ASO to Premiere Christopher Theofanidis' CREATION/CREATOR, 4/23 & 25

Music Director Robert Spano will conduct the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO), the ASO Chorus, soloists and actors in the world premiere of Christopher Theofanidis' Creation/Creator Thursday, April 23, 2015, at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 25, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center. Creation/Creator will be presented in the Theater of a Concert format with stage direction by James Alexander. The concerts will be recorded live for CD release on the ASO Media Label.

Mr. Theofanidis, a member of the Atlanta School of Composers, original composition for soloists, chorus and orchestra-Creation/Creator-is an ambitious undertaking, and the culmination of a unique partnership between the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Emory University and the Georgia Humanities Council with support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Interweaving texts and ideas from philosophy, science, religion, poetry and literature, his Creation/Creator will give, as Mr.Theofanidis describes, a "profoundly deeper understanding of the relationship between these two subjects and removes a limiting sense of a passive relationship between 'God' and humanity."

Creation/Creator is divided into movements, each showcasing vastly different texts, and utilizing very different musical approaches. The piece's 15 movements contain moments of poetry recitations, a capella choral pieces, straight-forward orchestral music, electric guitar, saxophone, percussion and vocal sections for soloists: Soprano Jessica Rivera, Mezzo-Soprano Kelley O'Connor, Tenor Thomas Cooley, Bass Evan Boyer and Baritone Nmon Ford. The concert will also feature the Atlanta Symphony Chorus and actors Steven Cole and Shannon Eubanks.

Tickets are $20-$99. Additional details are available at aso.org.

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