Copious Notes: Philharmonic '08-09 music and soloists

The Lexington Philharmonic's 2008-09 season will include music by Osvaldo Golijov, Feb. 13, the first time the popular contemporary composer's work has appeared on a Philharmonic program. Photo by Sebastien Chambert from osvaldogolijov.com.

It feels somewhat appropriate the Lexington Philharmonic went up against Gypsy this weekend, because the orchestra has been slowly revealing its 2008-09 season. First, we got concert dates, then we found out about the program for George Zack's final concert on the podium as music director. Now, we get the music and soloists for all but one concert.

A lot of this year's candidates have talked about balancing seasons of new music and standard repertoire, and several of next season's concerts do that, including the programming of music by Japanese composer Akira Ifukube, who is known for his scores of Godzilla movies, and Osvaldo Golijov, whose work is often performed by Kronos Quartet and who recently scored Francis ford Coppola's Youth Without Youth. Fans of the traditional classical canon won't want to miss the March 27 lineup of Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms.

The season's final layer will be removed April 25, when the remaining candidates to succeed George Zack will be unveiled. The hopefuls will be conducting all but two of next season's concerts, with the announcement of the winner, and our next music director, expected to come next spring. Here's what they will be playing, and who they will be performing with:

Sept. 12: George Zack, conductor; Aaron Rosand, violin -- Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto; Johannes Brahms, Symphony No. 1.

Oct. 24: Hai-Ye Ni (photo, right), cello -- Ottorino Respighi, The Birds; Franz Joseph Haydn, Cello Concerto; Sir Edward Elgar, Serenade in e minor; Zoltan Kodaly, Dances of Galanta.

Nov. 21: Conrad Tao, piano -- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, selections from Idomeneo: ballet music; Dmitri Shostakovich, Piano Concerto No. 1; Ludwig van Beethoven, Symphony No. 3 (Eroica).

Dec. 19: Jefferson Johnson, conductor; Lexington Singers and soloists -- George Frideric Handel, Messiah.

Jan. 23: Daniel Mason, violin, and viola soloist TBA -- Akira Ifukube, Ballata Sinfonica; Mozart, Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola; Antonin Dvorak, Symphony No. 6.

Feb. 13: Yolanda Kondonassis (photo, right), harp -- Osvaldo Golijov, Last Round; Alberto Ginastera, Harp Concerto; Beethoven, Symphony No. 6 (Pastorale).