American Classical Orchestra's 2014-15 Season to Kick Off 9/23 With Mendelssohn; Full Lineup Announced!

On Tuesday, September 23 at 8:00PM at Alice Tully Hall, the American Classical Orchestra presents its opening night concert of its 30th Anniversary season with music that includes Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with violin soloist Krista Bennion Feeney; Beethoven Symphony No. 8 and Mozart Symphony No. 35 'Haffner'. Krista Bennion Feeney will perform the legendary Mendelssohn Concerto on a historic violin with the same configuration as that of Mendelssohn's concertmaster Ferdinand David.

On Saturday, November 15 at 7:30PM at Alice Tully Hall, The American Classical Orchestra continues with J.S. Bach: Mass in B minor, The ACO's first ever performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's towering masterpiece, featuring world-renowned soloists Christine Brandes, soprano; David Daniels, countertenor; Charles Blandy, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass; and the American Classical Orchestra Chorus.

Thursday, March 12 at 8:00PM at Alice Tully Hall ACO presents a concert titled As The Masters Heard It that includes Schubert's most virtuosic Symphony No. 9 'The Great', Mozart Mass in C 'Coronation' heard as never before, with gut strings, boxwood winds, and leather timpani. The program concludes with Beethoven's Leonore Overture No. 3 and excerpts from 'Christ on the Mount of Olives'.

Tuesday, April 21 at 8:00PM at the Church of St. Mary The Virgin, 145 West 46th St, Antonio Caldara's masterpiece Maddalena will be performed by the ACO with the renowned Czech baroque soprano Hana Blazíková. Also on the program is Handel's Chandos Anthem and 'The Lord is My Light', Allegri's Miserere and Torelli's Trumpet Concerto in D Major with John Thiessen, ACO Principal Trumpet, along with the American Classical Orchestra Chorus.

The closing concert of the season on Thursday, June 4, at 8:00PM at Alice Tully Hall brings us the ACO's beloved principal cellist Myron Lutzke taking center stage for Haydn's delightful Cello Concerto in D Major. The Orchestra will also perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 'Pastoral', known for it's bucolic sound images and terrifying thunderstorm scene and Witt's Symphony in A Major.

ACO will also present 2 Salon concerts at a private venue. On October 21 at 6:30PM AOC will present Mozart's exceptional 1788 masterpiece, the Divertimento in E-flat Major K. 563 and Mozart's Flute Quartet in D Major with Sandra Miller, ACO Principal Flute. On Thursday, May 7, at 6:30PM Beethoven's Piano Trio Opus 97 'Archduke' with Audrey Axinn, piano and Haydn's String Quartet Opus 76 , 'Emperor' , a mature opus that pushed the boundaries of sonata form to uncharted and provocative ideas will be performed.

Maestro Thomas Crawford will present Pre-Concert Lectures at 7:00PM on September 23, March 12, April 21 and June 4 and at 6:30 PM on November 15.

All concerts will be conducted by Thomas Crawford.

"Our 30th Anniversary Season is a groundbreaking one for us. In many respects I see it as a confident new step into an even brighter future for the orchestra and our now equally accomplished ACO Chorus. We offer some rare, virtuoso showcase music such as the Bach B Minor Mass and the emotionally wrenching Caldara Maddalena. We perform some standards such as the Beethoven Pastoral Symphony and the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Our selection of soloists this year is the most celebrated list in our history. In all, I have never been more excited than I am for the anniversary season." - Thomas Crawford

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

THOMAS CRAWFORD, Conductor - Thomas C. Crawford, Music Director and Founder of the American Classical Orchestra, is active in numerous musical disciplines as conductor, composer, and organist. As a conductor, Mr. Crawford is a champion of both historically accurate performance styles of the Baroque and Classical repertoire and of new American music. Mr. Crawford has attracted many outstanding artists, including Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Andre? Watts, Dawn Upshaw, Richard Goode, Victor Borge, Monica Huggett and Vladimir Feltsman. He is responsible for the American Classical Orchestra's numerous international recordings with such great artists as Malcolm Bilson and Keith Jarrett. He is also a composer in many idioms and has been especially prolific in vocal music. Mr. Crawford has been recognized for his teaching of children and adults through school programs and lectures.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA - The American Classical Orchestra is "devoted to preserving and performing the repertoire of 17th- to 19th- century composers, playing the works on original or reproduced period instruments. The musicians use historic performance practice techniques and pass these skills down to future generations through concert performances and educational programs." In recognition of this work, the ACO has been awarded grants by the National Endowment for the Arts. Originally founded in 1985 by music director Thomas Crawford as the Orchestra of the Old Fairfield Academy (CT), in 1999 the orchestra's name was changed to American Classical Orchestra.

The orchestra has garnered both critical and popular recognition through its concert appearances, including those on the Lincoln Center Great Performers Series and at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it performed a musical program in collaboration with an exhibition entitled "Art and the Empire City: New York, 1825-1861."

Among the works recorded by the ACO are the complete wind concerti by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which feature its principal players as soloists, and Mozart's Symphony No. 14, K. 144 and Piano Concerti, K. 107, Volume II, with fortepianist Malcolm Bilson. A recording of baroque oboe concerti with oboist Marc Schachman was released on the Centaur label this spring.

In addition to Mr. Bilson, among the instrumental soloists who have collaborated with the American Classical Orchestra are fortepianist Robert Levin, violinist Stephanie Chase, flutist Sandra Miller, violist David Miller, hornist R. J. Kelley, and oboist Marc Schachman. In September 2009, Vladimir Feltsman performed Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 27 as fortepiano soloist with the orchestra in a concert presented at Lincoln Center.

Tickets can be purchased on www.aconyc.org, lincolncenter.org or by calling Center Charge (212-721-6500) or by calling the Alice Tully Hall Box Office (212-671-4050) or in person at the Alice Tully Hall Box Office. $85 Prime 1, $60 Prime 2, $45 Standard 1, $25 Standard 2 and $15 Student (only at the Alice Tully Hall Box Office with proper student ID).

PROGRAMS:

SEPTEMBER 23

OPENING NIGHT 30th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT

7PM PRE-CONCERT LECTURE

8PM CONCERT

Thomas Crawford, conductor

ALICE TULLY HALL

Mendelssohn

Beethoven Mozart

Violin Concerto

Krista Bennion Feeney, violin

Symphony No. 8 Symphony No. 35 'Haffner'

OCTOBER 21

6:30PM

Thomas Crawford, conductor

SALON CONCERT PRIVATE VENUE

Mozart Flute Quartet in D Major

Sandra Miller, ACO Principal Flute

Mozart Divertimento in E-flat Major

NOVEMBER 15

6:30PM PRE-CONCERT LECTURE

7:30PM CONCERT
Thomas Crawford, conductor

ALICE TULLY HALL

J.S.BACH: MASS IN B MINOR

Christine Brandes, soprano
David Daniels, alto
Charles Blandy, tenor
Dashon Burton, bass
American Classical Orchestra Chorus

MARCH 12

7PM PRE-CONCERT LECTURE

8PM CONCERT

Thomas Crawford, conductor

ALICE TULLY HALL

Schubert Mozart Beethoven

Symphony No. 9 'The Great'
Mass in C 'Coronation'
Leonore Overture No. 3
'Christ on the Mount of Olives' (excerpts)

APRIL 21

7PM PRE-CONCERT LECTURE

8PM CONCERT

Thomas Crawford, conductor

CHURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN 145 WEST 46TH ST.

Caldara

Handel

Allegri Torelli

Maddalena ai piedi di Christo

Hana Blazi?kova?, soprano

Chandos Anthem The Lord is My Light Miserere

Trumpet Concerto in D Major

John Thiessen, ACO Principal Trumpet American Classical Orchestra Chorus

MAY 7

6:30PM

Thomas Crawford, conductor

SALON CONCERT PRIVATE VENUE

Beethoven Piano Trio Opus 97 'Archduke'

Audrey Axinn, piano

Haydn String Quartet Opus 76 ,'Emperor'

JUNE 4

7PM PRE-CONCERT LECTURE

8PM CONCERT

Thomas Crawford, conductor

ALICE TULLY HALL

Beethoven Symphony No. 6 'Pastoral' Haydn Cello Concerto in D Major

Myron Lutzke, ACO Principal Cello

Witt Symphony in A Major