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Conspirare Performs With Austin Symphony Orchestra May 4, 5

Updated: Tuesday, April 10 2012, 05:58 PM CDT
By Rob Faubion, AustinOnStage.com

The Austin Symphony continues its Centennial Season with a joint concert featuring Austin’s Grammy-nominated choral ensemble, Conspirare, on May 4 and 5 at the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

Maestro Peter Bay and Craig Hella Johnson will share the podium in a performance featuring Stravinsky’s "Symphony of Psalms" and Bernstein’s demanding "Chichester Psalms."

Peter Bay opens the concert with Leopold Stokowski's 1927 transcription of Bach’s "Toccata and Fugue," originally written for organ.  Although the piece has been transcribed countless times by numerous composers, Stokowski’s interpretation is most favored by a wide audience, due its appearance in the 1940 Walt Disney animated film, Fantasia.

Conspirare will join the Austin Symphony for the performance of "Symphony of Psalms," a work commissioned in 1930 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony.  In 2000, this piece was named “Best Piece of the Year” by Time Magazine for its grandeur and tranquility.  The evening will close with Bernstein’s "Chichester Psalms," the work in which Bernstein rediscovered tonality after his brief involvement in Serialism.

Tickets for the concert start at $19, and the performances begin at 8 p.m. on both evenings.  Student rush tickets are also available 20 minutes prior to performance for $5 cash and current student ID.  In addition, Bob Buckalew will offer a free, pre-concert talk at 7:10 p.m. on the orchestra level of Dell Hall. 

The Long Center for the Performing Arts is located at 701 West Riverside Drive, at the corner of Riverside and South 1st Street.  For tickets and more information, call (512) 476-6064 or 1-888-4-MAESTRO (toll-free) or visit AustinSymphony.org.

(Conspirare photo by Karen Sachar)
Conspirare Performs With Austin Symphony Orchestra May 4, 5