Beethoven, Copland, Bernstein, World Premieres and More Set for Atlanta Symphony's 2012-13 Season

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra President Stanley E. Romanstein, Ph.D., Music Director Robert Spano, and Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles have announced the 2012–13 season of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra - the Orchestra's 68th season and Mr. Spano's and Mr. Runnicles's 12th season as artistic partners.

The Atlanta Symphony consistently affirms its position as one of America's leading orchestras by performing great music, presenting great artists, nurturing young talent, and engaging audiences. The 24-week subscription season will feature the music of past centuries while paving the way for the great music of the future with performances by today's leading composers, soloists, and conductors.

"Amazing - to think this is already my twelfth season with the Atlanta Symphony and Donald. Each one has been more than rewarding," said Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Music Director Robert Spano. "It is a privilege and honor to work every day with this magnificent Orchestra and Chorus. The attentiveness and support of our vibrant Atlanta audiences is an inspiration. This season promises to be as exhilarating as any so far, and I look forward to seeing you in Symphony Hall."

"The Atlanta Symphony is one of the finest orchestras in the world, and it has been, over this past decade, a particular joy to experience and relish the deepening of our relationship," said Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles. "Collaborating with the musicians of the Orchestra, and with my friend Robert Spano, is a delight. I look forward to sharing this musical journey with the people of Atlanta."

"At our very core, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra believes in the power of music and, in particular, the power of live performance," said Atlanta Symphony Orchestra President Stanley Romanstein. "We are here to perform great music, present great artists, nurture young talent, and engage with our community - to do this alongside Robert Spano, Donald Runnicles, and the rest of our artistic team is a treasure we are honored to share with our community."

The season opens on Thursday, October 4, 2012, with Mr. Spano leading the Orchestra in a weekend of performances featuring violinist Midori playing the Beethoven Violin Concerto; also on the program is Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4. Later that month, Mr. Spano will return to Carnegie Hall on Saturday, October 27, 2012, with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus to perform the Suite from Copland's Appalachian Spring, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and Walton's Belshazzar's Feast. Soloists will be countertenor John Holiday and baritone Brett Polegato.

In January 2013, Mr. Spano will lead the Orchestra in the world premiere of a clarinet concerto by Atlanta School of Composers member Michael Gandolfi, written for Principal Clarinet Laura Ardan.

Under Mr. Spano's direction, the Orchestra will perform two additional world premieres in April 2013: a new piano concerto by Marcus Roberts, featuring the Marcus Roberts Trio, and a new work by Atlanta Symphony Bassist Michael Kurth.

In May 2013, Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles will lead the Orchestra in Beethoven's Triple Concerto featuring Mr. Spano on piano, as well as Concertmaster David Coucheron, and Principal Cello Christopher Rex.

Mr. Runnicles will return to close the season in June 2013, leading an all-Brahms program with pianist Lars Vogt. Works by Michael Gandolfi and Christopher Theofanidis, members of the Atlanta School of Composers, will also be featured in the season, reflecting Mr. Spano and the Orchestra's commitment to nurturing and championing music through multi-year partnerships defining a new generation of American composers. Thirteen additional Atlanta Symphony premieres will also be performed throughout the year.

Along with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's classical concerts, presenting many of today's finest concert artists, the Orchestra also offers orchestral pops, family, and community programming, as well as the annual Coca-Cola Holiday concerts.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is proud to be an internationally-recognized organization which remains deeply connected to, and invested in, our local communities and schools. The Orchestra also partners regularly with community organizations dedicated to the greater social good and works to ensure access to musical programs which meet a broad spectrum of needs for all of Atlanta. The Atlanta Symphony also offers approximately 50 free community performances throughout the metro area at various locations including libraries, churches, senior centers, bookstores, and parks. Additionally, Orchestra musicians provide nearly 60 master classes, clinics, and performances in metro Atlanta schools. The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO), which provides Atlanta's top student instrumentalists with an opportunity to perform orchestral masterworks under the finest conductors, will perform three subscription concerts and a series of holiday concerts in December 2012. The groundbreaking Talent Development Program (TDP) was the first intensive training program by a major American orchestra to support talented, young African-American and Latino instrumentalists who desire to pursue a career in classical music. The TDP will present its annual Fall Musicale in November 2012, as well as a Spring Recital in 2013.

COMMISSIONS AND PREMIERES

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will perform three world premieres and 13 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra premieres during the 2012–13 season:

• January 10–12, 2013: Music Director Robert Spano will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of Concerto for Clarinet and Strings by Atlanta School of Composers member Michael Gandolfi. The Orchestra commission will feature Principal Clarinet Laura Ardan.

• April 4–5, 2013: Music Director Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will perform the world premiere of a new piano concerto by Marcus Roberts, featuring the Marcus Roberts Trio. On that same program, a new work by Atlanta Symphony Bassist Michael Kurth will be premiered. Both works were commissioned by the Orchestra. The program will be repeated at the Savannah Music Festival on Saturday, April 6, 2013.

• The Orchestra will perform 13 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra premieres, including works by: Thomas Adès, Benedikt Brydern, Edvard Grieg, James MacMillan, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Matthias Pintscher, Sergei Prokofiev, Ottorino Respighi, Alfred Schnittke, Franz Schubert, Jean Sibelius, and Richard Wagner.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's special artistic initiatives surrounding The Atlanta School of Composers is generously funded in part by Turner Voices. Turner Voices is Turner Broadcasting's philanthropic initiative that focuses on building the next generation of storytellers in the arts and high school education arenas.

TOURS

• Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will be one of a select group of American orchestras to perform at Carnegie Hall during its 2012-13 season. On Saturday, October 27, 2012, Mr. Spano will lead the Orchestra in the Suite from Copland's Appalachian Spring, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and Walton's Belshazzar's Feast. The program will feature countertenor John Holiday, baritone Brett Polegato, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus. The Orchestra's history at Carnegie Hall dates to its first performance there with Robert Shaw in March of 1971. At the invitation of Carnegie Hall, the Orchestra has performed 23 concerts to date - 12 times with Robert Shaw, five with Yoel Levi, and six with Robert Spano. The upcoming October 27 performance will mark Mr. Spano's seventh Carnegie Hall appearance with the Orchestra. The Orchestra's performances at Carnegie Hall are made possible by Delta Air Lines.

• Music Director Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will close the Savannah Music Festival Saturday, April 6, 2013, performing a new work by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Bassist Michael Kurth, a new Piano Concerto by Marcus Roberts, featuring the Marcus Robert Trio, Bernstein's "Symphonic Dances" from West Side Story, and Atlanta School of Composers member Christopher Theofanidis's Rainbow Body. This will mark the Orchestra's seventh visit to the festival. The Savannah Music Festival is dedicated to presenting a world-class celebration of the musical arts by creating timeless and adventurous productions that stimulate arts education, foster economic growth, and unite artists and audiences in Savannah, GA. The 2013 festival runs from March 21 through April 6, 2013, and includes nearly 100 performances of world-class jazz, classical, blues, bluegrass, gospel, and other genres of American and international roots music in intimate venues throughout Savannah's historic district.

ATLANTA SCHOOL OF COMPOSERS

Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will perform two works by members of the Atlanta School of Composers in the 2012–13 season:

• January 10–12, 2013: Music Director Robert Spano will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the world premiere of Concerto for Clarinet and Strings by Michael Gandolfi. The Orchestra commission will feature Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Principal Clarinet Laura Ardan.

• April 4–5, 2013: Music Director Robert Spano will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Christopher Theofanidis's Rainbow Body. The program will repeat at the Savannah Music Festival on Saturday, April 6, 2013.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is well known for its dedication to American music through its Atlanta School of Composers, and since the beginning of his tenure in 2001 (to date), Music Director Robert Spano and the Orchestra have performed more than 100 contemporary works (composed since 1950). By the end of the 2012-13 season, Mr. Spano and the Orchestra will have performed 16 Orchestra-commissioned world premieres and 14 additional world premieres, including 10 fanfares performed in the 2010-11 season in honor of the 10th anniversary of the artistic partnership between Robert Spano and Donald Runnicles and 10 years of the Atlanta School of Composers.

"The Atlanta School of Composers represents an aesthetic shift," Music Director Robert Spano has said. "The composers all use really interesting melody, their music is both tuneful and tonal, and they are all fascinated by, and inspired by, world and popular music - and you can hear the elements of this world of music coming into their musical language. It's a very exciting time in American music."

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's special artistic initiatives surrounding The Atlanta School of Composers is generously funded in part by Turner Voices. Turner Voices is Turner Broadcasting's philanthropic initiative that focuses on building the next generation of storytellers in the arts and high school education arenas.

POPULAR, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMMING

Along with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's classical concerts presenting many of today's finest international concert artists, the Orchestra also offers orchestral pops, family, and community programming through its series of SuperPOPS! concerts, Coca-Cola Holiday concerts, and Family concerts. In addition, the Orchestra offers approximately 40 free community performances throughout the metro area at various locations including libraries, churches, senior centers, bookstores, and parks (details to be announced).

SuperPOPS!

• October 12 and 13, 2012 - "Sounds of Simon and Garfunkel": The acclaimed national touring duo of A.J. Swearingen and Jonathan Beedle bring their heartfelt interpretations of Simon and Garfunkel to the Orchestra stage for the first time. Hear "Bridge Over Troubled Water," "The Sound of Silence," "The Boxer," "America," "Mrs. Robinson," and more in this major orchestral premiere that opens the SuperPOPS! season.

• November 23 and 24, 2012 - "Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean": Guest conductor Richard Kaufman leads the Orchestra in the vibrant score from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean while the film is shown on the big screen.

• December 21 and 22, 2012 - "A Very Merry Holiday Pops": Michael Krajewski conducts an annual variety show of popular holiday standards, with Tony Award-winner and newly-inducted Disney Legend Jodi Benson – the voice of Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid – and festive surprises including a reveling drumline, jitterbugging Santa, and more!

• February 15 and 16, 2013- "Viva Italia": A Valentine's feast of great romantic songs of Italy with the dynamic vocal trio Poperazzi. Savor memorable orchestral works, popular songs and opera arias, from Sinatra and The Godfather to La Traviata, The Barber of Seville, and Turandot's "Nessum Dorma."

• April 19 and 20, 2013 - "Sixties Hits with the Midtown Men": Four stars from the original cast of Jersey Boys join Michael Krajewski and the Orchestra to recapture the magical soundtrack of the 1960's with hits by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, plus top hits like "So Happy Together" and "Up on the Roof."

• May 24 and 25, 2013 - "A Evening with Michael Feinstein": "Michael Feinstein's passions for performing" (New York Times) bring the ubiquitous singer-pianist back to SuperPOPS! A consummate entertainer and keeper of the Gershwin legacy and the American Songbook, Feinstein is always a revelation in concert. Coca-Cola Holiday Concerts The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra spreads the joy of the season with seven holiday programs beginning December 6, 2012, and concluding December 31, 2012. The Orchestra's holiday concerts are made possible through an endowment from the Livingston Foundation in memory of Leslie Livingston Kellar.

• December 6, 7, and 8, 2012 (four performances) - "Christmas with the ASO": A traditional Atlanta Christmas event for five decades, these concerts feature the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Morehouse College Glee Club, and the Gwinnett Young Singers, conducted by Norman Mackenzie.

• December 9 and 16, 2012 (four performances) - "Second Chance Christmas – ASO Kid's Christmas": A heartwarming fictional story that captures the magic and meaning of Christmas. The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra is on their way to perform at Carnegie Hall when a bad winter storm leaves them stranded in Second Chance, a small mining town with a sad secret. But conductor Jere Flint and the Youth Orchestra experience the power of music as it transforms this small town and everyone in it.

• December 13 and 15, 2012 - Handel's Messiah: Norman Mackenzie conducts the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus in Handel's Messiah and "Gloria" from Bach's Mass in B minor.

• December 14 and 15, 2012 - "Gospel Christmas": The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the ASO Gospel Choir, conducted by Kirk Smith.

• December 18 and 19, 2012 - Additional holiday concerts to be announced.

• December 21 and 22, 2012 (three performances) - "A Very Merry Holiday Pops": Michael Krajewski conducts a variety show of popular holiday standards, with many special guests: Tony Award-winner and newly-inducted Disney Legend Jodi Benson, a jitterbugging Santa, a reveling drumline, and the Grady High School Chorus.

• December 31, 2012 - "ASO New Year's Eve": Ring in the New Year at Symphony Hall with Principal Pops Conductor Michael Krajewski and the Orchestra as they are joined by singer and pianist Tony DeSare and his trio for an evening of great American standards, from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Porter and Prince. Family Concerts Jere Flint conducts this popular series of Sunday concerts for children of all ages. The series is presented by Delta Air Lines and Publix Super Markets Charities.

• October 21, 2012 (two performances) - "Halloween at Hogwarts": The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra takes kids on a magical journey through the music of the acclaimed Harry Potter films. Audience members are invited to dress as their favorite witch, sorcerer, or other make-believe character and join the Halloween fun.

• February 17, 2013 (two performances) - "Charlotte and the Music-Maker": Charlotte is no ordinary little girl; she plays the trumpet on a cardboard tube, the xylophone with two knitting needles and the drums on anything that bangs. Her musical talents however, are not appreciated at home where everyone is far too busy to listen to her brilliance so she sets off into the wide world only to find herself lost in a raging blizzard. The Music-maker to the rescue! An odd little man who shares Charlotte's passion for music, the Music-maker takes Charlotte on a magical-musical journey through the orchestra, exploring the sounds and colors of the instruments and the exciting possibilities that music has to offer. Platypus Theatre joins the Orchestra for this special performance.

• April 14, 2013 (two performances) - "Mother Goose": Inspired by the rich musical imagery of composer Maurice Ravel, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra teams up with the Enchantment Theatre Company to enter the world of Mother Goose, as she tells the enchanting stories of her childhood. As she spins her tales, magic takes hold and she herself is transformed into each romantic heroine, discovering youth, lost love and new possibilities. From well-known classics like Sleeping Beauty to lesser-known stories like The Green Serpent, Mother Goose brings both child and adult together to share in the travail and the triumph of being human. Special Presentations

• Saturday, November 17, 2012 – Pianist Lang Lang returns to join the Atlanta Symphony for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5.

• Saturday, February 9, 2013 – The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis returns for its annual Atlanta performance. More special presentations will be announced.

"A KING CELEBRATION" TRIBUTE CONCERT

On Thursday, January 17, 2013, Music Director Robert Spano will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the Orchestra's annual tribute concert to DR. Martin Luther King, Jr., entitled "A King Celebration." The concert, which commemorates the life and work of the celebrated civil rights leader, reflects the Orchestra's ongoing partnership with Morehouse and Spelman Colleges and The King Center, and will be held in the King International Chapel at Morehouse College. The performance, broadcast each year on American Public Media's Performance Today, will also feature the Morehouse and Spelman College Glee Clubs. Tune in on Monday, January 21, 2013, for the broadcast. These tribute concerts, which began in 1993, have raised more than half a million dollars – 2/3 of which has benefited scholarships for Morehouse and Spelman students. Past highlights include the world premiere of Wynton Marsalis's "Blues Symphony" in 2009, and collaborations with guest conductor André Raphel Smith and actress S. Epatha Merkerson, among others. Last year, cellist Yo-Yo Ma joined the Orchestra in honor of the 20th anniversary of the "King Celebration" concerts. The "A King Celebration" concert is supported in part by Delta Air Lines and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

2012–13 SEASON GUEST CONDUCTORS

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra continues to present new conducting talent, and will welcome 12 guest conductors in the 2012–13 season. Three guest conductors will make their Atlanta Symphony debuts: Lionel Bringuier, Matthias Pintscher, and Xian Zhang. Returning to Atlanta are: Roberto Abbado, Asher Fisch, Richard Kaufman, Jun Märkl, Michael Morgan, Kazushi Ono, Itzhak Perlman (who will perform and conduct), Gilbert Varga, and Hugh Wolff. Music Director Robert Spano will lead the Orchestra in 12 subscription programs, special presentation-concerts, and tours. Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles will lead the Orchestra in three subscription programs. Principal Pops Conductor Michael Krajewski will lead the Orchestra in five SuperPOPS! programs.

2012–13 SEASON INSTRUMENTALISTS AND VOCALISTS

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will welcome 16 instrumentalists during the 2012–13 season. Six artists will make their Atlanta Symphony debuts: violinists Vilde Frang, Vadim Gluzman, and Karen Gomyo; pianists Marc-André Hamelin and Yevgeny Sudbin; and guitarist Milos Karadaglic. Returning to Atlanta are: violinists Midori and Itzhak Perlman (who will perform and conduct); cellist Alisa Weilerstein; and pianists Emanuel Ax, Stewart Goodyear, Lang Lang, Olli Mustonen, Juho Pohjonen, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Lars Vogt. The Orchestra will welcome ten vocalists next season. Three vocalists will make their Atlanta Symphony debuts: soprano Kiera Duffy, countertenor John Holiday, and baritone Edward Parks. Returning to Atlanta are: sopranos Jessica Rivera and Celena Shafer, mezzo-soprano Kelley O'Connor, countertenor James Laing, tenor Thomas Cooley, and baritones Brett Polegato and Stephen Powell.

VERIZON WIRELESS AMPHITHEATRE AT ENCORE PARK

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will celebrate its fifth season at its summer home, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, in 2012. The Orchestral summer season will open with the Orchestra's annual Fourth of July Celebration on Wednesday, July 4, 2012 - including patriotic favorites and a post-concert fireworks show - and an all-Beatles program featuring Classical Mystery Tour on Saturday, July 21, 2012. In addition, the Orchestra will perform with Jackie Evancho on Sunday, June 3, 2012, and with Il Divo on Sunday, August 12, 2012. ASO Presents, the presenting brand of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, will present a contemporary concert series welcoming an array of popular entertainers to Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in summer 2012 (see listing below). Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park is a not-for-profit venue owned and operated by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Upon the opening of the Amphitheatre in 2008, the Orchestra became the first U.S. orchestra to perform and present in its concert hall and in two amphitheaters. The 12,000-seat, state-of-the-art venue - nominated in 2008, 2009, and 2011 by Pollstar Concert Industry Awards as "Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue" and winner of InSite Magazine's "Best Outdoor Venue" award in 2009, 2010, and 2011 - serves as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's summer home. The Amphitheatre opened on May 10, 2008, with Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, followed by four sold-out Eagles concerts. The past four seasons of classical concerts have featured Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in an array of programs including a concert-staged production of Puccini's La Bohème, a Fourth of July spectacular, concerts that combine music and video imagery such as BBC's Planet Earth, and a free concert for the community. Guest artists have included Garrick Ohlsson, Robert McDuffie, Julie Andrews, Robert Osborne (Turner Classic Movies), and the Marcus Roberts Trio. The ASO Presents concert season has featured performances by the world's biggest stars, such as Kenny Chesney, John Mayer, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Van Morrison, Phish, Ray Lamontagne, Dolly Parton, Zac Brown Band, and Stevie Wonder. The Amphitheatre is located in the northern suburbs of Atlanta, and is minutes from GA 400 and North Point Mall in Alpharetta, GA, and a 30-minute drive from midtown Atlanta.

Orchestral concerts to include:

• Wednesday, July 4, 2012 - Annual Fourth of July Celebration of patriotic favorites with a post-concert fireworks show.
• Saturday, July 21, 2012 - An all-Beatles program featuring Classical Mystery Tour.
• Sunday, June 3, 2012 - Jackie Evancho and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
• Sunday, August 12, 2012 -Il Divo and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Contemporary presentations to include:
• Sunday, April 29, 2012 – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers with Regina Spektor
• Friday, May 4, 2012 – The Eagles
• Sunday, May 6, 2012 – 6th annual Project 96.1 Cinco Party, featuring Shinedown, Five Finger Death Punch, Chevelle, Hellyeah, Volbeat, Adelita's Way, Art of Dying, and The Beatoffs
• Thursday, June 7, 2012 – Foster the People with The Kooks Community events will include:
• Saturday, March 10, 2012 – "ShamRockin' for a Cure," benefitting cystic fibrosis research. Event will include dinner, drinks, and dancing, in addition to live and silent auctions.
• Friday, April 6, 2012 – Passion City Church: Good Friday Service
• Sunday, April 8, 2012 – Passion City Church: Easter Sunday Celebration

Additional ASO Presents concerts will be announced. For up-to-date concert listings and information, visit vzwamp.com.

DELTA CLASSIC CHASTAIN

The 2012 Delta Classic Chastain season will open in June 2012 and conclude in October 2012. Concerts will be announced. This season marks the Orchestra's 39th season at the legendary venue. Consistently hailed as one of the South's favorite concert experiences by media and music lovers alike, Delta Classic Chastain is held at the beautiful Chastain Park Amphitheater located in the leafy suburb of Buckhead in Atlanta, Ga. Patrons are invited to bring their own food, wine, and spirits to enhance the concert experience. Chastain Park Amphitheater is a perennial choice in Pollstar magazine's annual listing of top U.S. outdoor venues, and was nominated in 1994, 2009, and 2011 for "Red Rocks Award For Small Outdoor Venue." Chastain Park Amphitheater is a City of Atlanta venue, and is operated by Chastain Ventures, a joint venture of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Live Nation. A time-honored and revered tradition, Delta Classic Chastain has also been recognized as a favorite outdoor music experience by readers of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Magazine, Creative Loafing, and others. Favorite Delta Classic Chastain performers include The Monkees; Earth, Wind and Fire; Huey Lewis and The News; and Darius Rucker. For up-to-date concert listings and information, visit deltaclassicchastain.com.

ON THE AIR

• On Thursday, January 17, 2013, Music Director Robert Spano will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the Orchestra's annual tribute concert for DR. Martin Luther King, Jr., entitled "A King Celebration." The concert will be recorded for a broadcast to nearly 250 radio stations across the country on American Public Media's Performance Today on Monday, January 21, 2013. Hosted by Fred Child, the broadcast reaches an international radio audience of more than 2.5 million listeners. The concert, which commemorates the life and work of the celebrated civil rights leader, reflects the Orchestra's ongoing partnership with Morehouse and Spelman Colleges, and The King Center.

• In February 2013, the Atlanta Symphony will launch another season of local broadcasts with 90.1 FM WABE, a partnership spanning more than 25 years. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's classical concerts, hosted by WABE's Lois Reitzes, will air on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m., including conversations with the conductors and soloists.

• The Atlanta Symphony returns to Georgia Public Radio for an eighth season of statewide broadcasts in March 2013 with 26 concerts from the Orchestra's season. Hosted by Sarah Zaslaw, the broadcasts air on Thursday evenings at 9:00 p.m., with commentary from conductors, guest artists, and members of the Atlanta Symphony; a rebroadcast airs on Sundays at 10:00 p.m. over most stations of the GPB Radio network.

RECORDINGS: ASO MEDIA

During the 2011-12 season, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra released the first recording on its new label, ASO Media. The premiere ASO Media recording features Music Director Robert Spano leading the Orchestra in Atlanta School of Composers member, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Jennifer Higdon's new concerto, On A Wire, featuring the chamber ensemble, eighth blackbird. Also on the first recording is Atlanta School of Composers member Michael Gandolfi's new choral work, QED: Engaging Richard Feynman, featuring the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Both works were commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony, and given world-premiere performances in June 2010 at Atlanta Symphony Hall. The production team includes long-time Atlanta Symphony Orchestra collaborators Elaine Martone and Michael Bishop. Two additional ASO Media recordings with Mr. Spano and the Orchestra were released during the 2011–12 season: the June 2011 release features the Atlanta Symphony's commission of Atlanta School of Composers member Christopher Theofanidis's Symphony and Peter Lieberson's Neruda Songs; the October 2011 release - an all-Rachmaninov recording - features Garrick Ohlsson playing Piano Concerto No. 3, and also includes Symphonic Dances. The physical and digital recordings are distributed by Naxos of America, Inc. "This is an exciting time in the Orchestra's history of performing great music and presenting great artists," Atlanta Symphony Orchestra President Stanley E. Romanstein, Ph.D, has said. "We are especially thrilled to begin this distribution partnership with Naxos as we launch ASO Media. Together, we will ensure the Orchestra's recordings are available to music lovers around the globe." "One of the many impressive facets of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is the great recording history it has had with Telarc," Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Music Director Robert Spano has said. "Our new relationship with Naxos provides the exciting opportunity to perpetuate this legacy, with our recording history remaining a vital and integral part of our future." The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and its recordings have won 27 GRAMMY® Awards.

"INSIDE THE MUSIC" PRE-CONCERT LECTURES

Inside the Music pre-concert lectures take place one hour before the start of all Thursday evening classical concerts, on stage at Atlanta Symphony Hall unless otherwise noted, and are open to all concert weekend ticket holders. ASO Insider and Program Annotator Ken Meltzer, as well as special guests, offer lively and informative discussions about the composers, music, and performers of the evening.

ASO AROUND GEORGIA

For six decades, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra has engaged and connected with Georgia communities through a series of local community concerts and engagement activities spanning 30 counties and 60 communities. In the 2012–13 season, "ASO Around Georgia" will take the Orchestra to Athens on November 4, 2012, and February 24, 2013; Savannah on April 6, 2013, as part of the Savannah Music Festival; as well as Callaway Gardens, Madison, Rabun Gap, Reinhardt University, and Thomasville, among others. The ASO Around Georgia is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

SYMPHONY GALA

The Orchestra's annual Symphony Gala will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2013. Details to be announced.

BRAVO! CASINO NIGHT The Atlanta Symphony Associates, the volunteer group of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, will host its third annual Bravo! Casino Night on Friday, October 19, 2012, at Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead. The event will feature a variety of Vegas games - including poker, blackjack, craps, and roulette - music, specialty hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, and numerous prizes. Proceeds from the 2012 Casino Night will benefit the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and its Education and Community Engagement Programs, which the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra and Talent Development Program, as well as support partnerships with local community institutions and create a wide variety of musical and educational experiences for citizens of all ages.

SUBSCRIBING AND PURCHASING TICKETS

Season Ticket packages for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's 2012–2013 season will go on sale Wednesday, February 22, 2012. Information on becoming a subscriber is available by phone from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Season Ticket Office at 404.733.4800, or online at atlantasymphony.org. Tickets to individual concerts will go on sale to the general public in August 2012.

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