NYFOS concludes our 38th season subscription series with Poulenc/Sondheim, a celebration of two of the 20th century’s inimitable composers. Both masters of irony, musical wit, urban sophistication, and psychological acumen, Francis Poulenc and Stephen Sondheim go head to head in a concert of kinship and contrast, with Poulenc’s sensuality becoming the perfect foil for Sondheim’s lightning wordplay. Soprano Christine Taylor Price and baritone Theo Hoffman will be featured alongside pianists and curators Steven Blier and Bénédicte Jourdois.

“Francis Poulenc’s songs conjure up the essence of Paris—raffish, sensual, contemplative; Stephen Sondheim evokes the sass and complexity of New York with the precision of a master,” Blier commented. “The two fit together like puzzle pieces, each taking up thoughts and feelings where the other one left off. It’s a perfect project for the delightfully Parisian Bénédicte Jourdois and me (a dyed-in-the-wool Manhattanite) to work on together. The songs are stunning, and the Poulenc-Sondheim pairings reveal hidden depths in both composers. We’re blessed with a cast who can nail all the disparate styles: rapidly rising soprano Christine Taylor Price, and baritone Theo Hoffman (the star of the GRAMMY®-nominated album on NYFOS Records, Schubert/Beatles).”