Music Director Robert Spano And The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra To Perform La Bohème During Inaugural Season

At Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre At Encore Park
Saturday, July 26, 2008
(www.vzwamp.com)

• Mr. Spano To Lead Orchestra in Concert-Staged Production of Puccini’s La Bohème
• Opera To Feature Sopranos Norah Amsellem and Georgia Jarman; Tenor Marcus Haddock; Baritones Fabio Capitanucci and Christopher Schaldenbrand; And Basses Denis Sedov and Kevin Glavin
• Performance To Celebrate ASO’s July 1 Release of Telarc Recording, Featuring Same Cast
• Audience Invited To Text-Message Questions For Interview Segments During Live On-Site Broadcast To Be Shown on Large Screens Hosted By Atlanta’s Scott Slade of News/Talk 750 WSB
• Pre-Concert “Top of the Lawn” Events To Include Conversation With ASO Insider Ken Meltzer Prior To Concert
• French-Themed Cuisine To Be Offered On-Site for Concertgoers

Music Director Robert Spano will lead the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a performance of Puccini’s La Bohème during the inaugural season of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, the Orchestra’s the new 12,000-seat state-of-the-art facility located in Alpharetta, GA (north of Atlanta) on Saturday, July 26, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. The concert-staged production will feature the same cast on the Orchestra’s newest Telarc recording of the same work: sopranos Norah Amsellem and Georgia Jarman; tenor Marcus Haddock; baritones Fabio Capitanucci and Christopher Schaldenbrand; basses Denis Sedov and Kevin Glavin; and will also feature the Gwinnett Young Singers.

A concert-staged performance of La Bohème opened the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s 2007-08 season with great success. The same cast returns for this encore performance at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park to celebrate the world release of the ASO’s recent recording of La Bohème by Telarc (released July 1, 2008) during this inaugural season of this new Amphitheatre.

During the July 26 concert, the Atlanta Symphony will again offer concertgoers an introduction to the members of the ASO with an evening-long live, on-site broadcast of the concert on large 15’x20’ screens, which are permanently affixed on either side of the stage. Fueled by text-message questions sent by the audience the night of the concert, the live feed will also feature interviews with Mr. Spano, guest artists, and musicians from the Orchestra. The on-site broadcasts will be hosted throughout the season by Scott Slade, host of Atlanta's Morning News on News/Talk 750 WSB.

In addition, pre-concert “Top of the Lawn” events will include ASO Insider Ken Meltzer taking his pre-concert conversations to the trees-lined lawn of the Amphitheatre prior to each Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert at the venue. Mr. Meltzer’s conversations will take place on the Southeast corner of the lawn at 7:00 p.m. — the July 26 “Top of the Lawn” conversation will feature musicians from the Orchestra, and include a Q&A with the audience.

Ovations, the on-site caterer for Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, will offer French cuisine in celebration of Puccini’s romantic opera, and the release of the Orchestra’s CD of the work. Concertgoers may pre-order a picnic basket (which serves two people) of sliced chicken Roulade over summer greens with cabernet vinaigrette in advance of the concert, and enjoy turkey croissants and mini French tarts from the concessions the night of the concert. Those with box seating and/or admission to the VIP Cadillac Club may choose to enjoy tuna nicoise and/or beef Napoleon for this performance. To pre-order a picnic basket, or to view the full menu available for each concert, visit the General Info/Food and Beverage section online at www.vzwamp.com.

Additional concerts at the new venue include a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Garrick Ohlsson and Mr. Spano on Friday, August 8, 2008 at 8:00 p.m; and two family concerts — an evening with Julie Andrews on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 8:00 p.m.; and a musical evening featuring Turner Classic movies, hosted by Robert Osborne and led by Richard Kauffman on Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. On Thursday, August 14, 2008, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Assistant Conductor and League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow Mei-Ann Chen will lead the Orchestra in a FREE ASO Connects performance at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park as part of the Starbucks Free Concerts summer series.

Tickets for table and concert seating at this performance are $21 to $59.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.Ticketmaster.com , by calling (404) 249-6400, or by visiting any Ticketmaster outlet, including Publix Super Markets.