Photo Coverage: AMERICAN CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA Concert at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall

On Thursday, March 12 at Alice Tully Hall, the American Classical Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Thomas Crawford, presented Schubert's Symphony No. 9 'Great', Mozart's Mass in C 'Coronation', featuring world-renowned soloists Sherezade Panthaki, soprano; Sarah Craft, alto; Marc Molomot, tenor and Michael Kelly, baritone with the American Classical Orchestra Chorus and Beethoven's Egmont Overture and 'Christ on the Mount of Olives' (excerpt). Maestro Thomas Crawford gave a Pre-Concert Lecture at 7:00PM.

Thomas Crawford, ACO Founder and Music Director, says: "Mozart's Coronation Mass, his most popular and tuneful short mass, is performed by the acclaimed ACO Chorus and guest soloists. The Mass was written in 1779 while Mozart was employed at the Salzburg Cathedral, hence its grandeur. The Coronation Mass remains a favorite because it moves seamlessly through a wide spectrum of emotions and dynamics. The Schubert 'Great' Symphony No. 9 is thrilling to hear when played on period instruments. The numerous melodies take on an Austrian 'woodsy' flavor when played on early 19th century winds. The breakneck speed of the treacherous finale takes on new power when performed on gut strings and lighter bows. When Mendelssohn championed the Schubert 9th in Paris and London a decade after Schubert's death, he found that even professional orchestras refused to play it because it was too difficult and fatiguing for their fingers!

Beethoven's Egmont Overture, in less than ten minutes of music, exhibits the composer's revolutionary spirit. The dark and brooding minor key of the opening yields to bursts of courage depicting the heroic life of Count Egmont. A guillotine scene follows, a brief pious prayer, and then a blazing allegro replete with chariots of fire."

Thomas C. Crawford, Music Director and Founder of the American Classical Orchestra, is active in numerous musical disciplines as conductor, composer, and organist. As a conductor, Mr. Crawford is a champion of both historically accurate performance styles of the Baroque and Classical repertoire and of new American music. Mr. Crawford has attracted many outstanding artists, including Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, André Watts, Dawn Upshaw, Richard Goode, Victor Borge, Monica Huggett and Vladimir Feltsman. He is responsible for the American Classical Orchestra's numerous international recordings with such great artists as Malcolm Bilson and Keith Jarrett. He is also a composer in many idioms and has been especially prolific in vocal music. Mr. Crawford has been recognized for his teaching of children and adults through school programs and lectures.

Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff

Thomas Crawford, Music Director & Founder American Classical Orchestra

American Classical Orchestra

Alice Tully Hall

American Classical Orchestra, ACO Chorus,

Michael Kelly, Marc Molomot, Sarah Nelson Craft, Sherezade

Sherezade Panthaki, Marc Molomot,

Happy Birthday Thomas Crawford

American Classical Orchestra

Sherezade Panthaki, Sarah Nelson Craft, Marc Molomot, Michael Kelly

American Classical Orchestra

Alice Tully Hall