Asheville Bravo Concerts is taking it to the next level as one of the prominent members of the performing arts community in Asheville. “In recent years our audience has, along with Asheville as a whole, become more diverse, and I think this season is a great example of outstanding arts programming that will appeal to a wide range of people and ages,” says Bravo’s executive director Tracey Johnston-Crum.

Bravo, an organization that for many years presented a strictly classical repertoire, has in recent seasons broadened the scope of its program offerings, bringing in shows that are classically based but which have grown increasingly varied. These changes have met with great success.

“Our 2008–2009 season concluded with more than 2,300 people attending a sold-out performance by the National Acrobats of China,” says Tracey. “In 2009–2010, we had very enthusiastic and large crowds for all of the shows, especially Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and The Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess, and the lineup for the 2010–2011 is, I think, one of our most exciting and best ever.”

The new season begins September 10 with “Wall to Wall Williams,” an evening of the music of John Williams, by far the biggest name in movie score history. He composed the famous scores for Star Wars, Jurassic Park, the Indiana Jones and Harry Potter films, and dozens of others. The evening will be conducted by Rachael Worby, the acclaimed musical director of the Pasadena Pops, who will lead the West Virginia Festival Orchestra.

In late October, Bravo will present Oklahoma! with a superb touring version of the classic show that began Rodgers & Hammerstein’s storied collaboration. November will bring the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players’ hilarious rendition of The Mikado.

In January 2011, Time for Three will visit Asheville for an evening. This exciting young trio of musicians performs works that combine classical, jazz, bluegrass, blues, and other styles to form a dynamic confluence. In April, the season will finish with a remarkable show by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. They will perform a much-lauded piece that Mr. Jones choreographed based on the life of President Lincoln to celebrate the bicentennial of his birth.

Bravo’s season will cover a lot of territory—breathtaking dance, operetta, musical theatre, and instrumental performance, and will offer our community the opportunity to see definitively world-class performances, right here in Asheville.

For more information about Asheville Bravo Concerts and the 2009–2010 season, visit ashevillebravoconcerts.org or call 828.225.5887.