by 
Christi Amonson, Soprano
Emily Sun, Violin
Brett Deubner, Viola
TUCSON, AZ – The Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra invites audiences to savor the sound of the enticing 2015-16 season.
Music Director Linus Lerner beckons with music selections full of sonic fascination, emotion and power. Many works are rare treats not heard before on the SASO stage.
Tickets to the scintillating five-concert series are on sale now. Visit www.sasomusic.org. Tickets also are on sale for a two-concert mini-series presented in Green Valley.
The SASO season opens Oct. 10 and 11 with José Pablo Moncayo’s Huapango, followed by Amanda Harberg’s Viola Concerto, composed for her violist friend Brett Deubner, who plans to record his performance with SASO. The program also features Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, known as “Pathétique.”
Nicholas Armstrong, artistic director of the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, guest conducts the second concert program on Nov. 7 and 8 featuring two Bulgarian brothers as soloists in the Mendelssohn Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings. Ivo Stankov plays violin and Lachezar Stankov, piano. The program also includes Sibelius’ Karelia Overture and Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 5.
The third concert will be presented three times – on Jan. 28, Feb. 5 and Feb. 6. The program includes Gould’s American Salute, Rachmaninoff’s ever-popular second piano concerto with SASO’s own Sheryll McManus at the keyboard and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, known as “From the New World.”
Christi Amonson and Larry Leung again solo with SASO in the fourth concert cycle on April 1, 2 and 3. Soprano Amonson sings Whitacre’s Goodnight Moon. Leung performs He Zhanhao’s Eternal Regret of Lin’An on a traditional Chinese guzheng. The program also features the winner of the annual Dorothy Vanek Youth Concerto competition sponsored by SASO and Bruckner’s Te Deum featuring the SASO Chorus and soloists.
The SASO season concludes May 7 and 8 with Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture, Barber’s Violin Concerto with Australian-born soloist Emily Sun and Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique.
Music Director Lerner conducts four of the five SASO programs.
“SASO invites the audience to savor the sound,” Director Lerner said. “Music can transport us to other places and times, real or imagined. Concerts bring us together in one space – yet each of us experiences the music with our personal passion and perspective. Each concert is a unique opportunity to experience sounds that are evocative, exciting and transporting.”
Lerner also serves as music director of the Symphony Orchestra of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil. He’s conducted orchestras, operas, choruses and instrumental groups around the globe – including his native Brazil and in Bulgaria, China, the Czech Republic, Italy, Mexico, South Korea, Spain and Turkey. He’s also a clinician and vocal coach.
Five-concert season tickets on sale now, offering a savings of $25 or more over individual ticket prices:
• The Saturday SASO series is presented at 7:30 p.m. at SaddleBrooke Desert View Performing Arts Center, 39900 S. Clubhouse Dr. in SaddleBrooke, north of the town of Catalina. Season tickets there are $91 and can be purchased by calling 520-825-2818 or visiting http://tickets.saddlebrooketwo.com. Individual tickets are $24 in advance or $25 at the door.
• The Sunday SASO series is presented at 3 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 7575 N. Paseo del Norte. Season tickets are $90 and can be purchased by calling 520-308-6226 or online at www.sasomusic.org. At St. Andrew’s concerts, tickets are complimentary for ages 17 and under. Individual tickets are $23 in advance or at the door.
• SASO also offers a two-concert mini-series in Green Valley for $35, a savings of $11. Those concerts are Friday evenings at 7 p.m. at the Valley Presbyterian Church, 2800 S. Camino del Sol. Individual tickets are $23 in advance or at the door.
Individual concert tickets go on sale Sept. 1 at www.sasomusic.org.
Philanthropist and musician Dorothy Vanek is the SASO season sponsor for the ninth consecutive year. Individual concert sponsors include Patricia Linder, Oct. 11 and May 8; Carole and Jerry Levine, Jan. 31; Beatrice Simpson, Feb. 6; Bob and Donna Langwig and Howard Reeve in memory of Dottie Reeve, April 2, and Mike and Rena Lude, April 3.
On Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. SASO will present a free pre-season concert of opera arias and mariachi music at the Fox Tucson Theatre downtown. The Mexican Independence Day concert features vocalists from the Oaxaca Opera Festival and Mariachi Sol Azteca. The event is sponsored by the Mexican Consulate in Tucson and the Instituto Cultural Mexicano de Tucson. SASO is the orchestra of the Oaxaca festival established in 2013. Maestro Lerner is the founding music director. In August SASO musicians and singers from throughout Mexico present two one-act operas and two gala performances of arias. Lerner previously led SASO on two tours of China.
SASO released its first professional recording – Celebration! – showcasing the diverse musical range of six Tucson composers. The 75-minute CD is on sale now at www.sasomusic.org for $18.50 including shipping.
This orchestra is a vital community resource that has united performers and audiences through a passion for music. Founded in 1979, SASO presents world premieres, seldom-performed treasures and classical favorites. For more information, visit www.sasomusic.org or call 520-308-6226.
There are news or informational items frequently written by staff or submitted to the Copper Basin News, San Manuel Miner, Superior Sun, Pinal Nugget or Oracle Towne Crier for inclusion in our print or digital products. These items are not credited with an author.
by by