ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES
2002-2003 SEASON

Highlights include Jennifer Higdon world premiere, John Adams' El Niño with the ASO Chorus, a special performance with Yo-Yo Ma and a four-city Florida tour

ATLANTA - March 4, 2001 - Music Director Robert Spano and Principal Guest Conductor Donald Runnicles announced today the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's (ASO) 2002-2003 Classical Season. The 58th season of the ASO will feature an ASO-commissioned world premiere by composer Jennifer Higdon, the southeast premiere of John Adams' El Niño, a four-city tour of South Florida in April 2003, and the continuation of several initiatives from Mr. Spano's and Mr. Runnicles' Inaugural Season including: video interviews with seven living composers; a commissioned work by a video artist for one Classical Series weekend; and seven concerts in the Classical series entitled "First Person Fridays," in which conductors and artists provide personal insights on the evening's program. In addition, the ASO will bring four performances to the greater Atlanta metropolitan area in specially created "ASO to Go" concerts.

Mr. Spano will conduct 10 Classical Season programs of diverse works ranging from Osvaldo Golijov's Last Rounds and Aaron Jay Kernis' Lament and Prayer to Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 and Sibelius' Symphony No. 2. Mr. Runnicles will lead five programs, including Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, during the 24-week Classical Season schedule.

Classical Season Overview
The 72 concerts that make up the Orchestra's 24-week subscription series will include appearances by ASO Music Director Emeritus Yoel Levi, newly appointed ASO Assistant Conductor Alexander Mickelthwate and six guest conductors, including Roberto Abbado, Oliver Knussen and Alan Gilbert. The season will also feature guest appearances by 17 instrumentalists, including violinist Midori and pianists Emanuel Ax and André Watts, 11 vocalists, including Barbara Bonney and Christine Goerke, as well as four performances with the full Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and two performances with the ASO Chamber Chorus.

Enhanced Experience
Robert Spano introduced several new initiatives last year that were very successful in presenting orchestral programs in new and interesting ways. Returning this year:

• "Meet the Composer" - video interviews - ASO conductors and artistic staff will interview composers during the summer, and the resulting short videos will be played for the audience just prior to the performance of each composer's work.
• "First Person Fridays" - Conductors, and on occasion the guest artists, will engage the audience in guided listening and repertoire introduction. "First Person Fridays" will occur on October 25, November 22, March 21, March 28, April 25, May 2 and May 16.
• Video Art Installation - An ASO-commissioned video underscores Ravel's Mother Goose for three nights only - April 10-12.

Special Performances
"A King Celebration" - Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert - Friday, January 17, 2003 - This marks the first year that Robert Spano will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in its annual King Celebration concert in the MLK, Jr. International Chapel on the campus of Morehouse College. For the 11th year, the ASO will collaborate with guest artists and the Morehouse and Spelman College Glee Clubs for its tribute honoring the legacy of Dr. King. National Public Radio will broadcast the event internationally on the award-winning program Performance Today.

Yo-Yo Ma - December 6, 2002 - One of the world's most celebrated cellists returns to Symphony Hall with Robert Spano and the ASO for one night only. Selections include Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No.1 and Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme.

Guest Conductors
Four conductors who have been regularly engaged by the ASO will be a part of the 2002-2003 season. Alan Gilbert, Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, will return for two weeks. ASO favorite Robert Abaddo; William Eddins, Resident Conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Nicholas McGegan, Music Director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and John Nelson, Music Director of the Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, will each return for one week. An ASO first:. Oliver Knussen, Music Director of the London Sinfonietta, makes his ASO debut on February 20-22 with two of his original compositions - Horn Concerto and The Way to Castle Yonder from Higglety, Pigglety Pop!

Guest Soloists
Twenty-eight guest soloists, including three principal players of the ASO, will perform during the ASO's 2002-2003 season. Guests making return appearances with the Orchestra include violinists Midori, Pamela Frank, Leila Josefowicz, Robert McDuffie, and Cecylia Arzewski (ASO Concertmaster); pianists Awadagin Pratt, Garrick Ohlsson, André Watts, Stephen Hough, Emanuel Ax, and Louis Lortie; ASO Principal Horn Brice Andrus; ASO Principal Viola Reid Harris; sopranos Barbara Bonney, Christine Goerke, and Jessica Jones; mezzo-sopranos Elizabeth Bishop, Stephanie Blythe, Susan Graham and bass Alastair Miles; and Artists making their ASO debuts in the Orchestra's 2002-2003 subscription series include pianists Vardan Mamikonian, Boris Berezovsky, Piotr Anderszewski, and Andreas Haefliger; soprano Lisa Saffer; tenors Stephen Gould and William Burden and John Mark Ainsley and bass Phillip Cutlip.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus will perform in five ASO concerts in 2002-2003:

• October 31, November 1-2, 2002 - Guest conductor John Nelson will conduct Mendelssohn's Elijah with soprano Barbara Bonney, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, and tenor John Mark Ainsley.
• January 23-25, 2003 - Donald Runnicles will conduct Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, "Choral," with soprano Christine Goerke, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bishop, tenor Stephen Gould, and bass Alastair Miles.
• March 6-8, 2003 - Guest conductor Alan Gilbert will lead performances of Beethoven's Mass in C.
• April 24-26, 2003 - Guest conductor Nicholas McGegan will lead the ASO Chamber Chorus in performances of Beethoven's Christ on the Mount of Olives with soprano Jessica Jones, tenor William Burden and bass Phillip Cutlip.
• May 29-31, 2003 - Robert Spano will conduct John Adams' opera/oratorio El Niño. This modern story tells not only the miracle of the virgin birth, but of birth itself. Featuring Latin American poetry and a rich variety of melodies and textures, Robert Spano, the Orchestra, the ASO chorus, and a children's chorus collaborate for the musical event of the year.

SunTrust SuperPOPS!
The fourth season of the ASO's SunTrust SuperPOPS! series will feature six programs with a wide variety of theatrical, fun and hip performances.

• October 18-19, 2002 - Three Mo' Tenors cross seven musical genres and span four centuries of music in one evening, with the ASO and conductor Michael Krajewski
• November 29-30, 2002 - Bravo Broadway, a celebration of the best of contemporary musical theater with the ASO and staff Conductor Jere Flint
• January 3-4, 2003 - Classical Mystery Tour - Music of the Beatles, featuring original members of the Broadway sensation BEATLEMANIA, with the ASO and conductor Michael Krajewski
• February 14-15, 2003 - Dianne Reeves - A Tribute to Sarah Vaughan, with the ASO and conductor Jere Flint
• March 14-15, 2003 - Cherish the Ladies, the first and only all-woman traditional Irish band, with the ASO and staff Conductor Jere Flint
• May 23-24, 2003 - Jazz singer Jane Monheit, with the ASO and staff Conductor Jere Flint

Holiday Concerts
Seven programs of festive music ranging in style from the traditional to the contemporary will comprise this season's holiday schedule.

• December 5, 7, 8, 2002 - Gospel Christmas, led by conductor Charles Floyd with Sallie B. Parrish and the All-Atlanta Chorus. (Gospel Christmas is sponsored by BellSouth.)
• December 8th and 14th, 2002 - "The Night Before Christmas" is the Kids' Holiday concert theme featuring a visit from Santa, a holiday sing-along, and Lee Harper & Dancers, with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, conducted by Jere Flint.
• December 11-15, 2002 - Christmas with the ASO, led by Atlanta Opera Artistic Director William Fred Scott, with the ASO Chorus, Morehouse College Glee Club, and Gwinnett Young Singers. (Christmas with the ASO is underwritten by the Livingston Foundation.)
• December 18, 2002 - A Chanukah Celebration with the Klezmer Conservatory Band -the ASO joins the KCB, who return to Atlanta Symphony Hall following a triumphant performance last year.
• December 19, 2002 - Handel's Messiah - Conductor Norman Mackenzie leads the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus in the Christmas portion of this holiday favorite, culminating in the mighty "Hallelujah Chorus.".
• December 21, 2002 - Handel's Messiah Sing-Along - Become a chorus member for an evening! The first half of the program is a "rehearsal" of this Handel favorite; during the second half the audience performs with the Orchestra and the renowned ASO chorus.
• December 31, 2002 - ASO Music Director Emeritus Yoel Levi leads the Orchestra in a New Year's Eve concert.

Coca-Cola Family Concerts
The ASO's Sunday-afternoon Coca-Cola Family Concerts, led by ASO Staff Conductor Jere Flint, are designed to be both educational and entertaining for adults and children. All concerts feature the ASO, except for April 27, which features the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. The 2002-2003 season of Coca-Cola Family Concerts is made up of four programs:

• October 27, 2002 - A Fairy Tale Halloween, conducted by Prince Charming, features favorites from Hansel and Gretel and Cinderella.
• February 9, 2003 - Tales and Scales presents Arabian Nights, in which Sheherazade, the young wife of the king must change his majesty's greedy ways.
• March 16, 2003 - Children's favorite Peter and the Wolf, featuring the Atlanta Ballet.
• April 27, 2003 -The Magic Circle Mime Company will be joined by the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra to perform The Listener, a show based on Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra.

Millstone Coffee New Mornings Concerts
The ASO's Millstone Coffee New Mornings Concert series of Friday-morning concerts features orchestral selections from the Classical Season, heightened by the conductor's sharing of insights about the program. Complimentary Millstone coffee and pastries are provided prior to the concerts. There will be four New Mornings concerts, presented on Fridays at 11:00 a.m.

• October 11, 2002 - Roberto Abbado leading the ASO in works by Busoni and Mendelssohn
• March 7, 2003 - Alan Gilbert conducting a program of Mozart and Tchaikovsky
• April 11, 2003 - Robert Spano conducting a program of Ravel and Brahms
• May 2, 2003 - Donald Runnicles leading the Orchestra in works by Mozart and Beethoven

Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra
The Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, led by ASYO Music Director Jere Flint, will celebrate its 27th season in 2002-2003, with concerts on designated Sundays - November 10th, March 23rd and May 18th at 3 p.m. The ASYO is also the featured orchestra for the Kids' Holiday concert, "The Night Before Christmas," December 8th and 14th, and for an ASO Family Concert on April 27th. For information on auditioning for the ASYO (instrumentalists aged 13-18), please call Melanie Darby, Coordinator of Youth and Family Programs, 404-733-4870. The ASYO is sponsored by Coca-Cola.

Young People's Concerts
Each year, the ASO brings more than 30,000 students into Symphony Hall to hear "Discover" and "Next Generation" concerts for upper elementary and middle school students. A key component of the teacher guides, and a video tape. The materials tie the concert to the Georgia music curriculum,
correlating the lessons to the music textbooks in Metro Atlanta schools. Another 30,000 children, pre-school through second grade, hear the Orchestra in venues around the city at the "Symphony Street" concerts, which appeal to the youngest listeners and use the same themes as "Discover" and "Next

Generation" concerts. Overall, the ASO presents 40 Young People's Concerts each year, engaging thousands of children in quality listening activities. The Young People's concerts are sponsored by Publix, GE Power Systems and Turner Broadcasting.

Community Outreach - ASO to Go
The ASO continues its commitment to bringing Orchestra performances to Atlanta's suburbs with ASO to Go. Gearing the programs towards families, Music Director Spano will use a single work to teach aspects of musical form. Specific dates, times and venues to be announced.

ASO Tours South Florida
Robert Spano and the ASO will embark on a Florida tour (from March 31 through April 6, 2003) to Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Sarasota, and Miami Beach. Joining the ASO on this tour is renowned pianist André Watts. Repertoire includes an ASO-commissioned work by composer Jennifer Higdon, Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.1, Mahler's Symphony No. 1 ("Titan") and Brahms' Symphony No.1. Those wishing to follow the ASO Florida Tour may log on to www.atlantasymphony.org after January 1, 2003, for tour updates, itineraries, snapshots from the road and concert reviews as they become available.
Tour Concert Schedule:

• March 31, 2003 - Ft. Lauderdale - Broward Center for Performing Arts - Presented by the Concert Association of Florida
• April 1-2, 2003 - West Palm Beach - Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts - Presented by Raymond F. Kravis Center for Performing Arts
  April 3, 2003 - Sarasota - Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall - Presented by Sarasota Concert Association
• April 4, 2003 - Sarasota - Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall - Presented by the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
• April 6, 2003 - Miami Beach - Jackie Gleason Theatre - Presented by Concert Association of Florida

TICKET INFORMATION
Season Tickets
Subscriptions for the 2002-2003 Season are available now by calling 404/733-4800 or by ordering on-line at www.atlantasymphony.org.

Classical Concert Series Prices start at $96 for a 6-concert series
Prices start at $168 for a 12-concert series
Prices start at $225 for an 18-concert series
Prices start at $300 for the complete 24-concert series

SunTrust SuperPOPS! Series Prices range from $105-$276 for the 6-concert series

Millstone Coffee New Mornings Series Prices range from $76-$108 for the 4-concert series

Coca-Cola Family Series Prices range from $44-$60 for the 4-concert series

Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra $21, general admission, for the 3-concert series

Special Events
A King Celebration at Morehouse Tickets are $25 reserved seating, $7 student/senior, $50 Benefit
Yo-Yo Ma Prices range from $40-100

Holiday Concerts
Handel's Messiah Sing-Along $20, general admission
Christmas with the ASO Prices range from $19-$52
Chanukah/Klezmer Conservatory Band Prices range from $25-$39
Kids' Holiday Prices range from $13-$18
Gospel Christmas Prices range from $12-$36
New Year's Eve Prices range from $60-100

Group Sales
The ASO's group sales program offers discounts for any company, organization or civic group. Groups of 10 or more can enjoy discounted tickets, priority seating, and convenient service by calling Holland Muscio, Group Sales Manager, at 404/733-4848 or by email to [email protected].

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Classical Concerts Presenting Sponsor is Delta Air Lines. Media Sponsors are The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Newstalk 750 WSB. The ASO is also supported in part by grants from the Fulton County Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Georgia Council for the Arts, and the City of Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's 2002 Classic Chastain season is sponsored by Atlanta Coca-Cola Bottling Company, BellSouth, Wachovia and Worldspan.

For photos or additional information for 2002-2003 artists, please contact
Minde Herbert - 404/733-4840 or [email protected].