The Nashville Symphony announced its next season today. It will be Leonard Slatkin’s last as interim music director. Both he and the ensemble’s new leader, Giancarlo Guerrero, played a hand in selecting the music, and the two will split conducting duties.
The season is heavy on audience favorites, such Beethoven’s Ninth, Mozart’s Requiem, and Dvorak’s New World Symphony-even an All-Gershwin Gala. Most concerts will include at least one piece by an American composer. The list of guest artists includes pianist and conductor Emmanuel Ax, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the Vienna Boys Choir and the Canadian Brass.
Albert-George Schram conducts the orchestra’s Pops Series. He says this year, the schedule shows a degree of crossover between the classical and pops programs.
“There is no such thing as really classical and popular music. There is only good and bad music-and so we only have the good stuff!”
Flutist James Galway will be featured in the orchestra’s first concert of the season. And in late September, the San Fransisco Symphony, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, will make a special stop at the Schermherhorn Symphony Center on the way back home from playing Carnegie Hall.
Jacqueline Fellows also contributed to this report
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