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| - One of the nation's - and world's - great orchestras, the Pittsburgh Symphony has blossomed over the last century under great leaders like Fritz Reiner, William Steinberg, André Previn, Lorin Maazel, and Mariss Janssons. It has stayed relevant on the world stage for over 10 years under the baton of Manfred Honeck.
The symphony puts on concerts year-round, starting with a core fall-winter-spring season that brings all the world's top classical soloists to town with a format that, like other major orchestras, usually consists of a shorter, more contemporary opening piece, a concerto with a soloist, and then, after intermission, a longer symphony. It also performs pops and generally less high-brow concerts year-round in addition to putting on work in the community.
Helped by its beautiful Heinz Hall surroundings, the orchestra produces top-quality sound, and all of its sections are pretty much top-notch. The power and finesse of the orchestra is abundantly clear when it plays a symphonic powerhouse like Beethoven's 7th.
Overall, a world-class institution that, without question, is well worth supporting. Tickets are available at many levels given the variety of seats in Heinz Hall's setup. I notice one reviewer complaining about the seating plan of the orchestra itself, such that it's tough to audience members in the main floor to see all the players. If you've ever been to an orchestral performance, however, you'll notice that this setup is the default setup for most orchestras due to space, acoustic, comfort, and many other reasons.
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