Free performance by The New HOTS Jazz Orchestra at the Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (OCAF)

Saturday, December 18, 7 – 9:00 PM.

The seasonal celebration at OCAF continues with a free jazz concert to be held in OCAF's Main Gallery. The New HOTS Jazz Orchestra is an 8 to 15 piece "Little Big Band", which recreates the hot dance and swing tunes of the '20s, '30s and '40s. Their repertoire includes vintage ragtime, New Orleans-style Dixieland Jazz, popular hot dance tunes of the "Jazz-Age", and classic swing. To see more on The New HOTS Jazz Orchestra visit their website www.newhotsjazz.com. Admission and parking are free (suggested donation: canned goods for the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia). The facility is handicap accessible.

In addition, the OCAF Artists’ Shoppe will be open this evening so that you may shop for a handmade gift for that special someone. The Shoppe features hand crafted items from over 55 talented artists.

OCAF is located at 34 School Street in Watkinsville. For more information call (706) 769-4565, email info@ocaf.com or visit the website www.ocaf.com.
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Itzhak Perlman Leads the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak

Delta Classical Series
Atlanta Symphony Hall, Memorial Arts Building, Woodruff Arts Center

Thursday, November 4, 2010, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 6, 2010, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 7, 2010, 3:00 p.m.

Itzhak Perlman, conductor and violin
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

MOZART Adagio in E Major
MOZART Rondo in C Major
MOZART Symphony No. 25
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9

Single tickets for these performances are $25 to $83. All single tickets for the 2010–2011 are on sale now, and available online at atlantasymphony.org, or by calling (404) 733-5000. Tickets may also be purchased at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office, located in the Woodruff Arts Center at 15th and Peachtree Streets. Box office hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
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Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Announces 2010 Coca-Cola Holiday Concert Series

December 2–31, 2010

Holiday Series To Open With Program Featuring
Handel’s Messiah and Vivaldi’s Gloria

Conductor Chelsea Tipton II To Lead Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Gospel Choir
In “Atlanta Symphony Gospel Christmas”

Staff Conductor Jere Flint To Conduct “Atlanta Symphony Kid’s Christmas”
Featuring Lee Harper & Dancers, Guest Narrator John Lemley,
and Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra

Norman Mackenzie To Lead Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus,
Morehouse College Glee Club, and Gwinnett Young Singers
In “Christmas with the ASO”

Principal Pops Conductor Michael Krajewski
To Conduct “A Very Merry Holiday Pops”
With Vocalist Capathia Jenkins, Trumpeter Joe Gransden,
and the Lassiter and Walton High School Choirs

Preservation Hall Jazz Band To Perform “Creole Christmas”
Michael Krajewski To Lead Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
In “Atlanta Symphony New Year’s Eve – POParazzi”

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will spread the joy of the coming holiday season during the 2010 Coca-Cola Holiday Concerts from December 2–31, 2010, including: Handel’s Messiah and Vivaldi’s Gloria on December 2 and 4, 2010; “Atlanta Symphony Gospel Christmas” on December 3 and 4, 2010; “Atlanta Symphony Kid’s Christmas” on December 5 and 12, 2010; “Christmas with the ASO” December 9-11, 2010; “A Very Merry Holiday Pops” on December 17 and 18, 2010; Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s “Creole Christmas” on December 19, 2010; and “Atlanta Symphony New Year’s Eve — POParazzi” on December 31, 2010. All concerts will take place in Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Single tickets for these performances are as follows:

HANDEL’S MESSIAH AND VIVALDI’S GLORIA $29 - $59
“ATLANTA SYMPHONY GOSPEL CHRISTMAS” $15 - $42
“ATLANTA SYMPHONY KID’S CHRISTMAS” $15 - $22
“CHRISTMAS WITH THE ASO” $29 - $62
“A VERY MERRY HOLIDAY POPS” $20 - $59
PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND “CREOLE CHRISTMAS” $25.50 - $60.50
“ATLANTA SYMPHONY NEW YEAR’S EVE – POParazzi” $30 - $68

All tickets are available online at atlantasymphony.org, or by calling (404) 733-5000. Tickets may also be purchased at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office, located in the Woodruff Arts Center at 15th and Peachtree Streets. Box office hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Clayton Community Big Band Celebrates its 10 Years with “Our First Decade: A Musical Celebration”

The Clayton State University Department of Visual & Performing Arts presents the Clayton Community Big Band (CCBB) in “Our First Decade: A Musical Celebration” on Monday, Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in Spivey Hall. Admission is free.

Aptly named, the Nov. 29 performance celebrates CCBB’s first 10 years of providing high-energy jazz shows to enthusiastic audiences. Favorite selections from the first decade will be featured from this large ensemble that, until now, has never repeated a selection on any of its performances, shares founding director and CCBB charter member Stacey Houghton.

Some of the big band's long-standing musicians will be featured and honored throughout the evening as the CCBB reminisces about its success as a firmly established promoter of jazz big band music in all styles.

Musicians performing in “Our First Decade: A Musical Celebration” include, in addition to Houghton (Rex), director and tenor saxophonist: Art Thompson (Fayetteville), assistant director and drums/percussionist; John Babb (McDonough), Avys Burroughs (Jonesboro), Carl Dixon (Morrow), Rodney Allen (Augusta), Michael Terry (Meansville) on saxophone; Michael Wheeler (Forest Park), Anthony G. Bailey (Decatur), Josh Singleton (Conyers), Mark Lewis (McDonough) and Taylor Threlkeld (Morrow) on trumpet; Doug Murray (Jonesboro), Keith Gardner (Locust Grove), Amy Fanusi (Jackson), Mark Gladfelter (Ellenwood), and Dr. Patrick Carney (Stockbridge) on trombone; Marvin Pollock (Forest Park) and Afolabi Giwa (Fayetteville) on piano; Caleb Halstead (McDonough) on guitar, Jennifer Dunn (Morrow) on bass; Courtney Tatum (Jonesboro) on drums, and Amy Fanusi (Jackson), vocalist.

The CCBB is comprised of music students from Clayton State University's Department of Visual & Performing Arts, as well as talented community musicians from the surrounding area. For more information on the CCBB, please contact Houghton at HOUGHTONES@aol.com or call (678) 466-4750.

“Come join in the celebration..... Here’s to another 10 years,” cheers Houghton.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Music Director Robert Spano and the ASO Welcome Pianist Emanuel Ax Back to Atlanta

September 30 - October 2

Mr. Ax To Perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4
Program Also To Include Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major, “Titan”

10 FANFARES TO BE PREMIERED THROUGHOUT SEASON TO CELEBRATE 10th ANNIVERSARY OF ROBERT SPANO AND DONALD RUNNICLES AND 10th ANNIVERSARY OF ATLANTA SCHOOL OF COMPOSERS

Adam Schoenberg’s World-Premiere Fanfare, Up!, To Be Featured on Program

Frequent guest artist and friend of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Emanuel Ax, will return to Atlanta to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with Music Director Robert Spano and the Orchestra. The program will also include the world premiere of Adam Schoenberg’s fanfare Up!, and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major, “Titan.” Performances will take place September 30 – October 2, 2010, at 8:00 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Adam Schoenberg’s Up! is the second of 10 fanfares to be premiered throughout the Orchestra’s 2010-11 season in celebration of the 10-year artistic partnership of Robert Spano and Donald Runnicles, and 10 years of the Atlanta School of Composers. Other contributors will include Atlanta School of Composers members Jennifer Higdon and Michael Gandolfi, as well as Robert Spano and friends of the Orchestra, such as Alvin Singleton.

Rupert's Orchestra to Play Sept 11 at Duluth Festival Center

The Rupert’s Orchestra became nationally known for their exciting performances at Rupert’s Nightclub in Atlanta, Georgia. For over eight years they played to packed houses and were voted Atlanta’s best house band every year. They have since become the top party band in the Southeast with some of the finest talent from around the nation.

At the core of the group is a driving rhythm section accented by a fiery horn section, and an explosive Latin percussionist. Fronting the band are four of the hottest vocalists around, each with a unique sound. With a huge and eclectic repertoire, the Rupert’s Orchestra performs everything from current Top 40 hits to Motown, R & B, Classic Rock and Big Band Swing. Their show is flashy and highly interactive. The Rupert’s Orchestra has been featured at numerous corporate events across the country including performances for The Coca-Cola Company, Microsoft, Turner Broadcasting, Cisco Systems, and Pfizer Pharmaceutical to name a few.

Opening Act - Kozmic Mama

Kozmic Mama, a band from Alabama that performs a variety of original and cover music such as Classic soul, Motown, blues and rock. One of the players, Bobby “Love” Jones, was born and raised in Duluth and graduated from Duluth High School.

Contact Information: DFFConcert@gmail.com

Saturday, September 11, 2010
6:30 pm
At the Duluth Festival Center
3142 Hill Street, Duluth, GA
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Chinese Youth Orchestra to make U.S. premiere at Georgia State

The Hangzhou Wenlan School Youth Orchestra, considered one of the finest secondary schools in China, will make its U.S. debut at Georgia State University’s Rialto Center for the Arts this weekend.

The orchestra’s performance will begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday (July 24) at the Rialto Center, 80 Forsyth St. NW. This two-hour family event is free and open to the public.

The Chinese orchestra will feature more than 50 musicians, ages 12 to 18, playing indigenous music on ancient Chinese instruments. The group has performed internationally and across China garnering multiple awards.

“We're very excited about their performance here,” said Leslie Gordon, director of the Rialto Center for the Arts. “This is a perfect opportunity to present Chinese culture to a wider audience.”

Georgia State staff worked with Global Achievers, a non-profit organization based in Newnan, Ga., dedicated to fostering international education, to bring the orchestra to the United States. State Rep. Gerald Greene also aided in the effort.

Master Conductor Yan Jianhua, from Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, will lead the youth orchestra. A famous conductor and percussionist, Yan Jianhua is also the director of the Chinese Society of Folk Orchestral Music and Percussion, an academician of the Chinese Society of Folk Orchestral Music and a performer in the Zhejiang Province Dance and Song Ensemble.

Parking is available in the Equitable Building lot for $4.

For more information, please visit http://www.rialtocenter.org/directions/index.html or call the Rialto Box Office at 404-413-9849.

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The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Announces 18th Annual A King Celebration

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will perform the 18th annual musical tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, “A King Celebration” on Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. The performance, commemorating the life and work of the celebrated civil rights leader, will take place in the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel of Morehouse College, the alma mater of Dr. King.

The program will feature the world-premiere of Wynton Marsalis’s Blues Symphony; Part I of Slavery Documents by Donald Sur; Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3, and the traditional “We Shall Overcome.” The concert will be broadcast to nearly 250 radio stations across the country on American Public Media’s Performance Today, hosted by Fred Child, on Monday, January 18, 2010. For station information and broadcast times, please visit performancetoday.publicradio.org.

This concert is made possible through the generous support of Target, UPS, and AGCO. Marsha Sampson-Johnson, Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Southern Company, chairs the 2010 Host Committee, which secures sponsorships and fundraising for the event.

A King Celebration raises funds for music scholarships at Morehouse and Spelman Colleges, as well as Learning Community programs of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. For more information about purchasing host tickets or supporting A King Celebration, please contact 404.733.5069.

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Atlanta Jazz Non-Profit, Orchestra Atlanta, Announces Name Change to Jazz Orchestra Atlanta

/PRNewswire/ -- Orchestra Atlanta, a 23-year-old, not-for-profit arts organization based in Atlanta, GA, today announces its official name change to "Jazz Orchestra Atlanta," reinforcing the organization's shift in commitment to the advancement of the best in jazz education and performance. The group continues to produce professional jazz performances by a resident repertory big band featuring high-caliber jazz musicians from Atlanta and the Southeast. Jazz Orchestra Atlanta also continues running its popular Summer Jazz Camps for metro Atlanta middle and high school students. The camp is held at Georgia State University, and in 2010 JOA will premier a Vocal Jazz Workshop featuring the internationally recognized vocal group The New York Voices, who will join JOA's big band in a special closing concert at the Rialto Theater.

"The decision to change the name officially was an easy one," says JOA Executive and Artistic Director, Dr. Brent Runnels. "Our focus really shifted over the past several years as audiences showed a great deal of enthusiasm for the jazz concerts we added to our programming. We recognized an important musical niche was not being filled in Atlanta, and our professional big band performances fill that nicely. We found we had already carved out a niche for advancing superior jazz education, so filing with the State to make the name change official was the logical next step to demonstrate our commitment to the new mission and vision for the organization. Our audience and everyone at JOA are very excited about it."

Jazz Orchestra Atlanta Strengthens Board of Directors and Fundraising Efforts

In addition, the Jazz Orchestra Atlanta recently added several new contributing members to their diverse Board of Directors. "Our board is a blend of professional men and women who represent a wonderful cross section of large and small Atlanta businesses, and local professional musicians," continued Runnels, "with common threads of enthusiasm for the art of jazz music, and the community stature we need to help us achieve our goals."

Recent additions to the board include Mark Williamson, a partner at Alston and Bird; Phil Williamson, a CPA and tax director of Mirant Corporation; Steve Brown, avid musician, pilot and project management consultant; Robert Scarr of Delta Airlines; Jerry McEver, musician , teacher and School Music Recruiting Specialist and Consultant; Greg Coile, a well-known Atlanta musician and teacher; and Joe Gransden, one of Atlanta's best known jazz musicians. "The addition of these members and their contributions further strengthen and diversify Jazz Orchestra Atlanta's board and proves the community commitment and interest in the art form of jazz and its ongoing proliferation in Metro Atlanta," said Mark Williamson, JOA Board Chair.

The JOA Board of Directors meets monthly to determine policy, programming, marketing, and resource development while encouraging awareness and interest in Jazz Orchestra Atlanta's programs.

The result of Jazz Orchestra Atlanta's work can be seen regularly at venues like Cafe 290 in Sandy Springs, where Joe Gransden and the JOA big band play shows twice monthly on the first and third Mondays, and in featured events at the Woodruff Arts Center and Spivey Hall, where Jazz Orchestra Atlanta will join with Joe Gransden to present a Big Band Christmas Show. More information is available at: www.orchestraatlanta.org

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Robert Spano and ASO to Perform World Premiere of Wynton Marsalis's Blues Symphony Nov 19 - 22

Concert To Also Feature Pianist Olli Mustonen Performing Ravel’s Piano Concerto, Bernstein’s Prelude, Fugue and Riffs, And Gershwin’s An American in Paris

Music Director Robert Spano will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the World Premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer-musician Wynton Marsalis’s new symphonic work, Blues Symphony. The new work celebrates the blues through the prism of different moments in American history, and will be the first work by Marsalis composed exclusively for symphony orchestra. Mr. Marsalis will not be playing on this piece. The evening’s performance will also include Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G with guest pianist Olli Mustonen, Bernstein’s Prelude, Fugue and Riffs featuring the ASO’s Principal Clarinetist Laura Ardan, and Gershwin’s An American in Paris, on November 19 and 20, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. and November 22, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center.

This concert is part of the Delta Classical Concert Series. Delta Air Lines is the Official Airline of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s special artistic initiatives surrounding The Atlanta School of Composers, "Theater of a Concert," recordings and commissions are generously funded in part by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation."

Single tickets for these performances are $25 to $80. All single tickets for the 2009-2010 season are now available online at atlantasymphony.org or by calling (404) 733-5000. Tickets may also be purchased at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office located at 15th and Peachtree Streets. Box office hours are Monday through Friday 10am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday12pm to 8pm.

Ancillary Events

Conversations of Note

On November 18, 2009, at 7:00 p.m., Conversations of Note, hosted by ASO Insider and Program Annotator Ken Meltzer, will feature a discussion with ASO Music Director Robert Spano and Composer-Musician Wynton Marsalis. The evening’s conversation will focus on the marriage of jazz and classical music. Other highlights will include a live jazz band performance.
Admission is complimentary, but RSVPs are strongly encouraged. All Conversations of Note are held on- stage at Atlanta Symphony Hall unless otherwise noted. To RSVP for this event please call (404) 733-4850. For additional information, please contact Melanie Darby.

The November 18th Conversations of Note, with special guests Wynton Marsalis and Robert Spano, is generously sponsored by BNY Mellon Wealth Management.

Concert Preview Talks

Audiences will have the opportunity to learn more about the music they’ll be hearing at concerts with free Concert Preview Talks given by composers, conductors, educators, and musical experts, all hosted by ASO Insider and Program Annotator Ken Meltzer. All concert previews are free and open to all concert tickets holders. Speakers and locations are subject to change.

ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO PERFORM WORLD PREMIERE OF WYNTON MARSALIS’S BLUES SYMPHONY

Delta Classical Series

Atlanta Symphony Hall, Memorial Arts Building, Woodruff Arts Center
Thursday, November 19, 2009, 8:00 p.m.
Friday, November 20, 2009, 8:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 22, 2009, 3:00 p.m.
Robert Spano, conductor
Olli Mustonen, piano
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
BERNSTEIN Prelude, Fugue and Riffs
MARSALIS Blues Symphony
RAVEL Piano Concerto in G
GERSHWIN An American in Paris
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Music Director Robert Spano and ASO to Perform World Premiere of Dejan Lazic's New Transcription of Brahms's Concerto for Violin

Program To Also Feature Mussorgsky/Ravel’s Pictures At An Exhibition
And Adam Schoenberg’s Finding Rothko
ASO Insider and Program Annotator Ken Meltzer To Host Concert Preview
With Award-Winning Composer Adam Schoenberg

Music Director Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will welcome Croatian pianist Dejan Lazic, who will perform the world premiere of his transcription for solo piano and orchestra of the Brahms Violin Concerto in D Major, October 1-3, 2009 at 8:00 pm in Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center. Also on the program are Maurice Ravel’s orchestration of Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, and Adam Schoenberg’s Finding Rothko.

Mr. Lazic had long felt the beloved D-Major Violin Concerto would work beautifully as a piano concerto. Following his first collaboration with the ASO a little over a year ago, Mr. Spano asked him if there was something out of the ordinary he wanted to do with this Orchestra. Mr. Lazic shared his idea, and the ASO offered to perform the world premiere performances of this great work in a new setting.

Throughout the 2009-10 Season, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will perform four additional world premieres, three of which are ASO commissions: Chinese composer Angel Lam’s Awakening from a Disappearing Garden for Cello and Orchestra will be giving its world premiere in Atlanta October 15–16, 2009, with Yo-Yo Ma as soloist. The Carnegie Hall commission will be reprised for a New York Premiere at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, November 7, 2009; On November 19, 20, and 22, 2009, Mr. Spano and the Orchestra will perform the world premiere of Wynton Marsalis’s American Symphony — his new work written exclusively for symphony orchestra; June 3, 5, and 6, 2010, Mr. Spano and the Orchestra will perform two ASO-commissioned world premieres by Atlanta School of Composers Jennifer Higdon and Michael Gandolfi. Ms. Higdon’s new work is for the Grammy® Award winning new music ensemble eighth blackbird and Orchestra, and Mr. Gandolfi’s new work is for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.

About the Repertoire

BRAHMS (arr. Dejan Lazic) Concerto in D Major for Piano (world premiere)
Johannes Brahms composed his only Violin Concerto during the summer of 1878, while vacationing in Pörtschach, a tiny Austrian village on Lake Wörth. Brahms wrote the Concerto for his dear friend.

MUSSORGSKY/RAVEL Pictures at an Exhibition
In 1873, the Russian artist Viktor Hartmann died at the age of 39. After Hartmann’s death, the
St. Petersburg Society of Architects presented an exhibition of Hartmann’s works. One of the people attending the exhibition was Hartmann’s dear friend, the Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky.

ADAM SCHOENBERG Finding Rothko
American composer Adam Schoenberg is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at The Juilliard School, where he studied with John Corigliano and Robert Beaser. He received his Master of Music degree in 2005 from Juilliard.

About the Artists

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Music Director Robert Spano, now in his eighth season as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, is recognized internationally as one of the most imaginative conductors of his generation. Since 2001 he has invigorated and expanded the Orchestra’s repertoire while elevating the ensemble to new levels of international prominence and acclaim.

Pianist Dejan Lazic is quickly establishing a reputation worldwide as "a brilliant pianist and gifted musician" (Gramophone). The New York Times hailed his performance as "full of poetic, shapely phrasing and vivid dynamic effects that made this music sound fresh, spontaneous and impassioned." In spring 2008 he gave his debut at New York's Lincoln Center with Budapest Festival Orchestra and Iván Fischer, as well as at London's Royal Festival Hall with London Philharmonic Orchestra and Kirill Petrenko.

About the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, currently in its 65th season, is one of America’s leading orchestras, known for the excellence of its live performances, presentations, renowned choruses, and its impressive list of Grammy® Award-winning recordings. The leading cultural organization in the Southeast, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra serves as the cornerstone for artistic development and music education in the region.

Ancillary Events

Concert Preview Talks
Audiences have the opportunity to learn more about the music they’ll be hearing at concerts with free Concert Previews given by composers, conductors, educators, and musical experts, all hosted by ASO Insider and Program Annotator Ken Meltzer. On Wednesday, October 1, 2009, from 7:00 –7:30 p.m., Ken Meltzer will sit down with the award-winning composer Adam Schoenberg to discuss his piece Finding Rothko in Atlanta Symphony Hall (unless otherwise noted). All concert previews are free and open to all concert tickets holders. Speakers and locations are subject to change.

Fanfare Pre-Concert Dinner Buffet
An Atlanta Symphony tradition returns in the 2009–10 season — Fanfare, the pre-concert buffet-style dining by Restaurant Associates, will be available to all concertgoers at all evening Delta Classical, Superpops!, and Coca-Cola Holiday concert performances from 6:00–8:00 p.m.

This concert is part of the Delta Classical Concert Series. Delta Air Lines is the Official Airline of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Single tickets for these performances are $20 to $75. All single tickets for the 2009-10 season will be available online at atlantasymphony.org or by calling (404) 733-5000. Tickets may also be purchased at the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office located in the Woodruff Arts Center at 15th and Peachtree Streets. Box office hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
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Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to Offer 4,000 Free Lawn Tickets

VERIZON WIRELESS AMPHITHEATRE AT ENCORE PARK

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2009

FREE TICKETS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY TO ALL FULTON COUNTY RESIDENTS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FULTON COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL

Concert To Close 2009 Summer Classical Season
And Conclude With Celebratory Fireworks
ASO Program To Feature Sixteen-Year-Old Guest Conductor
Ilyich Rivas In His U.S. Professional Debut
Audience Invited To Text-Message Questions For Interview Segments
During Live On-Site Broadcast To Be Shown on Large Screens
Pre-Concert “Top of the Lawn” Event To Feature
Conversation With ASO Insider Ken Meltzer and ASO Musician Juan Ramirez
Themed Cuisine To Be Offered On-Site for Concertgoers

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will offer 4,000 FREE lawn tickets to all Fulton County residents for its Saturday, August 15, 2009 concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park — the Orchestra’s final concert of the summer season. The free tickets may be obtained immediately, beginning today, Tuesday, August 4, 2009, by visiting the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre box office or the Woodruff Arts Center box office, in person, with proof of Fulton County residency. There is a maximum of four tickets per resident, including one parking pass.

These lawn tickets are free of charge in part due to major funding provided by the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

“What a wonderful opportunity to open our doors to the community and say thank you to the county that has supported us from Wolf Creek to Midtown to Alpharetta, and beyond,” said Atlanta Symphony Orchestra President and CEO Allison Vulgamore.

The program will feature sixteen-year-old guest conductor Ilyich Rivas, who will lead the ASO in his U.S. professional debut with a major American orchestra. He will lead the Orchestra in Verdi’s Vespri Overture, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, performed 22-year-old violinist, and Sphinx Competition winner, Elena Urioste. The concert, and the 2009 summer classical season, will conclude with a celebratory display of fireworks by Pyrotecnico.

All lawn tickets will be eligible for standard day-of-concert seating upgrades upon arrival at the venue for $5 or $10 per ticket (charges based on available seating). This offer does not apply to previously purchased tickets, and is subject to availability.

No coolers or carry-ins are allowed at the Amphitheatre. Low beach-style lawn chairs (no more than nine inches off the ground) are permitted. Lawn chairs designed to ensure sightlines and the slope of the hill are available for rental at $5.00/each.

About the Concert

Sixteen-year-old rising star Ilyich Rivas will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in his U.S. professional debut on Saturday, August 15, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. Mr. Rivas will lead the orchestra in Verdi’s Vespri Overture, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, performed by another rising star, 22-year-old violinist, and Sphinx Competition winner, Elena Urioste.

ASO Music Director Robert Spano was shown a DVD of the then fifteen-year-old conductor, and, within minutes, suggested the young conductor be given a date at the Orchestra’s new summer home. His performance with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will be his first public concert with a major orchestra, marking his U.S. professional debut.

Last year Mr. Rivas was selected as one of seven young conductors from around the world to participate in the prestigious Cabrillo Festival Conductors Workshop in California with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Music Director Marin Alsop and Gustav Meier. During the workshop, he made a significant impression on both Ms. Alsop and Mr. Meier. Following an audition with the BSO, he was was awarded the position of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra/Peabody Institute Conducting Fellow, beginning in September 2009. This position permits him to study conducting at the Peabody Conservatory under Gustav Meier's guidance, and to work closely with the Baltimore Symphony alongside Marin Alsop and conducting the BSO on certain occasions

The evening will begin with a pre-concert “Top of the Lawn” conversation hosted by ASO Insider Ken Meltzer at 7:10 p.m. and featuring ASO President and CEO Allison Vulgamore. As with all of the ASO summer concerts at the Verizon Amphitheatre, audience members will also have the opportunity to send questions to the musicians and guest artists to be answered from the stage during the intermission.

The Amphitheatre — nominated by Pollstar Concert Industry Awards as 2008 “Best New Major Concert Venue” and “Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue,” — serves as the outdoor home to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The scope of Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park has brought a new dimension to the region’s seasonal artistic offerings by featuring concerts with the internationally-recognized Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, leading popular presentations, as well as an emphasis on community events — including high school graduations, local fundraising events, and collaborations to create family-themed days, high school music concerts, and competitions.

The Amphitheatre Experience

“When a cool breeze whisked away the muggy air at sunset, the north Atlanta suburbs felt a little like summer classic music festivals at Tanglewood, Aspen or Santa Fe,” said The Birmingham News after the ASO’s all-Beethoven concert last summer.

The Amphitheatre opened on May 10, 2008 with Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra and Chorus, including a 700-musician grand-finale performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The 2008 inaugural classical concert season also featured Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in an array of programs including a concert-staged production of Puccini’s La Bohème, a 4th of July spectacular, a free concert for the community, and artists including Garrick Ohlsson, Robert McDuffie, Julie Andrews, Robert Osborne (Turner Classic Movies), and the Marcus Roberts Trio.

Each Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park offers table-seating in the main Orchestra section of the venue, reserved seating throughout the pavilion, and lawn seating. Complementing this seating variation is an experience influenced by the repertoire and theme of the Orchestra: Live on-site broadcasts, Top of the Lawn conversations, and themed cuisine allow audiences to create their own unique evening of enjoyment at the ASO’s summer home.

Live On-Site Broadcast & Text-Message Questions from Audience

The Atlanta Symphony continues the tradition of introducing members of the ASO to the
audience with an evening-long live, on-site broadcast of the concert on large 15′x20′ screens, which are permanently affixed on either side of the stage. The live feed will include a preconcert show, as well as live intermission interviews of guest artists and musicians from the Orchestra, fueled by text-message questions sent by the audience the night of the concert.

Top of the Lawn

Pre-concert Top of the Lawn events will continue in 2009. ASO Insider and Program Annotator Ken Meltzer will take his pre-concert conversations to the tree-lined lawn of the Amphitheatre prior to each Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert at the venue. Mr. Meltzer’s final conversation of the summer will feature ASO musician Juan Ramirez, will take place at the top-center of the lawn, and include a Q&A with the audience. All Top of the Lawn events begin at 7:10 p.m. before each 8:00 p.m. ASO concert.

Themed Cuisine Ovations, the on-site caterer for Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, will offer themed cuisine to complement the programming of all ASO concerts at the Amphitheatre. For the ASO’s August 15th concert, a Season Finale themed picnic basket will accompany the regular fare offered at the venue. The $30 picnic basket (which serves two people) will feature prosciutto-wrapped honeydew and cantaloupe; grilled chicken salad made with butter leaf lettuce; strawberries, pecans, and goat cheese served with champagne vinaigrette; and banana cream and fresh berry trifles. Concertgoers may also enjoy Star Fruit Salad (fresh fruit including star fruit) from the concessions the night of the concert.

To pre-order a picnic basket, or to view the full menu available for each concert, visit the General Info/Food and Beverage section online at http://www.vzwamp.com/planvisit/foodand-beverage.php.

* * *

The Woodruff Arts Center Box Office is located in the Woodruff Arts Center (between 15th and 16th Streets on Peachtree). Box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays, 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and Sundays, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Free short-term parking is available in front of the South entrance.

The Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Box Office is located at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park is located at 2200 Encore Parkway, Alpharetta, GA, 30009. Box office hours are Monday through Friday, noon to 6:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park is owned by the Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center, Inc., and is operated by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Saturday, August 15, 2009 (Rising Stars) — table, concert, and lawn seating: $21–$59 lawn seating for Fulton County residents: Free* (while quantities last)

* * *

Major support is provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.
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Sixteen Year-Old Guest Conductor Ilyich Rivas to Lead ASO

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park Saturday, August 15
Program To Feature Sphinx Competition Winner Elena Urioste Playing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto
2009 Summer Classical Season To Conclude With Celebratory Fireworks

Sixteen-year-old rising star Ilyich Rivas will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in his U.S. professional debut on Saturday, August 15, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. Mr. Rivas will lead the orchestra in Verdi’s Vespri Overture, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, performed by another rising star, 22-year-old violinist, and Sphinx Competition winner, Elena Urioste. The 2009 summer classical season will conclude with a celebratory firework display by Pyrotecnico.

Last year Mr. Rivas was selected as one of seven young conductors from around the world to participate in the prestigious Cabrillo Festival Conductors Workshop in California with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Music Director Marin Alsop and Gustav Meier. During the workshop, he made a significant impression on both Ms. Alsop and Mr. Meier. Following an audition with the BSO, he was was awarded the position of Baltimore Symphony Orchestra/Peabody Institute Conducting Fellow, beginning in September 2009. This position permits him to study conducting at the Peabody Conservatory under Gustav Meier's guidance, and to work closely with the Baltimore Symphony alongside Marin Alsop and conducting the BSO on certain occasions. His performance with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will be his first public concert with a major orchestra.

The evening will begin with a pre-concert "Top of the Lawn" conversation hosted by ASO Insider Ken Meltzer at 7:10 p.m. and, as with all of the ASO summer concerts at the Verizon Amphitheatre, audience members will have the opportunity to send questions to the musicians and guest artists to be answered from the stage during the interval.

Although the August 15 concert marks the end of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s six-concert summer classical series at the Verizon Amphitheatre, concerts continue at the venue through October.
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Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Opens Second Classical Season

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Music Director Robert Spano
and The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus to perform excerpts from Barber of Seville, and Carmina Burana

Concert To Feature Soprano Georgia Jarman,
ASO Debuts of Tenor Nicholas Phan and Baritone Matthew Worth,
and the Gwinnett Young Singers

Music Director Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will open the second classical season at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, the Orchestra’s new 12,000-seat state-of-the-art facility located in Alpharetta, GA (north of Atlanta), on Saturday, June 20, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. The concert will be led by Mr. Spano and feature Soprano Georgia Jarman, the ASO debuts of Tenor Nicholas Phan and Baritone Matthew Worth, and the Gwinnett Young Singers in excerpts from Rossini’s Barber of Seville, and Orff’s complete Carmina burana. Mr. Spano, who is currently rehearsing for Seattle Opera’s Ring Cycle in Seattle, is making the trip back to Atlanta especially to open the season.

“The Orchestra’s inaugural season at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park last summer was exhilarating. Audiences reaching far across North Georgia, and into neighboring states, have greatly expanded our footprint, with our attendance averaging at double the capacity of Atlanta Symphony Hall,” said Atlanta Symphony Orchestra President & CEO Allison Vulgamore. “This summer, we look forward to again offering the best musical talent on stage, and co-creating anew, with our committed new audiences, great concert experiences of all kinds in our new summer home.”

The Amphitheatre — nominated by Pollstar Concert Industry Awards as 2008 “Best New Major Concert Venue” and “Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue,” — serves as the outdoor home to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The scope of Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park has brought a new dimension to the region’s seasonal artistic offerings by featuring concerts with the internationally-recognized Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, leading popular presentations, as well as an emphasis on community events — including high school graduations, local fundraising events, and collaborations to create family-themed days, high school music concerts, and competitions.

Additional Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Concerts

In addition to the June 20 opening concert, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will perform seven concerts in the summer of 2009:

· On Saturday, June 27, 2009 at 8:00 p.m., an all-Mozart evening will be led by Grant Llewellyn in his ASO debut, and feature pianist Pedja Muzijevic in Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D minor. Also on the program is the Overture to Marriage of Figaro, and Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter.”

· On Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 8:00 p.m., Bridget Reischl will lead the Orchestra in an Independence Day concert featuring The U.S. Army Chorus. Fireworks will follow the concert.

· On Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 8:00 p.m., ASO Assistant Conductor and League of American Orchestras Fellow Mei-Ann Chen will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus in the music of Star Wars. Also on the program is R. Strauss’s Prelude to Also sprach Zarathustra, and Holst’s The Planets, which will feature NASA footage of the solar system.

· On Saturday, July 25, 2009 at 8:00 p.m., Hugh Wolff will lead the Orchestra in an all-Beethoven concert featuring pianist Juho Pohjonen in his ASO debut performing the Piano Concerto No. 2. Also on the program will be Leonore Overture No. 3, and the Symphony No. 3.

· On Saturday, August 1, 2009 at 8:30 p.m.¸ Richard Kaufman will lead the ASO in “Rodgers and Hammerstein at the Movies,” a Turner Classic Movie Night hosted by TCM Host Robert Osborne. The program will feature footage from Rodgers and Hammerstein classics such as State Fair, The King and I, South Pacific, Oklahoma, The Sound of Music, and Carousel.

· On Saturday, August 15, 2009 at 8:00 p.m., sixteen-year-old conductor Ilyich Rivas will make his U.S. debut leading the ASO in Verdi’s Vespri Overture, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto featuring Elena Urioste as soloist.

· As part of the annual Starbucks Free Parks Concerts, the ASO will perform a free concert for the community at the Amphitheatre in September 2009. Details will be announced.

* The gates for all ASO concerts will open one hour before the start of each concert.

Community Concerts and Events

As part of the annual Starbucks Free Parks Concerts, the ASO will perform a free concert for the community at the Amphitheatre in September 2009. Details will be announced.

On Saturday, May 23, 2009, the local Alpharetta High School Class of 2009 will hold their graduation at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, one of a number of community events planned to take place at the venue.

On Saturday, April 18, 2009, the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce held its 36th Annual Chairman’s Gala at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park.

The Amphitheatre Experience

“When a cool breeze whisked away the muggy air at sunset, the north Atlanta suburbs felt a little like summer classic music festivals at Tanglewood, Aspen or Santa Fe,” said The Birmingham News after the ASO’s all-Beethoven concert last summer.

The Amphitheatre opened on May 10, 2008 with Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, including a 700-musician grand-finale performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. The 2008 inaugural classical concert season also featured Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in an array of programs including a concert-staged production of Puccini’s La Bohème, a 4th of July spectacular, a free concert for the community, and artists including Garrick Ohlsson, Robert McDuffie, Julie Andrews, Robert Osborne (Turner Classic Movies), and the Marcus Roberts Trio.

Each Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park offers table-seating in the main Orchestra section of the venue, reserved seating throughout the pavilion, and lawn seating. Complementing this seating variation is an experience influenced by the repertoire and theme of the Orchestra: Live on-site broadcasts, Top of the Lawn conversations, and themed cuisine allow audiences to create their own unique evening of enjoyment at the ASO’s summer home.

Live On-Site Broadcast & Text-Message Questions from Audience

The Atlanta Symphony continues the tradition of introducing members of the ASO to the audience with an evening-long live, on-site broadcast of the concert on large 15′x20′ screens, which are permanently affixed on either side of the stage. The live feed will include a pre-concert show, as well as live intermission interviews of guest artists and musicians from the Orchestra, fueled by text-message questions sent by the audience the night of the concert.

Top of the Lawn

Pre-concert Top of the Lawn events will continue in 2009. ASO Insider and Program Annotator Ken Meltzer will take his pre-concert conversations to the tree-lined lawn of the Amphitheatre prior to each Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert at the venue. Mr. Meltzer’s conversations with ASO musicians will take place at the top-center of the lawn one hour before each concert, and include a Q&A with the audience. All Top of the Lawn events begin at 7:10 p.m. before each 8:00 p.m. ASO concert. This event will begin at 7:40 p.m. on Saturday, August 1 (Rodgers & Hammerstein at the Movies) when the concert begins at 8:30 p.m.

Themed Cuisine

Ovations, the on-site caterer for Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, will offer themed cuisine to complement the programming of all ASO concerts at the Amphitheatre. For the ASO’s June 20 concert, Spanish-themed cuisine will complement the regular fare offered at the venue. Concertgoers may pre-order a $30 picnic basket (which serves two people) of traditional Gazpacho, marinated olives, Manchego cheese, fresh baked bread, and almond cakes in advance of the concert. Concertgoers may also enjoy almond cakes from the concessions the night of the concert.

To pre-order a picnic basket, or to view the full menu available for each concert, visit the General Info/Food and Beverage section online at http://www.vzwamp.com/planvisit/food-and-beverage.php..

Popular Concerts

The ASO recently presented two sold-out concerts of the Dave Matthews Band on April 27 and 28, 2009. Other scheduled concerts include a sold-out Kenny Chesney performance on May 28, 2009; Chicago/Earth Wind & Fire on June 6, 2009; Styx and REO Speedwagon on June 21, 2009;Stevie Wonder on June 24, 2009; StarFest featuring Jason Mraz on July 27, 2009; Incubus on August 14, 2009; Judas Priest/Whitesnake on August 20, 2009; O.A.R on August 21, 2009; and Journey on September 19, 2009, among others. Additional concerts will be announced. For up-to-date concert listings and information, visit vzwamp.com.

The 2009 venue sponsors include Verizon Wireless, Bud Light, AirTran Airways, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Georgia Natural Gas, Belvedere, Vineyard Brands, Publix, Shoreline Limousine and North Fulton Regional Hospital.

Artists

Music Director Robert Spano, currently in his eighth season as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, is recognized internationally as one of the most imaginative conductors today. Since 2001 he has invigorated and expanded the Orchestra’s repertoire while elevating the ensemble to new levels of international prominence and acclaim.

The Orchestra and audiences together explore a creative programming mix, recordings, and visual enhancements, such as Theater of a Concert, the Orchestra’s continuing exploration of different formats, settings, and enhancements for the musical performance experience, including the first concert-staged performances of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic in November 2008. The Atlanta School of Composers reflects Mr. Spano and the Orchestra’s commitment to nurturing and championing music through multi-year partnerships defining a new generation of American
composers, including Osvaldo Golijov, Jennifer Higdon, Christopher Theofanidis, and Michael Gandolfi. Since the beginning of his tenure, Mr. Spano and the ASO have performed nearly 100 contemporary works (composed since 1950), including seven ASO-commissioned world premieres, two additional world premieres, and one U.S. premiere.

Last season, Mr. Spano conducted and recorded the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in Puccini’s La Bohème, the first American recording of the opera since 1956. It was released by
Telarc in conjunction with the semi-staged performance he led at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, the Orchestra’s new state-of-the-art 12,000-seat venue in Alpharetta, GA, where he conducted all of the orchestral concerts in the venue’s inaugural season.

Mr. Spano continues to expand the discography of the Atlanta Symphony to include the music of Atlanta School composers Christopher Theofanidis, Jennifer Higdon, and Michael Gandolfi, as well as John Adams, David Del Tredici, Sibelius’ Kullervo, Brahms’s Requiem, a recently-released live recording of La Bohème and the Grammy® Award-winning recordings of Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony and Berlioz’s Requiem. Mr. Spano and the ASO have also recently
recorded two discs of the music by Atlanta School composer Osvaldo Golijov for Deutsche Grammophon: one including Three Songs and Oceana, and the other including the chamber opera Ainadamar, which was awarded two Grammys. In 2008, Robert Spano was named Musical America Conductor of the Year.

Soprano Georgia Jarman has been hailed by the New York Times for her “luminous, appealing, and agile voice, and crystalline coloratura.” She now returns to New Orleans Opera for the role of Violetta in La Traviata, and to the Opera de Colombia for Mimi in La Bohème. She also sings the Three Heroines in Les contes d’Hoffmann with Boston Lyric Opera, in a return to Polish National Opera and Rozenn in Lalo’s Le roi d’Ys with the American Symphony Orchestra in her Avery Fisher Hall debut, and joins the Metropolitan Opera roster. Ms. Jarman most recently performed with the ASO at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park for a concert-staged production of Puccini’s La Bohème — she also appears as Musetta on the Telarc recording with the Orchestra.

Tenor Nicholas Phan joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for performances of Stravinksy's Pulcinella both in Chicago and in New York and appeared with the Music of the Baroque in
performances of Hercules. He will also be presented in recital by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (under the auspices of the Marilyn Horne Foundation), and the University of Chicago. Upcoming engagements include his debuts with the San Francisco Symphony, returns to the Marlboro Festival and the Rheingau Festival, and his debut at the Edinburgh International Festival. These performances will mark his Atlanta Symphony Orchestra debut.

Baritone Matthew Worth has been noted for his “dashing, fine bright baritone” by the Dallas Morning News, and by the The New York Times for a voice that is “fully powered and persuasively expressive.” His engagements in 2008-09 include the title role in Britten's Owen Wingrave in a return to Chicago Opera Theater, Silvio in I Paglacci with Opera Company of North Carolina, Belcore in L'elisir d'amore with Opera Grand Rapids, Danilo in The Merry Widow with Dayton Opera, and Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette with Syracuse Opera. These performances will mark his Atlanta Symphony Orchestra debut.

The Gwinnett Young Singers of Atlanta was organized in 1990 to provide an advanced choral opportunity for singers in second through twelfth grade. Under the direction of Founder and Music Director, Lynn Urda, the choir is a nationally recognized children's chorus, well-known for its mastery of challenging repertoire and high musical standard. The Gwinnett Young Singers have performed for ten holiday seasons with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Christmas with the ASO, and are featured in the PBS National Television Broadcast of Christmas with Robert Shaw. Other performances with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra include Bizet's Opera, Carmen, Kid's Holiday Concerts, Hallelujah Handel, Carl Orff's Carmina burana, Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, Pucinni's La Bohème, Howard Shore's The Lord of the Rings, and John Adams' El Nino and On the Transmigration of Souls. The Young Singers will be featured on the upcoming CD release of La Bohème and On the Transmigration of Souls with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. The choir has performed for thousands of music educators at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) conferences in Charleston, South Carolina and Nashville Tennessee. They have also had the distinct privilege of performing three joint concerts with the world renowned American Boychoir of Princeton, New Jersey. The new Georgia Young Men's Ensemble, under the direction of Phillip Shoultz, has gained accolades from Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, Music Director of the American Boychoir who states, “I am so very impressed with your new young men's ensemble. In such a short time they have become an excellent choir!”
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Newly Formed Fayette Pops Symphony Orchestra Kicks Off with Fayetteville Concert

The newly formed Fayette Pops Symphony Orchestra is ready for their Introductory Concert at the Villages Amphitheater on September 27. Gates open at 7 PM with the concert set to begin at 8:00 PM. Tickets for the Introductory Concert are available at the Villages Amphitheater box office located at the Old Train Depot 250 Lanier Avenue West in Fayetteville or they may be purchased at any Ticketmaster outlet as well as the Ticketmaster online service. Prices for adult tickets are $25, Students 15 years and younger and lawn seating is $15. Orchestra Circle tables for 8 are $240.

The Fayette Pops Symphony is a 70 piece professional symphonic orchestra. “Many of our musicians play with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as well as other area orchestras,” stated Ken White, Director. “We have a wonderful concert planned featuring music from blockbuster motion pictures, famous Broadway musicals, the Beach Boys, Hollywood Classics, Big Band Swing, Hooked on Classics and much more,” he said.

“Also, share in the inspiration as some of our promising young instrumental and vocal artists selected from our Fayette county schools perform with the orchestra at special moments during the concert. It will be a night to thrill and inspire all!”

The orchestra is under the sponsorship of the Endowment Committee for the Cultural Arts of Fayette County. “We were thrilled when Ken approached us with the idea of our helping to sponsor the new orchestra. Our board is enthusiastically working to promote this first in a full season of concerts. Fayette and the surrounding area are ready for a symphony and there is no one better than Ken White to head this wonderful symphonic pops orchestra.” stated ECCA President, Sandra Jungers. “His 30 year background in concert music, directing and performance virtually assures the very best has come to Fayette County,” she stated.

The Fayette Pops Symphony Orchestra will begin its Inaugural Season with a “Holiday Concert” scheduled for November 29 at the Peachtree United Methodist Church, followed by “Phantom of the Opera in Concert” on February 7 also at the Peachtree United Methodist Church. The public will be introduced to the new Fayette Youth Symphony Orchestra at their inaugural event scheduled for the Villages Amphitheater in April, 2009. The inaugural season continues with “Night at the Movies a Tribute to John Williams” in June and a gala Fourth of July Concert and Fireworks event.

“This first concert will surely demonstrate the talent and professionalism that is available right here in our own back-yard! Bring the whole family, enjoy a picnic, and relax under the stars, as Maestro Ken White introduces the new Fayette Pops Symphony Orchestra!”

Additional information on the orchestra and how you can become a Founding Member please visit the orchestra web page at www.peachtreepops.com