMurtrie is the digital editor of Detroit Metro Times. She's passionate about art, music, food, and Detroit's culture and community. Her work has been featured in the Detroit Free Press, Between the Lines, and Metromode, among other Michigan publications.