CARMINA BURANA, WILLIE NELSON and IDINA MENZEL Highlight Nashville Symphony's Summer 2012 Events

Nashville Symphony's June 2012 Events include Carmina Burana, Willie Nelson, Idina Menzel, Beethoven and more. See details below.

CARMINA BURANA
SunTrust Classical Series
Thursday, May 31, at 7 p.m.
Friday & Saturday, June 1 & 2, at 8 p.m.

Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Nashville Symphony Chorus
Douglas Rose, interim director
Blair Children's Chorus
Hazel Somerville, director
Terri Richter, soprano
Christopher Pfund, tenor
Stephen Powell, baritone
Vaughan Williams - Serenade to Music
Lowell Liebermann - Symphony No. 3, Op. 113 *
Orff - Carmina Burana

* Commissioned through the Magnum Opus Project

The full range of human emotion will be on display when Orff’s Carmina Burana brings the Nashville Symphony’s 2011/12 season to an exciting finish — and Schermerhorn Symphony Center is the place to experience it. Nashville Symphony Chorus joins the orchestra for this enduringly popular piece, highlighted by the thunderous “O Fortuna.” British composer Vaughan Williams adapted Shakespeare’s verse for his Serenade to Music, which has been known to move listeners to tears, and Lowell Liebermann’s new symphony was inspired, in part, by the Nashville flood of 2010.

Willie Nelson with the Nashville Symphony
Special Event /SOLD OUT!
Tuesday, June 5, at 7 p.m.

The legendary Red-Headed Stranger perform with the Nashville Symphony at Schermerhorn Symphony Center! With his incomparable voice and incredible musicianship, this American icon will explore the full range of his artistry, from hits like “Crazy” and “Always on My Mind,” to the storied Tin Pan Alley tunes featured on his most recent release, American Classic.

BEETHOVEN'S TRIPLE CONCERTO
Summer Festival: Beethoven Is Back!
Friday, June 15, at 8 p.m.

Nashville Symphony
Lucas Richman, conductor

Eroica Trio

Beethoven - Consecration of the House: Overture
Beethoven - Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello & Piano
Beethoven - Symphony No. 4

Who better to perform Beethoven’s Triple Concerto than the Eroica Trio? World-renowned for their incredible musicianship, irresistible enthusiasm and sensual elegance, these three women have performed the work more frequently than any other trio. “There is an edge-of-the-seat intensity to every note they produce,” The New York Times raved, and in their hands Beethoven’s music will leave you swooning! In the joyous Fourth Symphony, you can hear Beethoven developing his mastery of symphonic form, while his Consecration of the House Overture pays homage to Handel with bursts of energy and excitement.

Idina Menzel with the Nashville Symphony
Special Event at Fontanel Mansion
Saturday, June 16, at 8 p.m.

Idina Menzel
Nashville Symphony

The Tony Award-winning star of Broadway’s Wicked and the hit TV show Glee returns this summer for a special outdoor performance with the Nashville Symphony. Fresh off the release of her new CD and DVD, Idina Menzel Live: Barefoot at the Symphony, she’ll perform a diverse mix of classic pop and musical theater favorites, along with a fresh spin on some contemporary hits. Expect to hear some exciting new material as well! Don’t miss this powerhouse of talent when she joins our GRAMMY®-winning orchestra! This event will be performed at The Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel Mansion.

BEETHOVEN'S "EMPEROR" PIANO CONCERTO
Summer Festival: Beethoven Is Back!
Friday, June 22, at 8 p.m.

Nashville Symphony
Alistair Willis, conductor
William Wolfram, piano

Beethoven - Creatures of Prometheus: Overture
Beethoven - Concerto for Piano No. 5 “Emperor”
Beethoven - Symphony No. 7

Our celebration of all things Beethoven continues with his “Emperor” Concerto, the absolute high point of his writing for the piano. This piece is overflowing with cascades of keyboard fireworks and a second movement of uncommon beauty. The composer’s radiant Seventh Symphony is the perfect accompaniment, an epic work written under the spell of Beethoven’s infatuation with his “immortal beloved." Full of jubilant music, it will leave you feeling lighter than air. The evening opens with a dramatic flourish in the Overture to Creatures of Prometheus, one of only two ballets scored by the composer.

EARTH, WIND & FIRE with the Nashville Symphony
Special Event at Fontanel Mansion
Saturday, June 23, at 8 p.m.

Earth, Wind & Fire
Nashville Symphony

Take a trip to Boogie Wonderland when Earth, Wind & Fire joins the Nashville Symphony for summer fun! Members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, EWF revolutionized the sound of popular music with their fusion of R&B, rock and jazz, uniting their audiences in an exuberant celebration of peace, love and universal harmony. And like the band itself, their live shows are legendary — packed with funky music and plenty of hits, from “Let’s Groove” and “Sing a Song” to “Shining Star” and “After the Love Has Gone.” This event will be performed at The Woods Amphitheater at Fontanel Mansion.

SARAH MCLACHLAN with the Nashville Symphony
Special Event
Thursday, June 28, at 7:30 p.m.

Sarah McLachlan
Nashville Symphony

Multi-platinum, GRAMMY® Award-winning singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan will perform her beautifully crafted songs backed by the lush sound of the Nashville Symphony. This iconic singer’s rich, resonant voice is intimately familiar, and the experience of hearing her perform is a singular and special one. It’s like meeting an old friend again after a long separation — and there’s no better place to reconnect than in the gorgeous setting of Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

BEETOHVEN'S NINTH
Summer Festival: Beethoven Is Back!
Saturday, June 30, at 8 p.m.

Nashville Symphony
Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Nashville Symphony Chorus
Norma Rogers, piccolo

Beethoven - Egmont: Overture
Vivaldi - Piccolo Concerto
Beethoven - Symphony No. 9

We’ll raise the roof when we present one of the greatest pieces of music ever written — Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony! From its famously quiet opening to its exultant choral finale, this is a work of expansive scope, gripping drama and resounding humanity, and it will sound amazing in the acoustical splendor of Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Vivaldi’s Piccolo Concerto features a lively, virtuosic part for the soloist, making it the perfect send-off for the Nashville Symphony’s piccolo player Norma Rogers, who is retiring after 40 years with the orchestra.

Nashville Symphony Community Concerts Line-up

Associate Conductor Kelly Corcoran and Resident Conductor Albert-George Schram have planned a series of fun, family-friendly programs for the Symphony’s free community concerts, taking place at local parks this spring and summer. Themes for this year’s concerts include “Celebrating the Film Music of John Williams,” featuring music from some of the composer’s most popular soundtracks, including Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone;“Symphonic Celebration!,” featuring Bernstein’s West Side Story Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake; and “Shakespeare at the Symphony,” featuring Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture and much more.

Nashville Symphony will offer the opportunity to win concert tickets at each performance. Except where noted, all concerts are free and are led by Associate Conductor Kelly Corcoran.

Tuesday, May 15, at 8 p.m. - Calsonic Arena, Shelbyville
Admission: $5. Conductor: Albert-George Schram

Thursday, June 7, at 8 p.m. - East Park, Nashville
“Celebrating the Film Music of John Williams”

Friday, June 8, at 8 p.m. - Bicentennial Mall, Nashville
“Celebrating the Film Music of John Williams”

Sunday, June 10, at 7 p.m. - Crockett Park, Brentwood
“Celebrating the Film Music of John Williams”

Tuesday, June 12, at 7 p.m. - Cumberland University, Lebanon
Admission: $5. “Symphonic Celebration!”

Tuesday, June 19, at 7:30 p.m. - Centennial Park, Nashville
“Shakespeare at the Symphony”