Opening Night Gala
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center
3711 Woodward Ave.
Detroit
Saturday, September 26
A red carpet rolled out on Woodward Avenue in front of the historic Orchestra Hall.
Inside, one of the greatest violinists set to perform Édouard Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole.
The anticipation was palpable for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s opening night gala and concert, a tradition they’ve brought back in recent years to help kick off their upcoming season. There are photo opportunities, a cocktail hour, and a seated dinner for the chosen few afterwards — everything you’d expect from a high-end gala.
The night was also a celebration of Chair Emeritus of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), community leader and philanthropist Phillip Wm. Fisher, who genuinely seemed touched by being honored in front of a packed house.
And a packed house for the orchestra in Detroit is nothing to scoff at. In recent years, they’ve seen a jump in attendance thanks to an array of offerings billed for everybody, from pops concerts, jazz programming, movies paired with live orchestration (the annual Home Alone screenings have become wildly popular), and, of course, the classical fare that this storied institution is known for.
It simply sounds better when it’s full. With this special guest for the opening night gala, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be. Seeing someone as talented as violinist Joshua Bell should be on everyone’s bucket list even if you don’t think you’re a fan of classical music.
Bell is a Grammy Award-winning violinist and an absolute stud in the classical music world. He’s a jet-setting talent that parachutes in for your local symphony’s orchestra before traveling around the world to do the same for someone else. And within the first notes of his playing on stage, you can hear the caliber of musicianship he’s bringing to the table.
It’s a lot like seeing a freak athlete on the field. They’re surrounded by other talented athletes, but you can see how above the competition they are.
With Bell, you can hear that elevation.
Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole is a violin concerto that puts the instrument front and center. Helmed by DSO conductor Jader Bignamini, it’s filled with Spanish flare (highly en vogue at the time it was written in 1874) and influenced Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, concerning one of the most famous and well known violin concertos today.
The music was dramatic and Bell’s swaying and thrusts matched the mood. It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve had at Orchestra Hall, only matched by Yo-Yo Ma’s performance with the DSO back in 2023 for that opening night gala. It was so quiet that you could hear Ma’s grunting as he poured himself into his performance of Dvořák’s Concerto in B minor for Cello and Orchestra.
By the time the red carpet rolled up and the night was coming to a close, Bell’s fiery performance was still ringing in my head.
After witnessing the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s opening-night fanfare, it won’t be long before I’m back to see it in action again.
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