Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Presents PINES OF ROME Tonight

The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera begins its 2015/16 season tonight, September 17th at 7:30pm at the Tivoli Theatre with a powerhouse work, Respighi's Pines of Rome, on a Masterworks program based on nature and the great outdoors.

The night begins with big sound with Dvorak's Carnival Overture. Barber's Knoxville Summer of 1915 is a lush, richly textured work that is set to James Agee's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, A Death in the Family, and paints an idyllic, nostalgic picture of Chattanooga's neighbor. Soprano Mela Dailey will perform this work with the orchestra. Modern composer Christopher Theofanidis' enthralling Rainbow Body brings mysticism and mystery. Closing the concert is Respighi's Pines of Rome, a symphonic poem paying homage to the long-standing pine trees throughout the city of Rome. Music Director Kayoko Dan begins her fifth year leading the CSO. All ticketholders are invited to a post- concert Postlude event in the Tivoli lobby for a meet and greet with Music Director Dan and select musicians. Free sparkling wine is available. Barnett and Company sponsors the Masterworks Series.

Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.chattanoogasymphony.org, by calling 423.267.8583, or in person at 701 Broad Street in the Tivoli Center office building. Student tickets are available for $15 with a valid student ID, and kids 17 and under get in free with a paid adult.

The mission of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera is to inspire, engage, and enrich the greater Chattanooga community through music and music education. The 2015/16 season marks 83 seasons for the CSO, which played its first concert on November 5, 1933. The CSO, conducted by Music Director Kayoko Dan, consists of top players from the Chattanooga area as well as from across the southern region. The CSO performs a full season of Masterworks, Pops, Chamber, and Volkswagen Series concerts from September through May, as well as a variety of community, education, and engagement events throughout the year.