March 10, 2006
The Maryland Symphony Orchestra Announces 25th Anniversary Season

HAGERSTOWN, MD - - The Maryland Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Elizabeth Schulze announce their 2006-2007 25th Anniversary Season,
“A Season to Celebrate,” which includes five MasterWorks concerts featuring critically-acclaimed guest artists, a MSO Pops! concert with Broadway star Craig Schulman, two full-length Holiday Concerts and the annual Family Concert. Performances are held at the Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown; MasterWorks concerts begin at 8:00 pm on Saturdays and 3:00 pm on Sundays.

The anniversary celebration begins with a bang on July 1, 2006 with the free Salute to Independence concert at Antietam National Battlefield. One of Maryland’s quintessential outdoor music experiences, the Salute attracts more than 40,000 concert-goers each year. The glorious sentimentality of the day is mirrored by the music: the Armed Forces Salute, Sousa’s Liberty Bell and El Capitan marches, Mogensen’s Quest for the Grail and the thundering cannons of the 1812 Overture. Before the night explodes in fireworks, a very special guest joins the MSO to narrate Copland’s Lincoln Portrait.

The musical fireworks continue with Heroes, Monsters and Madmen, starring Craig Schulman, the only performer in the world to play the lead in Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Jekyll & Hyde. Mr. Schulman performs signature songs from these Broadway hits, along with showstoppers from Man of La Mancha, Camelot, Wizard of Oz, Beauty & the Beast, and more. The MSO Pops! concert will be held at the Maryland Theatre on September 23, 2006 at 8 pm.

The MasterWorks Series kicks off on October 14 and 15, 2006, with the return of violinist Nicolas Kendall. An audience favorite, Kendall performs Sibelius’ virtuosic Violin Concerto, Op. 47 in D minor, regarded as one of the world’s most important concertos. Also featured on the program are Rimsky-Korsakov’s exultant Russian Easter Overture, Op. 36 and one of Tchaikovsky’s most popular works, Symphony No. 5, Op. 64 in E minor.

On November 11 and 12, 2006, Shai Wosner joins the MSO for a very special guest appearance. Dubbed “A superb pianist” by The New York Times, Wosner performs one of Mozart’s early masterpieces, Piano Concerto No. 9, K. 271 in E flat. Audiences at this second concert in the MasterWorks Series will also be delighted by Bolcom’s Commedia for Almost 18th Century Orchestra and Beethoven’s passionate Symphony No. 2, Op. 36 in D Major.

It’s Christmastime in the city, and you’re invited to ring in the season with Silver Bells on December 16, 2006 at 7:00 pm and December 17, 2006 at 3:00 pm. Back by popular demand, the Maryland Symphony Orchestra presents two full-length concerts of seasonal favorites, featuring Hagerstown Choral Arts, St. Nick, and much, much more. A much–anticipated musical celebration, Silver Bells is a holiday tradition you won’t want to miss!

William De Rosa has been called “One of the most brilliant talents in the world,” and on February 10th and 11th, 2007, the highly-acclaimed cellist takes center stage during the MasterWorks III concert to perform Dvorak’s Cello Concerto, Op. 104 in B minor. The depth of the Concerto is matched by the grand emotion of its companion piece, Copland’s Symphony No. 3, which includes the stirring Fanfare for the Common Man. It’s a concert of breath-taking drama and beauty, sure to be one of the most talked-about performances in a season full of musical fireworks.

The MSO presents the annual Family Concert, Just Beyond the Junkyard on March 3, 2007 at 5:00 pm. Featuring the exuberant musical storytellers of Tales & Scales, Just Beyond the Junkyard uses city sounds and junkyard jams to tell the story of a little girl whose big imagination helps her enter a kingdom of magical transformations. Children and adults alike will love this toe tapping, fingers snapping family event, and the joyful music that will help imaginations of all ages take flight.

MasterWorks IV, on March 24 and 25, 2007, features the long-awaited return of mezzo soprano Suzanne Mentzer to the Maryland Theatre stage. Lauded by the Opera News as “Vocally impeccable, emotionally compelling….among the premier art-song interpreters of our day,” Ms. Mentzer’s performance of Hector Berlioz’s song cycle Les Nuits d’Ete, Op.7 is the centerpiece of an evening of elegance and emotion, which includes Berlioz’s Beatrice et Benedict: Overture and Brahms’ powerful Symphony No. 1, Op. 68 in C minor.

The 25th Anniversary Season comes to a triumphant close on April 21 and 22, 2007 when two giants of the classical repertoire come to life under the baton of Music Director Elizabeth Schulze. The MSO’s own string section is the star with their performance of Tchaikovsky’s lovely Serenade, Op. 48, followed by the vocal and orchestral pyrotechnics of Carmina Burana, by Carl Orff. This massive work highlights the glorious voices of the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, named “one of the finest cultural institutions in Maryland and the nation” by the Baltimore Sun.

Subscriptions for “A Season to Celebrate” are now available at the MSO office at 13 South Potomac Street in Hagerstown, or by calling 301-797-4000. Season subscribers enjoy benefits such as preferred seating and flexible ticket exchanges, while receiving significant savings off of regular single ticket prices. 3000 of the MSO’s current subscribers and single ticket purchasers have received 25th Anniversary Season subscription packets, including a CD highlighting the music of the upcoming season. Another 3000 residents of the quad-state area received information about the new season: the first 100 who subscribe will also receive a Silver Season CD. Those who did not receive a packet but are interested in subscribing to “A Season to Celebrate” should contact the MSO Box Office.

The Maryland Symphony Orchestra provides special rewards to patrons who subscribe by the “Early Bird” deadline of March 20. Early Birds receive a free bonus ticket to their choice of one of the five 2006-2007 MasterWorks concerts, and are eligible to win one of twenty-eight anniversary season prizes. These include the use of a 2006 silver Mercedes convertible for a month, courtesy of Mercedes Benz of Hagerstown, a three-day getaway to one of over 77 locations, courtesy of Susquehanna Bank, a sterling silver and blue topaz pendant, courtesy of R. Bruce Carson Jewelers, and a Jaffa Italian crystal bowl, courtesy of Citicorp. Other “early bird” prizes are a year’s subscription to the Herald-Mail newspapers, a two-year subscription of Hagerstown Magazine, a print by renowned local artist Bob Wantz, a $200 savings bond, a silver necklace from O’Connell’s Jewelers and a Swarovski crystal violin from Reeds Jewelers. The prize drawing, which will be held at the March 25, 2006 MasterWorks IV concert, will also include tote bags filled with CD’s and books from Borders and Maryland Public Television, a wheeled backpack courtesy of Laird Bush Specialty Advertising, a hand-blown Italian glass pen from Cloak and Cupboard Antiques, free rounds of golf at Black Rock Golf Course, and VIP seating for a Hagerstown Suns game. Prizes also include gift certificates to One, Two, Kangaroo Toy Store, the Square Cup Café, the Schmankerl Stube Restaurant, Michelle’s Restaurant, The Gourmet Goat and The Plum.

The Maryland Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Elizabeth Schulze, is the area’s premiere professional orchestra, dedicated to providing musical performances and programs that educate and entertain while enhancing the cultural environment of Western Maryland and the surrounding region.