The North Carolina Symphony continues an annual tradition this December 31, with a concert that ushers in the New Year with style. In addition to unforgettable melodies from Vienna that are so perfect for New Year’s Eve, this year’s concert also features classics by Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, and more performed by the Symphony, which will be joined by the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra.
The concert, led by Symphony Associate Conductor David Glover, takes place at Meymandi Concert Hall, in downtown Raleigh’s Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, on Thursday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m.
For well over a century, the dance music of the Strauss family has serenaded classical music lovers into every new calendar year. The Vienna Philharmonic concerts on New Year’s Day have maintained the time-honored tradition since the 1870s, to worldwide audiences of millions. North Carolina music lovers can enjoy the live version on New Year’s Eve when the Symphony offers a program of music honoring the best of Vienna. The orchestra will perform classic waltzes and polkas by members of the Strauss family, alongside selections by Tchaikovsky, Brahms, and more.
Music during the evening features melodies like the Reiter March, the Radetzky March, and the Furioso Polka by Johann Strauss, Jr., as well as some of the most beloved Big Band songs found in the American song bag, including “Moonlight Serenade,” “Canadian Sunset,” and of course “Auld Lang Syne.”
The North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra has been delighting North Carolina audiences for more than 20 years. Led by trumpeter James Ketch, the group maintains a large library of repertory jazz featuring music from the Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Jimmie Lunceford, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, and Stan Kenton orchestras. The orchestra also continues to celebrate the ongoing legacy of big band music.
Tickets to “New Year’s Eve in Vienna” range from $52 to $82. For tickets, visit the North Carolina Symphony website at www.ncsymphony.org or call the North Carolina Symphony Box Office at 919.733.2750 or toll free 877.627.6724.
This concert is made possible in part by The Charles E. Couns Viennese New Year’s Eve Concert Fund.
Meymandi Concert Hall is located in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. South St., in Raleigh.