The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is one of four American orchestras selected to participate in a festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington in 2017.
The ASO will perform March 31, 2017, joined in the weeklong inaugural Shift: A Festival of American Orchestras by Boulder Philharmonic (March 28), North Carolina Symphony (March 29) and the Knights, a Brooklyn-based ensemble (April 1).
A first-time collaboration of the Kennedy Center and Washington Performing Arts, the festival is intended to celebrate “the vitality, unique identity and extraordinary artistry of orchestras,” according to an announcement made late last week.
Conducted by music director Robert Spano, the ASO and chorus will perform Christopher Theofanidis' "Creation/Creator," which was given its world premiere at Atlanta's Symphony Hall in April. Theofanidis is a member of the ASO's Atlanta School of Composers.
AJC classical music critic James Paulk praised the ambition of the work, which explores creation and the creative process. “A 75-minute semi-staged piece that straddles the territory between oratorio, opera and music theater, it brings together a large orchestra, full chorus, singers and actors,” he noted.
Featured in the Washington performance will be soprano Jessica Rivera, mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, tenor Thomas Cooley, baritone Nmon Ford and bass Evan Boyer.
The booking is another positive development for the ASO after a nine-week lockout of musicians that delayed the start of this 70th anniversary season.
The revelation that Spano personally contributed $50,000 and raised thousands more to save a May 2014 tour by the ASO and chorus to Carnegie Hall from being cancelled by management drew national and international media attention last fall.
Limited national and international touring in recent years has been an ongoing concern of ASO musicians. However it was not a major issue in negotiations with management, which was seeking reductions to the size of the ensemble, among other cuts, to address a decade of deficits.
More on the Shift Festival: washingtonperformingarts.org.
Meanwhile, the ASO concludes its 2014-15 subscription season June 4 and 6 in Symphony Hall with Spano conducting "Samson et Dalila," with tenor Stuart Skelton and mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe. Information: aso.org.
The orchestra then will take its musicmaking to the great outdoors for its Performance on the Promenade series of free concerts June 11, 18 and 25 in Piedmont Park. Details: aso.org/piedmontpark.
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