Nashville Symphony Announces 2012-13 Season

"Unforgettable can come in small moments and big moments. This year, we are going BIG!" says Giancarlo Guerrero, Music Director of the GRAMMY® Award-winning Nashville Symphony. Performing more than 140 concerts annually, Nashville Symphony will bring size and substance to its upcoming 2012/13 season, beginning with a performance of Mahler’s larger-than-life Eighth Symphony. World-class guest artists performing at Schermerhorn Symphony Center throughout the season include Edgar Meyer, Joshua Bell, Boyz II Men, Charlie Haden, Esperanza Spalding andYo-Yo Ma.

SunTrust Classical Series and Special Events

The Nashville Symphony 2012/13 season kicks off with a special performance of Mahler’s Eighth - Symphony of a Thousand (September 7 and 9, 2012). This monumental work will push the physical boundaries of the Schermerhorn stage to its fullest capacity. With more than 450 musicians and singers onstage, the hall will be reconfigured to showcase one of the most ambitious symphonies ever written, in an event that promises to rival the grand opening of Schermerhorn Symphony Center in 2006. 

The Nashville Symphony has earned worldwide acclaim and GRAMMY® Awards for its commitment to new American music, and this season the orchestra’s SunTrust Classical Series will feature a number of notable American works, beginning withRichard Danielpour’s A Woman’s Life, based on a series of poems by Maya Angelou (September 20-22, 2012). Featuring soloist Angela Brown, this piece will be recorded for a forthcoming release on Naxos.

“The Sound of Enlightenment” (October 4-6, 2012) will showcase American composer Stephen Paulus’ Three Places of Enlightenment and The Veil of Tears, both of which will also be recorded for future release. “Harmonic Convergence”(February 7-9, 2013) features John Adams’ minimalist masterpiece Harmonielehre, and “Tchaikovsky Meets Techno”(February 29, March 1-2) will include a new violin concerto by composer and DJ Mason Bates, a cutting-edge talent who mixes classical and electronica. A showcase for soloist Anne Akiko Meyers, this piece is a Nashville Symphony co-commission.

Throughout the season, the Nashville Symphony will also tap into the depths of the classical repertoire.  Notable performances including “ ‘The Ring’ without Words” (March 28-30, 2013), an instrumental version of Wagner’s epic journey into Norse and Germanic mythology. Rising young pianist Daniil Trifonov makes his first appearance with the Nashville Symphony (April 18-20, 2013), performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9. Other selections in this concert, titled “Uncommon Folk,” include Kodály’s Háry János Suite and Mexican composer Carlos Chavez’s Sinfonia india, both of which feature ethnic and folk instruments rarely seen on the concert hall stage.

Concluding this monumental season, the Nashville Symphony comes full circle with Mahler’s popular “Titan” Symphony (May 30, 31 & June 1, 2013) and a new commission, Edgar Meyer’s Double Concerto for Violin and Double Bass, featuring soloists Meyer and Joshua Bell. 

 

Special events at the Schermerhorn in 2012/13 include an appearance by The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma (March 23, 2013), renowned for their cross-cultural explorations.

 

Bank of America Pops Series

Experience spectacular Pops concerts, led by Resident Conductor Albert-George Schram, with the lush harmonies of Boyz II Men (September 13-15, 2012), GRAMMY®-winning singer Michael W. Smith (October 25-27, 2012), Disney in Concert: Magical Music from the Movies (November 8-10, 2012), Pink Martini’ssophisticated brand of world music (April 4-6, 2013) and the visually stunning acrobatics of Cirque Musica (May 23-25, 2013). All concerts feature the Nashville Symphony.

 

Jazz Series

The Jazz Series offers the ultimate cool experience, with presentations including legendary bassist Charlie Haden & Quartet West (October 12, 2012) and the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour featuring vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater and bassist/bandleader Christian McBride (January 25, 2013). Closing out the series, theWayne Shorter Quartet will perform some of the veteran saxophonist’s orchestrations with the Nashville Symphony (April 12, 2013). They’ll also perform Shorter’s new Concerto for Bass, featuring Esperanza Spalding. The Nashville Symphony is one of the co-commissioners of this piece.

 

The Ann & Monroe Carell Family Trust Pied Piper Series

Led by Associate Conductor Kelly Corcoran, the Nashville Symphony’s Pied Piper Series makes classical music a family-friendly experience, weaving narration and theatrical flair with beloved classical tunes. With four Saturday-morning performances each year, this series is designed to create unforgettable memories for young children and their parents alike. This year’s concerts include “Halloween in the Wild West” (October 27, 2012); “A Spirit for the Holidays”, featuring the Magic Circle Mime Company (December 22, 2012); “Beethoven Lives Upstairs” (February 16, 2013), which explores the great composer’s life as viewed through the eyes of a young boy; and an aquatic adventure, “Under the Sea” (April 14, 2013). All concerts are preceded by fun family activities, including an instrument petting zoo, where kids can touch and play professional instruments; arts and crafts; drama; and a Wii conducting game.

 

Subscription and ticketing information

Season tickets are available now. Prices for the 2012/13 SunTrust Classical Series range from $418 to $1,312 (for 14 concerts) and $232 to $713.50 (seven concerts); the Bank of America Pops Series from $314 to $890 (eight concerts); and the Jazz Series from $130 to $292. Season tickets for The Ann & Monroe Carell Family Trust Pied Piper Series are $116 for adults and $71 for children. For more information, call 615.687.6400 or visit NashvilleSymphony.org. Tickets to individual concerts will go on sale in mid-July.

In addition to incredible music, Nashville Symphony season ticket holders enjoy a host of special privileges that enhance the concert experience. Some of the benefits of being a Symphony subscriber include flexible ticket exchanges, up to 15% off additional tickets, a dedicated patron services specialist to handle your personal needs, exclusive patron events and a patron bonus program with discounts at Schermerhorn Symphony Center and around town.

 

Parking Information

New this year, free parking is available in Lot R at LP Field, with shuttle transportation to and from the Schermerhorn for just $3 per person roundtrip. This shuttle service will be available for all of our concerts. Buy seven or more concerts, and the shuttle is free, too!

We also offer discounted parking in the garage at The Pinnacle at Symphony Place, located across the street from Schermerhorn Symphony Center on Third Avenue, with 987 well-lit and secure parking spaces just steps away from our East Atrium door. Symphony patrons may pre-purchase parking vouchers from our box office for discounted pricing or pay the standard parking fee of $10 on dates when the Symphony is performing.

Valet parking is available for all Symphony performances on Symphony Place, on the north side of the building between Third and Fourth avenues. Cost is $20. We also offer pre-paid valet parking for all performances. For more details, call Patron Services at 615.687.6401.

For a full list of Nashville Symphony 2012/2013 concerts and special events, please visit http://www.NashvilleSymphony.org/upcomingseason.

 

Dining Options

Nashville Symphony patrons can enhance their experience with a pre-concert meal at two dining establishments located conveniently inside Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Relax and enjoy dinner before the performance, knowing that you’ll make it to the concert on time! 

 

Located in the East Lobby, just steps away from the concert hall, Arpeggio features a sumptuous four-course buffet. Open before most evening performances, this restaurant offers a gourmet experience for all palates, with soup, salad, your choice of entrée and dessert. Reservations are preferred and can be made by calling 615.687.6400. For information, visit NashvilleSymphony.org/arpeggio. 

Located in the West Lobby of Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the Symphony Café offers a bistro-style à la carte menu beginning two hours prior to the performance. The Café is also open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Seven bars located throughout the building offer premier spirits, cocktails, wine, beer, soft drinks and bottled water.