Nashville Symphony Plays Music Festival at Carnegie Hall, Now thru 5/12

The Grammy®-winning Nashville Symphony performs at New York City's Carnegie Hall as part of the Spring for Music festival, a high-profile celebration of adventuresome programming among leading North American orchestras. The Symphony is one of six ensembles scheduled to perform at Spring for Music's second annual event, opening tonight, May 7 and running through May 12, 2012. The Nashville Symphony's Saturday-evening performance at Carnegie Hall will conclude the six-day festival.

This will be the Nashville Symphony's second appearance at Carnegie Hall; the first took place in 2000. The forthcoming performance is especially noteworthy, however, because the orchestra has been selected by the Spring for Music organization from a highly competitive pool of applicants based on the strength of its programming. Though the program has yet to be announced, it will include one newly commissioned work and at least two 20th century works rarely performed on the concert stage. Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero will conduct the concert, and electric violinist Tracy Silverman will be the featured soloist.

"Even though we have much work to do to restore our home, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, from the recent flood damage, this news is a great reminder that the music, in the end, is the reason we're here," said Nashville Symphony President and CEO Alan D. Valentine. "This opportunity is closely aligned with our own strategic vision and will serve as one more step towards the realization of that vision. It gives us a wonderful opportunity to showcase, on a national stage, our longstanding commitment to innovative, distinctly American programming."

"I promise you that the orchestra's Carnegie Hall performance is going to make this city very, very proud," said Guerrero. "The past few seasons at the Schermerhorn have really prepared our musicians for this opportunity. We're incredibly excited, and we are going to put on a concert that will absolutely grab people's attention."

Spring for Music was created by three music industry veterans who serve as the project's directors: Thomas W. Morris, CEO and Artistic Director; David V. Foster, Production Director; and Mary Lou Falcone, Public Relations Director. Artistic Director Morris selects each year's participants based on proposals submitted by each of the orchestras. Criteria include originality of repertoire, creativity, variety, innovation, quality of the orchestra and conductor, and location and size of the orchestra.

The festival is designed to give each of the participating ensembles an opportunity to showcase their artistic philosophies through distinctive and creative programming in one of the world's most competitive musical environments. The organizers describe the event as "a high-profile artistic laboratory for programming and concert experimentation...under circumstances which will assure lively and attentive audiences." Funding for Spring for Music comes from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with significant multi-year gifts from Daniel & Jan Lewis and Gerry & Marguerite Lenfest, along with funding from The Irving Harris Foundation.

In addition to the Nashville Symphony, other ensembles participating in the second annual Spring for Music Festival will include Houston Symphony, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.

Tickets for the 2012 Spring for Music will go on sale in the months preceding the festival, with the program to be announced at that time. As they become available, the Nashville Symphony will post updates at NashvilleSymphony.org. For more information about Spring for Music, visit www.springformusic.com.

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