We missed international orchestras at the Kimmel and now they’re coming back

When the Kimmel Center was being built more than two decades ago, one of the selling points for adding it to an already-robust local arts scene was that it would bring to the city what was often missing: Broadway, big-name recitalists, and international orchestras.

The Kimmel’s visiting orchestra series won acclaim for presenting famed ensembles from Berlin, Vienna, and New York, but it was canceled after about a decade — a victim, Kimmel leaders said, of an impossible financial model. Since then, touring orchestras have skipped over Philadelphia between dates at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, or other venues.

But in a surprise move Monday, the Kimmel announced that what was once impossible now isn’t. Three international orchestras will visit Philadelphia, and soon: Staatskapelle Berlin in December, Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain in March, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in May.

It will be the first time since the 2011-12 season that the Kimmel has hosted a series of touring orchestras in Verizon Hall.

“It’s thrilling,” said Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc. president and CEO Matías Tarnopolsky. “Philadelphia is an international city. The Philadelphia Orchestra is performing on stage day after day, and these three orchestras create the opportunity to see a broader context for orchestral music.”

The Kimmel rebalanced its arts-versus-entertainment mix a dozen years ago in an effort to increase the earned-revenue percentage of its operating budget and rely less on philanthropy. But since the Philadelphia Orchestra’s merger with the Kimmel in 2021, the arts center has added back some high-profile solo recitals by artists like pianists Yuja Wang and Evgeny Kissin, and now, visiting orchestras.

Orchestra fans — as well as The Inquirer — have regularly bemoaned the loss of the Kimmel’s visiting-orchestra series since its cancellation with the 2012-13 season.

“I’m elated,” said Douglas King, a longtime Philadelphia Orchestra subscriber who had lobbied for the return of touring orchestras. “It’s great to hear musicians from other cities and some world-renowned conductors who don’t necessarily guest conduct the Philadelphia Orchestra.”

In the past, some Philadelphia Orchestra leaders have considered outside orchestras to be competition. But Tarnopolsky says he sees the addition as complementary, and the Kimmel is rewarding those who share that view: Philadelphia Orchestra subscribers will receive a 20% discount on tickets to the visiting orchestra series.

That the Kimmel is restarting the series as performing arts groups are struggling to bring back audiences post-pandemic is no accident, Tarnopolsky said.

“We’re rebuilding audiences in all our venues and genres, and what we’re really thinking about is creating different attachment points for music lovers,” he said. “If you love hearing the Philadelphia Orchestra, you’ll be thrilled to be able to hear these three orchestras and three megastar conductors. Of course the great Philadelphia Orchestra is among the most acclaimed and best orchestras, and that we’re able to play host to colleagues from around the world is a really important part of what we do and what we believe in.”

Staatskapelle Berlin, which boasts of roots going back to 1570, is slated to be led by Daniel Barenboim. The conductor announced in January that a “serious neurological condition” had forced him to conclude his post in Berlin, though plans remain in place for his all-Brahms program in Philadelphia of the Symphony Nos. 3 and 4.

The Orchestre Métropolitain arrives with a familiar face. Its artistic director and principal conductor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conducts Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with pianist Tony Siqi Yun, Cris Derksen’s Controlled Burn with Derksen as cello soloist, and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2.

The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra concert will be led by its new chief conductor, a figure who used to be a frequent visitor to Philadelphia: Simon Rattle. He leads a single work — Mahler’s explosive Symphony No. 6.

Tarnopolsky was at a loss to explain why Rattle — once a top choice to become music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra — had not conducted the ensemble as often as he once did, though he said he has remained “very much in touch” with Rattle, and that the conductor “has an open invitation to come to Philadelphia.”

The three visiting orchestras are on the schedule for this season, but the series is not a lock for future seasons, Tarnopolsky said. He is seeking sponsorship for the series to help secure its place on an ongoing basis.

“I really hope this becomes a permanent fixture in our season, but we’re trying new things. We’re trying different ways of connecting with audiences by putting a wonderful context around the concerts of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick, and want to make sure Philadelphia plays host to the very best in the performing arts.”

Staatskapelle Berlin, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m., $35-$119; Orchestre Métropolitain, March 5 at 7:30 p.m., $25-$99; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, May 1 at 8 p.m., $35-$139. All concerts in Verizon Hall, Broad and Spruce Streets. Buyers of a three-concert package receive a 25% discount, Philadelphia Orchestra subscribers receive a 20% discount. Rush tickets may be offered, depending on availability, $15 online or $20 in person. Tickets go on sale Thursday. kimmelculturalcampus.org, 215-893-1999.