The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will return to Piedmont Park on Sunday, April 19, at 6 p.m. for a free concert on Oak Hill.
Finan Jones conducts the evening’s program, featuring a selection of orchestral favorites selected to highlight the nation’s 250th birthday. Program selections will include works by such beloved American composers as John Williams, Leonard Bernstein and Florence Price, plus masterworks by Dvořák and Mozart.
“Returning to perform in Piedmont Park is a cherished tradition for the orchestra that allows us to share our music with Atlantans in a gorgeous setting under the stars,” ASO Executive Director Jennifer Barlament said in a statement. “I’m particularly excited to share this year’s program that was especially crafted to explore the impacts that Americans have had on the world of orchestra music over the past 250 years.”
The evening begins with an overture from Leonard Bernstein’s Broadway musical, “Candide,” and is followed by a pair of fanfares by two of America’s most well-known composers, John Williams and John Adams. Then the orchestra performs movements from symphonies by African American composers Florence Price and William Grant Still. The program takes a local turn when the orchestra performs a work by a teenage composer from Georgia, Reflections on Georgia. The concert finale is a work inspired by Dvořák’s visit to America in the late 1800’s—the Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive early, as seating with a good view of the stage is first-come, first-served. Admission is free to the public, and tickets are not required. There will also be food trucks with beverages to complete the picnic experience. Family-friendly activities will be hosted by the ASO Education and Community Engagement Department.
Additional details are available at www.aso.org/piedmont.