Nashville Symphony Presents 'In Conversation with Renée Fleming and Ann Patchett' Tonight

In advance of her Season Opening Gala performance with the Nashville Symphony, soprano Renée Fleming will join novelist Ann Patchett for a free lecture at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, 7 p.m. tonight, September 20. The two women will discuss music, creating characters, the forthcoming opera version of Patchett's novel Bel Canto, and Fleming's concert the following evening at the Schermerhorn.

Though Nashville author Patchett didn't know Fleming when she was writing her award-winning book Bel Canto, the soprano's voice provided some of the inspiration for the character of opera singer Roxanne Coss. The two women have since become good friends - and, in a perfect twist, Patchett's award-winning novel is now providing creative inspiration for Fleming, who is working with Lyric Opera of Chicago to commission an opera based on Bel Canto. The work will be premiered during Lyric Opera's 2015/16 season.

Admission to the lecture is free and open to the public, but attendees must have a ticket for admission. Tickets may be ordered by phone at 615.687.6400, or in person at the Schermerhorn box office.

The lecture will take place in the Schermerhorn's Laura Turner Concert Hall. Parnassus Books will be selling copies of Renée Fleming's autobiography The Inner Voice: The Making of a Singer in the lobby before and after the talk.

Fleming will join the Nashville Symphony for the orchestra's Season Opening Gala at 8 p.m. Saturday, September 21. Tickets are available for purchase at NashvilleSymphony.org and include a complimentary champagne and dessert reception after the concert.

The GRAMMY Award-winning Nashville Symphony has earned an international reputation for its innovative programming and its commitment to performing, recording and commissioning works by America's leading composers. The Nashville Symphony has released 19 recordings on Naxos, which have received 14 GRAMMY nominations and seven GRAMMY Awards, making NSO one of the most active recording orchestras in the country. With more than 100 performances annually, the orchestra offers a broad range of classical, pops and jazz, and children's concerts, while its extensive education and community engagement programs inspire 100,000 children and adults each year.

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