Wagner and the Legend of the Ring 2025-2026
The Ring Without Words is an orchestral suite that distills the most iconic themes from Richard Wagner’s monumental tetralogy, The Ring of the Nibelung. This 70-minute symphonic fresco encapsulates the essence of the 15-hour epic, telling the tale of a magical ring forged by the dwarf Alberich from gold stolen from the Rhine. While the ring grants immense power, it also brings ruin and destruction to those who possess it. Wotan, the king of the gods, attempts to control the ring but fails, leading to the gods’ downfall. Betrayed and manipulated, the hero Siegfried is killed by Hagen, son of Alberich. Brünnhilde, the Valkyrie, daughter of Wotan and wife of Siegfried, returns the ring to the Rhine, marking the end of an era. The Ring Without Words offers an immersive journey through Wagner’s world, highlighting its most memorable moments, including the prelude to Das Rheingold, the Ride of the Valkyries, Siegfried’s death and funeral music, and the apocalyptic conclusion in Twilight of the Gods. In a thrilling season finale, the soaring lyricism of Schumann’s Piano Concerto, performed by pianist Yefim Bronfman, contrasts with the destructive power of gold in Wagner’s epic, creating a stunning clash of opposing powers.
Voices from the press
« Bronfman is well known as a powerhouse pianist with a tone of crystalline clarity. When he turns the volume down, each note stands out like a perfectly shaped pearl. When he doesn’t, look out. You might get hit by flying chords. » – Los Angeles Times
« Yefim Bronfman a solidement rempli sa mission et a surtout impressionné par son intelligence dans la tenue d’ensemble, enchaînant les mouvements avec grande sensibilité. Bronfman dégage une assurance impressionnante. Il est comme un tireur à l’arc de l’équipe olympique coréenne : ces derniers n’ont même pas encore décoché leurs flèches qu’on sait déjà qu’elles vont aller se ficher dans le jaune au centre de la cible. » – Le Devoir
Artists
Rafael Payare, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
Program
Robert Schumann, Concerto for Piano, Op. 54 (31 min)
Intermission (20 min)
Richard Wagner, The Ring Without Words (70 min)
Rafael Payare
conductorDistinguished by innate musicianship, a gift for communication, and an irresistibly joyous spirit, conductor Rafael Payare began playing horn in Venezuela’s El Sistema program at age 14 and started his formal conducting studies in 2004 with José Antonio Abreu. Since winning Denmark’s prestigious Malko Competition for Young Conductors in 2012, his career has advanced rapidly. He was Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Ulster Orchestra from 2014 to 2019; has served as Principal Conductor of the Castleton Festival, founded by his mentor the late Lorin Maazel, since 2015; became Music Director of the San Diego Symphony in 2019, and three years later became Music Director of Canada’s Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. In recent years, Payare has conducted many of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including those of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Zurich, Berlin, Vienna, London, Munich, Hamburg, and Paris, besides making important opera debuts at London’s Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; the Glyndebourne Festival; Stockholm’s Royal Swedish Opera; and the Royal Danish Opera.
Yefim Bronfman
PianoInternationally recognized as one of today’s most acclaimed and admired pianists, Yefim Bronfman stands among a handful of artists regularly sought by festivals, orchestras, conductors and recital series. His commanding technique, power and exceptional lyrical gifts are consistently acknowledged by the press and audiences alike.
The 25/26 season begins with an extensive recital and orchestral tour through China, Japan and South Korea. In Europe, Bronfman can be heard with orchestras in London, Kristiansand, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Dresden, and on tour with Israel Philharmonic. With North American orchestras, he returns to New York, Rochester, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Montreal. In recital, Bronfman can be heard in Prague, Milan, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Orange County, Charlottesville and Toronto.
Bronfman studied with pianist Arie Vardi, head of the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University. He later studied at The Juilliard School, Marlboro School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music, under Rudolf Firkusny, Leon Fleisher, and Rudolf Serkin. He received the Avery Fisher Prize and the Jean Gimbel Lane prize in piano performance from Northwestern University in 2010 and received an honorary doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music in 2015.
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