New York City Opera Presents “Music of Survival” at Carnegie Hall

The New York City Opera is set to showcase a poignant concert featuring works by composers who faced significant challenges during the 20th century. The performance, titled “Music of Survival: Works by Weinberg, Korngold, and Rovner,” aims to bring attention to overlooked musical legacies and contemporary compositions that echo themes of resilience.

The concert will feature the NYC Opera Orchestra, conducted by Constantine Orbelian, with cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper and soprano Elizaveta Ulakhovich as soloists. The program includes lesser-known cello concertos by Mieczysław Weinberg and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, two composers whose works were neglected during the Holocaust and its aftermath. Weinberg’s Fantasia for Cello and Orchestra op.52 and Korngold’s Cello Concerto in C op.37 will be performed, showcasing the composers’ artistry and emotional depth.

The event also marks the American premiere of Gennady Rovner’s Symphony Metamorphosis, a contemporary piece that bridges past and present, performed by soprano Elizaveta Ulakhovich. This inclusion demonstrates the concert’s commitment to connecting historical works with modern compositions that share similar themes of endurance and artistic expression.

Orbelian and Cooper’s choice to perform these lesser-known concertos is driven by a desire to elevate Weinberg and Korngold’s legacies from obscurity to recognition. The concert serves as a platform to reflect on the power of music to transcend borders and foster understanding, particularly in the context of historical adversity.

Korngold’s Cello Concerto, originally written for the 1946 film “Deception,” starring Bette Davis, Claude Rains, and Paul Heinried, adds a cinematic dimension to the program. This piece, along with Weinberg’s Fantasia, represents works born from the composers’ experiences of survival and displacement.

The performance invites audiences to consider the historical context of these compositions while celebrating the resilience of artists who continued to create despite challenging circumstances. It also serves as a reminder of music’s capacity to inspire empathy and unite diverse audiences.

The concert will take place at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage. Tickets for the event, ranging from $14 to $85, are available for purchase through the Carnegie Hall website. The performance is scheduled for Monday, February 24, 2025, at 8 pm.