By Natasha Anderson
The upcoming Asheville Symphony Orchestra (ASO) season will be a unique one in which six finalists vie for the symphony’s music director position and audiences have an opportunity both to see them conduct and to provide feedback on their programming and performance.
“With this coming season, our patrons can expect a true diversity of musical ideas and concert experiences,” says current music director Daniel Meyer. “Each conductor has crafted a program to represent his or her ideas about how best to pair classical music’s rich tradition with music and soloists of our time.”
The seven-concert Masterworks Series will begin with a special matinee performance on Sunday, September 24. Under Meyer’s direction, internationally renowned pianist Yefim Bronfman will make his ASO debut playing Beethoven’s Emperor piano concerto. The remaining six Masterworks concerts will feature the biggest and best works of the finalists and the world-class soloists they bring to the stage. According to ASO executive director David Whitehill, programming will include some new music and even some re-worked rock ‘n roll.
A piano recital by Alexandre Tharaud on February 15 at Central United Methodist Church in Asheville, a concert by the Asheville Symphony Chorus on April 28 at Arden Presbyterian Church and a New Year’s Eve celebration on December 31, 2017 are also part of the season’s programming. The New Year’s Eve celebration will feature a performance of Orff’s Carmina Burana conducted by Meyer. This will be Meyer’s final concert with ASO.
All Masterworks concerts take place in Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in downtown Asheville. Series subscriptions and ticket packages are on sale now and single tickets go on sale in mid-August. Single tickets for all concerts are $24–$69, depending on seating section (reduced youth pricing is available). Tickets can be purchased online at ashevillesymphony.org, by phone at 828.254.7046, or in person at the U.S. Cellular Center box office at 87 Haywood Street.
