The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra will present one of the most celebrated works in the symphonic repertoire when it performs Symphony No. 9 in D minor by Ludwig van Beethoven in a concert titled “Ode to Joy.”
The performance features guest soloist Erik Tofte, a baritone who grew up in nearby Owego and is now associated with the Curtis Artist Management at Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Tofte is currently performing with Palm Beach Opera, singing the role of Marullo in Rigoletto.
“Hi Bill, thanks for having me,” Tofte said. “At the moment I’m with Palm Beach Opera finishing the season. I’ll be done just before the Binghamton Philharmonic production, and I’ll be singing Marullo in Rigoletto.”
After completing the opera run, Tofte will have about a week to prepare for the Philharmonic performance. Moving between staged opera and concert work requires a different approach, he said.
“Obviously you don’t have to deal with staging, lighting, and all the balance that comes with that,” Tofte explained. “But the challenge with concert work is making it both intimate in terms of the artistic integrity you’re presenting, and also grand. The stillness in the body is the biggest challenge for me. In opera you get to move and externalize what you’re feeling. In concert work it has to be much more internal.”
One particularly daunting moment in Beethoven’s Ninth comes near the end of the work, when the orchestra falls silent and the baritone begins the famous choral finale.
“It’s really interesting and a bit daunting, to say the least,” Tofte said. “But it’s a challenge I’m excited for — especially being back in my hometown and getting to perform at the Forum, where we actually did a lot of work together with Tri-Cities Opera.”
Tofte last performed locally in 2019 while completing his undergraduate studies at Binghamton University.
“I believe the last time I did a production at Tri-Cities was my senior year at Binghamton — so 2019,” he said. “Even that feels like a lifetime ago.”
The performance will bring together several singers connected with Curtis. Tenor Ethan Burck and soprano Sophia Hunt will join Tofte as soloists, along with mezzo-soprano Sophia Maekawa, a colleague he worked with during his time at Curtis.
“The standard for perfection at Curtis is really something they hold high,” Tofte said. “Just to be surrounded with like-minded musicians who appreciate the art and the time it takes to do it justice — that’s something I’m really looking forward to.”
Despite the scale of Beethoven’s Ninth, rehearsal time is short.
“We’re only there for two days before the performance,” Tofte said. “We’ll have a dress rehearsal the day before, another rehearsal the day of, and then we perform.”
The Philharmonic will be joined by several regional choral ensembles for the massive finale.
“I genuinely love any chance I get to sing with a chorus or large orchestra,” Tofte said. “It really feels like there’s a ground to sing upon. I actually sang in the BU Chamber Singers when I was there, so I know the tradition of holding everyone accountable to being good musicians and really being artistic with dynamics and expression.”
The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Hege, will perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor on Saturday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Forum Theatre on Washington Street in downtown Binghamton. The concert also features the Southern Tier Singers’ Collective, the Binghamton University Chamber Choir, and members of the Syracuse University Oratorio Society. Ticket and concert information is available online at https://binghamtonphilharmonic.org.