Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to Perform Beethoven, Mozart & More This Week

For his first concert of the 2015-16 season, the Grammy Award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra welcomes back Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles, who will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in three performances featuring works by Beethoven, Debussy, Mozart and Schubert on October 8 and 10, 2015 at 8:00 p.m., and October 11, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall at the Woodruff Arts Center. This is the second weekend of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Mostly Beethoven Festival, which will run through November 21, 2015.

The concerts include four popular works including Debussy's Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun, Schubert's Six German Dances (arr. Webern), Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Harp and Beethoven's Symphony No. 8. Flute and harp fans will enjoy solos performed by Principal Flute Christina Smith - celebrating her 25th year with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra - and the Principal Harp Elisabeth Remy Johnson, now in her 20th year with the Orchestra.

Tickets priced at $20 to $79 are available at aso.org.

This concert will also be the first of four Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concerts performed this season at The Bailey Performance Center, Morgan Hall, Kennesaw State University. The performance will be held on October 9, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. Additional information and tickets are available kennesaw.edu/music/.

Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun was inspired by a poem of the same title and premiered nearly 121 years ago in Paris. The piece, including its famed flute solo, is cited among the first works of modern music by historians.

Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Harp was commissioned by one of the composer's adult flute students so his daughter, also studying music, could play the harp with her father. The three movements feature the composer's only work that includes the harp.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 8 debuted more than 201 years ago, showcasing the composer's more playful side with unexpected twists and turns.

Chamber Recital

The musicians of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will present a pre-concert chamber recital on Thursday, October 8, 2015, 6:45 p.m., open to all paid ticket holders for the evening. The recital replaces the weekly pre-concert lecture given by Insider and Program Annotator Ken Meltzer. The chamber recital provides patrons with the opportunity to experience classical music on a more intimate level, with seating on stage and music surrounding the audience. Each recital is programmed by the musicians and highlights different sections of the Orchestra.

Repertoire for the evening includes:

Webern--Langsamer Satz (1905) for String Quartet 10'
Schubert--String Quartet No. 12 in C minor D.703 10'
David Coucheron and Lisa Wiedman Yancich, violin
Lachlan McBane, viola
Larry Lemaster, cello

Mozart--Horn Quintet in Eb K407 17'
Brice Andrus, horn
Justin Bruns, violin
Cathy Lynn, viola
Yiyin Li, viola
Brad Ritchie, cello

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