Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No. 9
Gathering Song
Music by Courtney Bryan
Libretto by Tazewell Thompson
Please note this program has no intermission.
New Haven Symphony Orchestra
Perry So, Conductor & Music Director
Lisa Williamson, soprano
Annie Rosen, alto
Chad Kranak, tenor
Eric Greene, baritone
Heritage Chorale of New Haven
New Haven Chorale
Yale Glee Club
Music Director Perry So Opens his first season at Woolsey Hall with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, known best for its triumphant Ode to Joy.
Maestro So says, “We’re kicking off with Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, his great 9th symphony in its 200th anniversary year: a deep dive into the unifying joy that all of us find in music. This piece has taken generations through its harrowing journey in oppressive darkness, holding out false promises of an Eden that never materializes, until a voice pulls us back from the brink and shows us the way out of despair through community and through art. I love that this piece brings solace in bereavement at the same moment that it calls for a radical egalitarianism in art. It says to us: “since we are equally human in joy and sadness, together let’s choose the joy that reminds us how much we all share.”
Tickets to this concert start at $15 for adults.
Kids under 18 go free with the purchase of an adult ticket.
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Our box office is standing by and happy to assist you! Purchase tickets to this concert or a subscription over the phone by calling (203) 693-1486 Monday-Friday from 12-5pm.
Additional Discounts Available for This Performance:
College Students are $10 with ID. College student tickets are available in price sections B, C, and D.
Tickets for active military are free with ID.
Groups of 10 or more receive a 20% discount. Call us at (203) 693-1486 or email BoxOffice@LongWharf.org to book your group.
All artists, programs, and venues are subject to change. No refunds.
Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Venezuela Youth Symphony in a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (2020)
Eric Greene – Wotan (Das Rheingold)
Meet Composer Courtney Bryan
There is a ramp on the Grove Street side entrance to the Schwarzman Center, equipped with push-button access for the door. There is also a wheelchair accessible entrance at the back of the building if entering from Hewitt Triangle, which also has push-button access. The doors to Woolsey Hall are kept open until showtime.
Wheelchair accessible seating is available on the first floor of Woolsey Hall. These seats have space considerations for wheelchairs or service animals. There is also companion seating available. If you are in need of mobility considerations with regard to seating, inquire about these options when contacting the box office or email access@newhavensymphony.org.
Street Parking
Woolsey Hall is surrounded by metered street parking. Paid street parking in the Woolsey Hall area is available on Grove, College, and Wall Streets, and is free after 9:00 pm. We recommend that you download the GoNewHaven parking app for easy meter pay – no quarters necessary! Directly outside of Woolsey, there is one (1) ADA spot on Grove Street, three (3) ADA spots on College Street, and one (1) space on Wall Street.
Garage Parking
Information about Garage Parking is available in a separate section on this event page. The NHSO provides a free shuttle with a wheelchair lift for the Grove Street Garage (65 Grove Street) and a discount for pre-purchased reservations to that garage.
There are several bus lines that service the Schwarzman Center and the downtown New Haven area. The 224, 234, and 278 have a stop on College Street right outside of the Schwarzman Center. The 212, 213, 215, 224, 228, 229, and 234 service the stop at Temple Street and Grove Street, one block from the venue. Riders on lines 237, 238, 241, 243, 246, 254, 255, and 261 can deboard at the top of the New Haven Green at Temple Street and Elm Street. The 204, 206, 223, and 274 stop at Elm Street and Church Street.
Click here to see a comprehensive map of the bus lines that service downtown New Haven.
There are bathrooms in the basement of the Schwarzman Center as well as on Floor and 3. Each floor that has a bathroom has two multi-stall restrooms and a single-user restroom. Each multi-stall restroom has an ADA compliant stall, and each single–user restroom is also ADA compliant. The multi-stall restrooms are labeled according to gender. We invite patrons to use whichever restroom best corresponds with their gender identity.
Sensory kits and earplugs are available at all of our concerts. Patrons can also request to borrow ear defenders for the duration of the concert. To obtain a pair, see a staff member or visit the welcome table.
Large print programs are available at all of our concerts and can be acquired from a staff member or visit the welcome table.
Elevators are located on the outer rotunda on the first floor of the Schwarzman Center. You can use the elevator to reach any floor of Woolsey Hall; however, please note that only the first floor offers wheelchair accessible seating.
Grove Street Garage
Located at 65 Grove Street, the Grove Street Garage is the recommended parking option for NHSO concerts at Woolsey Hall. It is located 2 blocks southeast of Woolsey Hall.
Street Parking
Street parking can be found in the downtown area surrounding Woolsey Hall. Parking rates and rules apply. Visit our friends at Park New Haven to learn more.
Drop-Off
Passengers can be dropped off directly in front of the entrance to Woolsey Hall but parking is prohibited in this area.
Public Transportation
Woolsey Hall is accessible from bus lines 224, 234, and 278. Click here to plan your trip with CT Transit.
Do you have questions about parking and accessibility? Please call the box office at (203) 693-1486 or email our box office partners at BoxOffice@LongWharf.org.