JEREMY DENK RETURNS TO ORANGE COUNTY FOR SOLO RECITAL FEATURING BEETHOVEN & IVES
(IRVINE, CA, MARCH 2, 2026)—Winner of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the Avery Fisher Prize, Jeremy Denk returns to the Philharmonic Society of Orange County’s programming for the first time since directing the Laguna Beach Music Festival in 2023 with a solo recital. Audiences will experience the soulful rhythms of Scott Joplin and Nina Simone, the rich harmonies of William Bolcom, alongside iconic works by Beethoven and Charles Ives on Thursday, April 9, 2026, 8pm, at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. A pre-concert lecture by Brian Lauritzen will take place at 7pm. This performance is part of the Philharmonic Society’s America@250 Celebration.
Jeremy Denk is one of America’s foremost pianists, praised by The New York Times as “a pianist you want to hear no matter what he performs.” Renowned for his vivid imagination, depth, and wit, Denk is also a New York Times bestselling author and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
In the 2025/26 season, Denk tours widely across North America with performances in New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Seattle, Berkeley, and Austin, among others. In recital he continues to explore female composers from the past to the present, as well as the complete Bach Partitas. He also returns to the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra to perform Beethoven 1 at the 92nd Y in New York, and reunites with his long-time collaborator, Joshua Bell, for performances at the Hollywood Bowl and the Ravinia Festival. Further afield, he embarks on a tour of South Korea with violist, Richard O’Neill, and performs at the Adam Chamber Music Festival in New Zealand in multiple concerts, including a performance of Schubert’s Die Schöne Müllerin with tenor Colin Ainsworth.
Denk has performed frequently at Carnegie Hall, and in recent years has worked with such orchestras as Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and San Francisco Symphony. Recent highlights also include premiering a new concerto written for him by Anna Clyne, co-commissioned by the Dallas Symphony led by Fabio Luisi, the City of Birmingham Symphony led by Kazuki Yamada, and the New Jersey Symphony led by Markus Stenz. Further highlights include performances of John Adams’ Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? with the Cleveland Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, and Seattle Symphony.
Denk is also celebrated for his original and insightful writing on music, which Alex Ross praises for its “arresting sensitivity and wit.” His New York Times bestselling memoir, Every Good Boy Does Fine, was published to universal acclaim by Random House in 2022. He also wrote the libretto for a comic opera presented by Carnegie Hall, Cal Performances, and the Aspen Festival, and his writing has appeared in the New Yorker, New Republic, Guardian, Süddeutsche Zeitung and on the front page of the New York Times Book Review.
Denk is known for his interpretations of the music of American visionary Charles Ives, and in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the composer’s birth, Nonesuch Records released a collection of his Ives recordings in 2024. His album of Mozart piano concertos, released in 2021 on Nonesuch Records, was deemed “urgent and essential” by BBC Radio 3. His recording of the Goldberg Variations for Nonesuch Records reached No. 1 on the Billboard Classical Charts, and his recording of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Op. 111 paired with Ligeti’s Études was named one of the best discs of the year by the New Yorker, NPR, and the Washington Post, while his account of the Beethoven sonata was selected by BBC Radio 3’s “Building a Library” as the best available version recorded on modern piano.
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall is located at 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Ticket prices start at $31 and are available at the Philharmonic Society box office at (949) 553-2422, or online at www.philharmonicsociety.org, and at the Center’s box office at (714) 556-2787.
All artists, dates, venues, programs, and prices are subject to change.
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ABOUT THE PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY OF ORANGE COUNTY:
Founded in 1954 as Orange County’s first music organization, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County presents national and international performances of the highest quality and provides dynamic and innovative music education programs for individuals of all ages to enhance the lives of Orange County audiences through music.
Since its inception, the Philharmonic Society has evolved and grown with the county’s changing landscape, presenting artists and orchestras who set the standard for artistic achievement from Itzhak Perlman, Gustavo Dudamel, Yo-Yo Ma, and Renée Fleming to the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and many others. In addition, the Philharmonic Society celebrates multi-disciplinary performances under its Eclectic Orange brand and embraces music from a wide range of countries with its World Music performances. Its celebrated concerts introduce children to classical music with creative and inspiring performances, instilling music appreciation for future generations.
The Philharmonic Society’s nationally recognized Youth Music Education Programs, offered free of charge, engage more than 80,000 students annually through curriculum-based music education programs that aim to inspire, expand imaginations, and encourage learning at all levels. These programs are made possible by the Committees of the Philharmonic Society comprised of nearly 450 volunteer members who provide more than 50,000 hours of in-kind service each year. As a key youth program, the exceptional Orange County Youth Symphony and String Ensemble provide top-tier training to the area’s most talented young musicians through multi-level ensemble instruction, leadership training, touring opportunities, challenging professional repertoire, and performances in world-class venues. The Philharmonic Society also promotes life-long learning, connecting with colleges and universities to conduct masterclasses and workshops and providing pre-concert lectures to introduce audiences to program selections.
CONTACT:
Marie Songco-Torres Rosiana Falzon
(949) 553-2422, ext. 230 (949) 553-2422, ext. 105
marie@philharmonicsociety.org rosiana@philharmonicsociety.org