TOLEDO, OH – The Toledo Symphony, part of Live Arts Toledo, will present Pines of Rome on Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. at The Peristyle. The performance opens the Rita Barbour Kern Masterworks Series and marks the final opportunity to subscribe to the eight-performance series. Individual tickets are also available at liveartstoledo.com or by calling the Live Arts Toledo Box Office at 419.246.8000.
Opening night moves from instantly recognizable operatic drama to Respighi’s spectacular portrait of Rome. Grammy-nominated baritone Sidney Outlaw brings warmth, wit, and theatrical character to seven selections: Mozart’s teasing “Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo,” Figaro’s famous entrance aria “Largo al factotum,” Donizetti’s dark “Cruda funesta smania,” Rodrigo’s noble farewell from Don Carlo, and three lyrical songs by Paolo Tosti. Orchestral favorites by Verdi and Mascagni frame the vocal selections before the full orchestra fills The Peristyle with the color, distance, and blazing final procession of Pines of Rome.
Respighi’s score journeys through time as much as place, moving from children at play to ancient catacombs, moonlit stillness, and the triumphant Appian Way. Paired with Italian opera and song, the program gives TSO’s opening night a strong dramatic arc: individual voices at the center of the first half and the entire orchestra becoming a vast theatrical instrument in the second.
The program offers several inviting ways into classical music: comedy and recognizable melody, the direct emotion of Italian song, the cinematic sweep of opera, and a finale whose offstage effects and brilliant brass can only be fully experienced in the concert hall. It is an approachable but spectacular opening to the season.
Baritone Sidney Outlaw, praised for his rich, versatile sound and commanding stage presence, won the 2010 Concurso Internacional de Canto Montserrat Caballé and has appeared with major opera companies and orchestras in the United States and abroad. He is also a Grammy-nominated artist, recognized for his performance as Apollo in the Naxos Records recording of Darius Milhaud’s L’Orestie d’Eschyle. His work ranges from Mozart and Italian opera to American art song and new music.
“This program has the sun and the drama of Italy on every page,” said Music Director Alain Trudel. “After a brush with destiny by Verdi, we begin our journey with one of my favorite singers, Sidney Outlaw—a generous voice, full of character, that speaks directly to the heart—and then Respighi lets the whole orchestra become the city of Rome itself. In the final minutes, you feel the sound coming toward you like history in motion. What a magnificent way to open our season together!”
Performance Details
- Date & Time: Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
- Location: The Peristyle, Toledo Museum of Art
- Artists: Alain Trudel, conductor; Sidney Outlaw, baritone
- Program:
Verdi: Overture to La forza del destino
Mozart’s “Rivolgete a lui lo sguardo” from Così fan tutte (Sidney Outlaw)
Rossini’s “Largo al factotum” from The Barber of Seville (Sidney Outlaw)
Mascagni: Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticana
Donizetti’s “Cruda funesta smania” from Lucia di Lammermoor (Sidney Outlaw)
Verdi’s “Morte di Rodrigo” from Don Carlo (Sidney Outlaw)
Tosti’s “Sogno,” “L’ultimo bacio,” and “Serenata” (Sidney Outlaw)
Respighi: Pines of Rome - Box Office: 419.246.8000
- Tickets: Available at liveartstoledo.com
- Series Subscriptions: September 19 is the final opportunity to subscribe to the Rita Barbour Kern Masterworks Series.
- Note: Artists and programs may be subject to change
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About The Toledo Symphony Orchestra
Founded in 1943, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra is a community-supported professional ensemble that reaches more than 260,000 people annually through performances and education programs.
About Live Arts Toledo
Live Arts Toledo is the region’s hub for live performance, cultural education, and community connection. Bringing together the Toledo Symphony, Toledo Ballet, Toledo Jazz Orchestra, music and dance schools, and youth orchestras, the organization presents more than 200 nights of programming each year across Northwest Ohio.
Media Contact:
Emily McCready, Marketing Manager, 419.418.0027, emccready@liveartstoledo.com
