The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra Presents OPENING NIGHT FIREWORKS with Angela Cheng, 10/17-18

The pyrotechnics will be strictly musical when Canadian pianist Angela Cheng joins the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra (ASO) for the first concerts of the 2014-15 season entitled "Opening Night Fireworks." On October 17 and 18, Music Director José-Luis Novo will lead the orchestra's first performances in the newly renovated auditorium at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.

These Lexus Classic Series concerts beginning at 8:00pm each evening will be preceded at 5:30pm by a gala Opening Night Celebration and followed by a champagne and dessert reception. Tickets for the concert and the party are on sale online atwww.annapolissymphony.org , by calling 410-263-0907 or in person at the ASO's office 801 Chase Street, Annapolis, MD 21401.

First on the program is Music for the Royal Fireworks by George Frideric Händel followed by Manuel de Falla's impressionistic tone poem Nights in the Gardens of Spain with Angela Cheng as soloist. After the intermission the concerts will conclude with Symphony No. 4 "The Inextinguishable" by Denmark's greatest composer Carl Nielsen.

Consistently praised for her brilliant technique, tonal beauty and superb musicianship, Ms. Cheng is one of her country's national treasurers. In addition to regular guest appearances with Canadian orchestras, she has performed with many of the leading American ensembles. She was a Gold Medalist in the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition as well as the first Canadian to win the prestigious Montreal International Piano Competition.

During the 2014-15 season, Maestro Novo and the ASO will present "Music of the Great War," and both Nights in the Gardens of Spain and "The Inextinguishable" symphony are products of the period 1914 - 1918. Spanish composer Manuel de Falla's piece for orchestra and piano soloist depicts three gardens and incorporates elements of Andalusian regional folk music. The orchestral writing is lush and the piano part is elaborate, brilliant and eloquent, but rarely dominates.

Composed in 1916 against the backdrop of the First World War, Symphony No. 4 is among the most dramatic works by Danish composer Carl Nielsen. Featuring a battle between two sets of timpani, the name does not apply to the symphony itself, but rather to "that which is inextinguishable," which Nielsen refers to as "the elemental will to live."

The ASO's inaugural Opening Night Celebration consists of a pre-concert cocktail party and a post-concert champagne reception under a festively decorated tent in front of Maryland Hall. Patrons will enter on a red carpet to enjoy bountiful gourmet hors d'oeuvres including an oyster bar. Guests will also enjoy a liquor infused tea-bar courtesy of Capital Teas and a celebration-themed signature cocktail by Lexus.

The party will begin at 5:30pm, on both Friday October 17 and Saturday October 18. A trumpet fanfare will call the audience into the concert hall at 8:00pm for a program titled "Opening Night Fireworks." Following the concert, guests will return to a lounge-style reception to enjoy champagne, tea cocktails, desserts, and the opportunity to mingle with Maestro Novo, Angela Cheng and members of the orchestra.

In addition to the Baltimore/Annapolis Lexus Dealers, corporate sponsors for the Opening Night Celebration include PNC Wealth Management, Baldwin, Kagan & Gormley, One North Wealth Services, M&T Bank/Wilmington Trust, Fidelity Investments, West Annapolis Family Dentistry and Rockwell Collins. Media sponsors include Comcast and What's Up? Media.

Guests may choose to attend either Friday or Saturday night, and concert tickets must be purchased separately. Attire for the evening is "black tie optional." Event tickets are $150 per person. Concert tickets range in price from $35 to $60 and $10 per seat for students. Tickets are available online at www.annapolissymphony.org, by calling the ASO at 410-263-0907 or by visiting the office in Room 204 at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts.

About the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra

Now in its 53rd season, the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra is led by renowned Music Director José-Luis Novo and features 70 professional musicians who perform a variety of symphonic concerts for audiences of all ages. Additionally, the non-profit organization provides educational programs through its partnerships with local schools, as well as various other community outreach efforts. The ASO's vision is to be the best regional orchestra in the country and recognized as a jewel in the Washington/Baltimore area.

About José-Luis Novo

Since his appointment as Music Director and Conductor of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra in 2005, José-Luis Novo, holder of The Philip Richebourg Chair, has instilled a new and vibrant artistic vision. Maestro Novo's continuous drive for artistic excellence, innovative thematic programming and collaborations with some of today's most respected guest artists, brought about unprecedented artistic growth, praising audiences and consistent critical acclaim.

In addition to his post at the helm of the ASO, Maestro José-Luis Novo has served Music Director and Conductor of the Binghamton Philharmonic (New York) since 2003. Prior to these appointments, he was Assistant Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under the direction of both Music Director Emeritus Jesús López-Cobos and former Music Director Paavo Järvi and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the late Erich Kunzel.

Guest conducting engagements in the US include the Baltimore Symphony, the Rochester and Fresno Philharmonic and the orchestras of Minnesota, Syracuse, Silicon Valley, Stamford, Modesto, Tulsa and Tallahassee.

Since 1999 he has been on the conducting faculty at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he currently holds the position of Associate Conductor. In addition, he has conducted many noteworthy college and youth orchestras including the Curtis Institute Orchestra, the University of Maryland Symphony, the Ithaca College Symphony and the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra.

About Angela Cheng

Ms. Cheng appears regularly with virtually every orchestra in Canada, and has performed with the Alabama Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Houston Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, Saint Louis Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, Utah Symphony and the Israel Philharmonic. In the spring of 2012, Ms. Cheng made her highly acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut with the Edmonton Symphony. She also made her debut at the prestigious Salzburg Festival in a recital with Pinchas Zukerman during the summer of 2012.

An avid recitalist, Angela Cheng appears regularly on recital series throughout the United States and Canada and has collaborated with numerous chamber ensembles including the Takács, Colorado and Vogler quartets. Her festival appearances include Chautauqua, Banff, Colorado, Houston, Vancouver, the Festival International de Lanaudière in Quebec and the Cartegena International Music Festival in Colombia.

Her CDs include Clara Schumann's Concerto in A Minor with JoAnn Falletta and the Women's Philharmonic for Koch International; for CBC Records, four Spanish concerti with Hans Graf and the Calgary Philharmonic, both Shostakovich concerti with Mario Bernardi and the CBC Radio Orchestra, and a solo disc of selected works of Clara and Robert Schumann; and, most recently, an all-Chopin recital CD released by Universal Music Canada.

To request an interview with Maestro Novo and/or Ms. Cheng please contact Jeth Mill, Executive Director. For more information on the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, visit www.annapolissymphony.org or call 410-263-1132.

About Lexus

Since its debut in 1989, Lexus has earned a reputation for high-quality products and exemplary customer service from its 231 dealers. Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader, offering five hybrids that provide the best in innovative technology and first-class luxury. When it began, Lexus offered two models of vehicles. Now, more than 20 years later, Lexus offers variations of 10 vehicles, from the sporty CT 200h hybrid to the V10 supercar, the LFA. Lexus is the official Vehicle of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra.

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