Photo courtesy of ASO.
The Alabama Symphony Orchestra, led by Music Director Carlos Izcaray, will present a series of free concerts at Railroad Park on Memorial Day weekend.
The Alabama Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 100th anniversary this season. And they want 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.
It’s 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 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.
On Saturday, May 28 at 8 p.m., the ASO will perform music by Mendelssohn inspired by Shakespeare's “A Midsummer Night's Dream,” as well as works by Sibelius and Beethoven.
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 several other events in May.
These include Masterworks concerts on May 6-7 and May 20-21 and a SuperPOPS! event May 14.
For details, go to alabamasymphony.org/events.
