Nashville Symphony Opens Season w/ Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, 9/10

The Nashville Symphony opens its 2010/11 season on September 10 & 11 with performances of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 at War Memorial Auditorium. Led by Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero, the orchestra and chorus will be joined by four internationally renowned soloists: soprano Erin Wall, mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor, tenor Anthony Dean Griffey and bass/baritone Morris Robinson. The concert begins at 8 p.m.

The Symphony's return to War Memorial Auditorium this fall is notable for several reasons: Not only is it the site of the orchestra's first-ever concert in 1946, but it is also the site of the Nashville Symphony's first performance of Beethoven's Ninth 60 years ago. While Schermerhorn Symphony Center continues to undergo repairs following May's flooding, all Nashville Symphony concerts through December have been relocated to other local venues, including War Memorial Auditorium, Lipscomb University's Collins Alumni Auditorium and Allen Arena, and Tennessee Performing Arts Center. A complete list of concerts and venues is posted at NashvilleSymphony.org. Concerts will resume at the Schermerhorn in January 2010.

The last of the composer's symphonies, Beethoven's Ninth is one of the most influential works in the history of Western civilization. It was one of the first symphonic works to include the human voice, and just as significantly, its expansive scope and gripping drama opened up new possibilities for composers to follow. The Symphony's season-opening concert begins with Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber, which transforms the music of 19th century composer von Weber into an exciting orchestral showpiece.

Tickets are now on sale. For more information, call the Symphony Box Office at 615.687.6400 or visit NashvilleSymphony.org.