If you’ve missed the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra during its ongoing lockout, the Atlanta Chamber Players’ season-opening concert on Oct. 7 offers an opportunity to not only support the premier chamber ensemble but also to see and hear some of the ASO’s finest players.
Ten of the Atlanta Chamber Players' 16 musicians for its 39th season are also full-time Atlanta Symphony Orchestra members. Or will be again, once the lockout is lifted that began Sept. 7 when ASO management and the musicians could not reach accord on a new collective bargaining agreement.
In fact, three of the Atlanta Chamber Players members are principals with the Atlanta Symphony: clarinetist Laura Ardan, bassoonist Keith Buncke and oboist Elizabeth Koch Tiscione.
ASO associate principal bass Gloria Jones and assistant principal viola Catherine Lynn also are members of ACP. Other ASO members in the ACP are first violinists Anastasia Agapova and Kenn Wagner, cellist Brad Ritchie, clarinet and bass clarinetist Alcides Rodriguez and flutist Todd Skitch.
Eight of the ASO musicians will play in the Oct. 7 concert at the New American Shakespeare Tavern.
Credit: hpousner
Credit: hpousner
All that shouldn't obscure a notable Atlanta Chamber Players development: The season-opener marks the debut of pianist Elizabeth Pridgen as artistic director. Pridgen succeeds Paula Peace, who co-founded the ensemble in 1976.
The “Act One” program: Jean Francaix’s Quartet for English Horn and Strings, Ludwig Thuille’s Sextet for Piano and Woodwind Quintet and Frederic Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor. Pridgen is featured in the chamber music version of Chopin’s work.
The Shakespeare Tavern opens with a separately priced British pub menu at 6:15 p.m.; concert begins at 7:30 p.m.
Also new to the ACP this season is general manager Rachel Ciprotti, a native of Marietta who did undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College and is pursuing an MBA at Kennesaw State University. She previously worked for the Boston Symphony Orchestra's Tanglewood Music Center, Maryland Citizens for the Arts and the Georgia Symphony Orchestra.
$15-$24. 499 Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-874-5299, www.shakespearetavern.com.
Credit: hpousner
Credit: hpousner
UPDATE: The locked-out ASO musicians, who performed two concerts last week at Kennesaw State University, have been booked for concerts at Oglethorpe University's Conant Performing Arts Center at 7 and 9 p.m. Oct. 10, with an audience reception with the musicians on the Conant's picnic grounds at 8 p.m.
Richard Prior will conduct ATL Symphony Musician programs of Mozart's Requiem (with the Atlanta Mozart Choir) and Barber's Adagio for Strings. Prior is the Emory University Department of Music conducting chair as well as conductor of the Rome (Ga.) Symphony Orchestra.
Tickets are $25; $75 for "special onstage seating." The Conant is at 4484 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. http://tinyurl.com/ATLMusiciansTix.
