Alabama Symphony Orchestra to mark centennial on Memorial Day weekend
The Alabama Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 100th anniversary this season, and the ASO wants to share this historic moment with as many people in Birmingham as possible.
The orchestra will present a special three-day celebration, A Century in Symphony, at Railroad Park downtown on Memorial Day weekend.
Admission is free.
The current season is a great time to hear the ASO, which has about 50 musicians and hires additional players for large events, said ASO Music Director Carlos Izcaray.
“The symphony is sounding spectacular this season,” Izcaray told Iron City Ink.
The ASO is excited about the centennial event, he said.
“We are also honored that we can perform for our community on such a solemn date,” Izcaray said, referring to Memorial Day.
A Century in Symphony begins Friday, May 27, at 8 p.m., with the Symphonic Spectacular. The ASO will play a Dvorak symphony, as well as works by American composers, including Birmingham native Brian Raphael Nabors.
The weekend concludes with a Family Fun Day on Sunday, May 29, at 6 p.m. The symphony will play a variety of works, including patriotic music. ASO Concertmaster Daniel Szasz will make a solo appearance.
People should feel comfortable attending symphony performances even if they don’t know a lot about classical music, Izcaray said.
“One of the most common desires amongst us musicians is that of sharing our music with those who haven’t had a chance to experience it yet,” he said. “I personally love to hear their stories after they’ve heard our symphony for the first time.
A symphony concert is “one of the greatest mediums that brings people together to share an emotionally moving experience,” Izcaray said. “Our music tells the story of humanity through an emotional angle. That is why it can deeply impress both a kindergartener and senior citizen.”
The ASO’s 100th anniversary is important to Birmingham, he said.
A symphony’s “worth far outweighs its cost, hence a community that has 100 years of symphonic history is well positioned for the next decades ahead,” Izcaray said.
The ASO will also present more than a dozen other events in April and May, including the following:
- In a SuperPOPS! the ASO will present “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” at the BJCC Concert Hall from April 9-10.
- The symphony will partner with Alabama Ballet to present “Don Quixote” at the BJCC Concert Hall April 22-24.
- The ASO will perform “La Bohème” with Opera Birmingham at the DJD Theater on April 29 and May 1.
- There will be Masterworks concerts on May 6-7 and May 20-21 and a SuperPOPS! event with the music of John Williams on May 14.
For details, go to alabamasymphony.org/events.