Nashville Symphony Announces Their 2010/11 Season

For the Nashville Symphony's fifth year inside Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero will lead the orchestra through a 2010/11 season filled with time-honored and brand-new classical works; an impressive lineup of guest artists and conductors; and pops and jazz offerings from some of the top headlining acts in the world.

Among the many guests visiting Laura Turner Concert Hall are André Watts, Robert McDuffie, Michael McDonald, Jewel, French-Canadian pianist Louis Lortie, Leonard Slatkin, Peter Cetera, Olga Kern, violinist Chee-Yun, Lorrie Morgan, Michael Cavanaugh, British cellist Steven Isserlis, David Sanborn, Al DiMeola, and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

The Nashville Symphony also performs a world-premiere by Nashville-based composer Conni Ellisor and two brand-new works by Daniel Bernard Roumain and Avner Dorman - all composers celebrated for bringing a distinctive, contemporary sensibility to orchestral music.

"With Giancarlo Guerrero now entering his second year as Music Director, the Symphony is poised for a tremendous season of great music spanning multiple genres," said Alan D. Valentine, President and CEO of the Nashville Symphony. "We have again planned the kind of season which the Nashville community and the music world at large have come to expect from the Nashville Symphony."

Music Director Guerrero added, "Mahler's Eighth Symphony, a rare and impressive undertaking, offers a taste of the bold and exciting new direction of this organization. Add in world-class guest artists like pianist André Watts and pops and jazz headliners like Michael McDonald, Jewel and guitarist Al DiMeola, and I think it's safe to say that this will be our best season yet."

OPENING WEEKEND

September 10 & 12, 2010: MAHLER'S EIGHTH SYMPHONY

To open its 2010/11 season, the Nashville Symphony presents what is perhaps the most artistically and logistically ambitious undertaking in the organization's history - Mahler's immense, landmark Eighth Symphony. Almost never performed live due to its sheer size, the epic piece is one of the most breathtaking works in the entire classical repertoire, bringing together an immense orchestra, two large mixed choirs, a children's chorus, organ, offstage brass and eight vocal soloists. All told, nearly 450 performers are expected to be on stage inside Laura Turner Concert Hall. An exuberant affirmation of life, the work embodies Mahler's own statement that "the symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything." The Nashville Symphony will perform Mahler's Eighth twice over three days, on September 10 & 12.

SUNTRUST CLASSICAL SERIES AND CLASSICAL SPECIAL EVENTS

The Nashville Symphony's 2010/11 SunTrust Classical Series hosts an outstanding list of guest artists, including pianists André Watts, Louis Lortie, Robert Levin, Olga Kern and Kirill Gerstein; cellist Steven Isserlis; and violinists Stefan Jackiw, Robert McDuffie and Chee-Yun. The lineup of guest conductors includes Leonard Slatkin, Nicholas McGegan, Mario Venzago and Günther Herbig.

Once again, the Nashville Symphony's 2010/11 classical programming maintains a balance of classical favorites and less-familiar works by deserving composers. The favorites include Classical Series opener Beethoven's Concerto for Piano No. 5 "Emperor" featuring André Watts; Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, popularized through Disney's Fantasia; Bach's Suite for Orchestra No. 3; Mozart's Concerto for Piano No. 22; Holst's The Planets; Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2 "Little Russian"; Rachmaninoff's Concerto for Piano No. 2; Dvo?ák's Symphony No. 8; and Mahler's Symphony No. 2, featuring soloists Janice Chandler Eteme and Frederica von Stade, who performed two movements from Mahler's Second with the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center Inaugural Gala in 2006.

Renowned for programming and recording American classical repertoire, as well as contemporary music from other countries, the Nashville Symphony will continue to support cutting-edge work. Highlights include pieces by such prominent modern-day composers as Philip Glass, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Richard Danielpour and Conni Ellisor.

One major highlight of the Nashville Symphony's Classical Special Events is the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, a widely recorded ensemble famous for choosing to perform without a conductor, coming October 12, 2010.

BANK OF AMERICA POPS SERIES

Headed up by Resident Conductor Albert-George Schram, the 2010/11 Bank of America Pops Series will showcase a rich variety of some of the most popular names in American music performing alongside our very own Nashville Symphony. This coming year, we are tapping some of the Nashville music community's biggest-name talent.

Kicking things off is legendary soul singer Michael McDonald (September 23-25, 2010), the distinctive voice behind some of pop music's most unforgettable songs, including "What a Fool Believes," "Takin' It to the Streets" and "I Keep Forgettin'." Other highlights of the eight-part series include Gershwin "Here to Stay" (October 14-16, 2010), an evening highlighting George Gershwin's most popular tunes, including his song collaborations with brother Ira; Jewel (November 11-13, 2010), featuring the singer-songwriter performing her pop and country hits of the past two decades; Peter Cetera (January 13-15, 2011), presenting the legendary lead-singer of the group Chicago and successful solo artist; Broadway Rocks! (February 24-26, 2011), a collection of high-energy rock and pop songs originally featured on the Broadway stage; The Sound of Philadelphia (March 31, April 1-2, 2011), featuring the dynamic group Spectrum in a look back at the Signature Sound of Philadelphia soul as created during the 1970s; Michael Cavanaugh Sings the Music of Bill Joel (May 5-7, 2011), an evening with the GRAMMY®-nominated star of Billy Joel's Broadway musical Movin' Out; and Lorrie Morgan (May 26-28), one of country music's finest performers.

ADAMS AND REESE JAZZ SERIES

Now entering its fifth year, the 2010/11 Adams and Reese Jazz Series offers in-demand performers representing a rich tapestry of jazz styles, maintaining Schermerhorn Symphony Center's role as the city's leading presenter of live jazz music. First, there is GRAMMY®-winning saxophonist David Sanbourn (October 8, 2010). Then we welcome Al Dimeola (March 18, 2011), one of jazz music's most gifted and versatile guitarists. A third event in the series will soon be announced.

ANN & MONROE CARELL FAMILY TRUST PIED PIPER SERIES

Fun as well as educational, the Ann & Monroe Carell Family Trust Pied Piper Series
performances offer an engaging one-hour concert based on musical themes, which are suitable for children of all ages. Pre-concert activities take place one hour before each performance.

During the 2010/11 season, the Nashville Symphony under the direction of Assistant Conductor Kelly Corcoran will explore Halloween in Space (October 30, 2010), a musical journey through the night skies presented in collaboration with the Adventure Science Center; A Flicker of Light on a Winter's Night (December 18, 2010), a celebration of our best-loved holiday traditions, from Christmas trees to dreidels; The Listener (February 26, 2011), a comic look at "the art of listening" featuring Magic Circle Mime Company; and Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! (April 30, 2011), a symphonic safari that will include music from The Lion King and other-animal themed works.

TICKETING INFORMATION

Season tickets are available now. Prices for the 2010/11 SunTrust Classical Series range from $236 to $1,251 (box seats/all 14 concerts); the Bank of America Pops Series from $277 to $853; the Adams and Reese Jazz Series from $107 to $275; and The Ann & Monroe Carell Family Trust Pied Piper Series at $95 for adults and $50 for children. For more information or to buy season tickets, please call 615.687.6401 or visit www.nashvillesymphony.org. Tickets to individual concerts will go on sale July 17.

SPONSORS

Nashville Symphony's Classical Series is made possible through the generous support of SunTrust; the Pops Series is made possible by Bank of America; the Jazz Series is made possible by Adams and Reese, LLP; and the Pied Piper Series is made possible by the Ann & Monroe Carell Family Trust. American Airlines is the official airline and Infiniti the official vehicle of the Nashville Symphony.

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