The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

2008 Starbucks Free Parks Concert - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park

**Due to overwhelming demand, we have reached venue capacity for on-site parking and free tickets are no longer available for this event.

This concert is Free but tickets are required. Reserve here

An Atlanta summer without free Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concerts is unthinkable. The final ASO’s Starbucks Free Parks Concert is at the Orchestra’s new summer home at Verizon Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta. The ASO’s popular Assistant Conductor Mei-Ann Chen leads a concert featuring light classics, pops standards and Broadway hits.

Please note no food, beverages or coolers are allowed to be carried into the amphitheatre. Pre-order your picnic basket! All orders must be placed 3 days prior to the concert so order yours TODAY! Click Here!

Major funding is provided by the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

This concert is Free. No tickets required.

An Atlanta summer without free Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concerts is unthinkable. A summer pastime for years, the ASO’s Starbucks Free Parks Concerts returns with four performances around town, including a concert at the Orchestra’s new summer home at Verizon Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta. The ASO’s popular Assistant Conductor Mei-Ann Chen leads three outdoor concerts featuring light classics, pops standards and Broadway hits, and Music Director Robert Spano leads one, indoors at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in downtown Atlanta.

Woodruff Arts Center Piazza
1280 Peachtree St
Atlanta, GA 30309
Get driving directions

Major funding is provided by the Fulton County Commission under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

A special Atlanta Symphony Orchestra event, presenting new musical delights and celebrating timeless treasures. Julie Andrews hosts a magical evening of musical gifts, old and new. Performed by five guest vocalists with Ms. Andrews narrating, the first half of the program takes audience members on a musical journey illuminating the glorious gifts that Rodgers and Hammerstein gave to the world. The second half of the evening features a new work, Simeon’s Gift, adapted from Ms. Andrews’ best-selling children’s book, co-authored with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton. An unforgettable night for the entire family.

Bring your family and enjoy the evening from the lawn with the "ASO Family 4-Pack" - a concert experience with all the extras! Purchase the package and receive 4 lawn tickets, 4 hot dogs and fries, 4 soft drinks, 4 lawn chairs and 1 parking pass - all for $75!

This event will be held at the Robinson Atrium of the High Museum at Woodruff Arts Center.

Robert Spano and Pedja Muzijevic on piano and Thomas Sherwood and Charles Settle on percussion.
Free with museum admission and free to members.

Robert Spano in Final Summer Concert!
ASO Maestro Leads the Spectacular Scheherazade in The Music of Romance,
Friday, August 8, at 8 pm at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park

If you haven’t been to the ASO’s new summer home at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta – or even if you have, this is THE performance to catch:

Robert Spano, in his final appearance of the summer, conducts Rimsky-Korsakov’s magical Scheherazade, which he recorded to great acclaim in his first recording as ASO Music Director in 2001 (“the best rendition of the work to come around in years. I can’t imagine a more distinguished or musically appealing first release” - classicstoday.com).

Drawn from the fantastic tales in A Thousand and One Nights, including the story of Sultana Scheherazade and Sinbad the Sailor, Scheherazade seduces concertgoers with an exotic and sumptuous feast of music. The breathtaking score illuminates the full range of an orchestra’s capabilities and features dynamic solo parts.

Rachmaninoff’s universally beloved Piano Concerto No. 3, featuring the celebrated pianist and ASO audience favorite, Garrick Ohlsson, completes an evening of The Music of Romance.

Purchase Autographed Copies of Scheherazade after the concert
Robert Spano will personally sign CDs following the performance in the Lower West Plaza near the Cadillac Club.

New Traditions
Come early for ASO Insider Ken Meltzer’s Top of the Lawn Conversation with an ASO musician at 7 pm, enjoy concert-themed cuisine, and text-message your questions to Robert Spano who will be interviewed on the big screens at intermission.

*Don’t forget your picnic baskets! All orders must be placed 3 days prior to the concert so order yours TODAY. Click here

Robert Osborne, the popular and enlightening host of Turner Classic Movies, provides back stories and color to Gone With The Wind and 2001: A Space Odyssey, and more of the most famous movies ever made – complete with glorious film clips and the multiple Grammy-winning ASO performing the dazzling scores.

Richard Kaufman is a renowned conductor and music supervisor for film and television productions and is the Principal Pops Conductor for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

Sparks fly on Opening Night! The incomparable Mr. Ax performs Beethoven's lyrical and passionate Third Piano Concerto, which the composer himself played at its 1803 premiere. Stokowski's technicolor orchestration of Bach, and Brahms's grand triumph supply their own fireworks.

A must-see ASO tradition! Mr. Flint's colorful personas (Count Jere, Wizard Jere) and devilish sense of humor, bewitching music, inspired interpretative dances, and the annual vote for the most frightful fashion staements are a howl. Sure to sell out, get your tickets now!

A Tchaikovsky tour de force! Macon-born violinist extraordinaire Robert McDuffie makes a welcome return with the composer's adored and brilliant Violin Concerto. The blazing "Francesca" and great, soul-bearing "Winter" Symphony complete an evening of Russian passion.

Maestro Slatkin, one of the most esteemed of American conductors, launches the ASO's four-week American Originals Festival, celebrating music and masterpieces written in the USA. Rachmaninov's crowning symphonic achievement anchors an evening that also features giants Bernstein and Barber.

A show-stopping salute to the World of Webber! Broadway musical stars Debbie Gravitte and Doug LaBrecque, both favorites of ASO pops audiences, sing the praises of the internationally celebrated composer, featuring the most beloved selections from Webber's Broadway blockbusters.

Popular ASO guest Mr. McGegan, a master of Baroque sounds, leads signature works from two great masters. Handel's Water Music is one of the most beloved of all Baroque works, and Mendelssohn's First Symphony, composed at the age of 15, is a dramatic and compelling revelation of a young genius.

Behold the B-loved music of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms! The Fifth is the most famous of all Beethoven's symphonies. Brahms's epic Piano Concerto No. 1, inspired in part by the death of Robert Schumann, his friend and mentor, will glow in the hands of Mr. Serkin. Webern's loving rendering of Bach's "A Musical Offering" is nothing short of magical.

The celebrated American composer John Corigliano has written a percussion concerto (an Atlanta premiere) that displays Evelyn Glennie's astounding virtuosity. No exploration of music made in America would be complete with Dvorak's monumental Ninth Symphony, inspired by his love of Native American and African-American melodies.

The magnificient Joshua Bell enchants with Barber's lyrical concerto. Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra is one of the great orchestral showpieces; one of his last testaments, it was written in New York City after he emigrated from Hungary.

An explosive opera that has captured the attention of the world with performances in San Francisco, Amsterdam, Chicago and New York City, Dr. Atomic receives its Atlanta premiere. Maestro Spano brings a star-studded cast to join the expert forces of the ASO and ASO Chorus. The opera takes us into the minds of Oppenheimer and his colleagues as the events unfold leading up to the first atomic blast in Los Alamos.

The southeast’s premiere youth orchestra dazzles in performances of Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and other greats. Come enjoy the work of these extraordinarily talented young musicians ranging in age from 13 to 18.

An extraordinary pairing of world-class artistic forces! Imagine the dazzling feats of cirque artists combined with the incredible musical experience of the ASO, live in concert! Catch the Cirque de la Symphonie with your multi Grammy-winning Symphony - Atlanta's arts have never soared so high!

Who needs snow when The Polar Express and Santa come to town!At the ASO's gleeful celebration, children go giddy watching the popular "polar" and singing along to holiday favorites. A whirl of playful dancers and meeting the North Pole's jolliest resident add to the fun.

A Very Merry from the ASO to Atlanta! SuperPops showman Michael Krajewski's wit and charm anchor this popular program of holiday standards. Expect a few surprises along the way.

Sit back and relax while the ASO serenades you with timeless classics and pop. A complimentary glass of Champagne follows the concert at around 9:30 pm, affording you plenty of time to head home or party on.

The Blind Boys of Alabama's Christmas album, "Go Tell It on The Mountain" is a holiday standard for music fans of all ages and musical persuasions. The group thrills and inspires audiences the world over, having just won their forth consecutive Grammy Award.

THE Christmas event in Atlanta for over five decades! More than 400 musicians and singers fully realize the season's glory, passion and grandeur in a moving celebration, led by the ASO's estimable Director of Choruses, Norman Mackenzie.

Conductor Chelsea Tipton's recognized expertise in gospel ("No one makes a more joyful noise" - Boston Globe) and the soaring spirituals of the ASO Gospel Choir make this annual event a cherished hallmark of the season.

Messiah defines Christmas as no other work does and is a transformative marvel in this acclaimed interpretation of the Christmas portion and Hallelujah Chorus by the Orchestra and Chamber Chorus - two performances only.

Robert Spano leads the ASO's 17th annual King Celebration at the MLK International Chapel on the Morehouse College campus. The concert, which honors the legacy of Dr. King in words and music, features the Orchestra with the Morehouse and Spelman College Glee Clubs and special guests, and is broadcast internationally each year on American Public Media.

Experience the illuminating Mr. Shaham as he performs Brahms's show-stopping concerto. Robert Abbado, a valued friend of the Orchestra, leads Prokofiev's inspired ode to the triumph of the human spirit.

An evening in Italy - Respighi's Fountains and Pines of Rome are centerpieces of the repertoire, brilliantly exploring a vast range of orchestral color. Brahms's Second Piano Concerto was inspired in Italy, and its opulent magic will be brought to life by the legendary Mr. Watts.

Two luminaries of The Viennese School are paired to crystalline effect. Mr. Wosner's impeccable style is matched with the wealth of melodic invention at the center of Mozart's concerto. Strauss's "Alpine" is a thrilling sonic adventure in the Alps worthy of its majestic subject.

WYNTON MARSALIS AND THE LINCOLN CENTER JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Designer Anne Patterson, whose images illumined the ASO's St. John Passion, returns to enhance Haydn's masterpiece, The Creation. Based on John Milton's "Paradise Lost," The Creation is a vibrant portrait of the world's beginning. No one could doubt Haydn's claim of having had a musical epiphany.

The colorful and magnetic Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg is a soloist unlike any other. She engages a treasure in Mendelssohn's most popular and most frequently performed work. Tchaikovsky's dramatic and passionate Fifth Symphony soars under ASO Assistant Conductor/League of American Orchestras Conducting Fellow Ms. Chen, an ebullient and focused maestro making her Classical Season debut.

Make a Valentine's date with Righteous Brothers bedrock Bill Medley. His heartfelt and acclaimed new release, Damn Near Righteous (a vocal summit... his best work since the 60's" - Rolling Stone), shows that the soul-infused, gravelly-voiced Medley has taken his lovin' feelin' to a new level.

The superb Ms. Brewer commands attention in a Straussian feast of operatic opulence (to be recorded by Telarc), including: the great drama and unforgettable lyricism of the "Elektra" scene, the passionate duet with the formidable Mr. Owens in "Barak"; and the beautiful Moonlight scene from Strauss's final opera.

Aided by the famous composer Antonio Vivaldi, gifted young orphan Katrina travels through the thrilling but mysterious atmosphere of an island looking for clues to her past and a vanishing Stradivarius violin. Delight in this acclaimed production from the creators of Beethoven Lives Upstairs.

Strawberry Fields Forever! Michael the K (not to be confused with Murray the K, the legendary NY DJ who christended himself the "5th Beatle") and the stars of the acclaimed musical Beatlemania lead a 40th-anniversary celebration of the Fab Four's pioneering album (and film) of awe-inspiring psychedelia.

"Fearless soloist" (NY Times) Jennifer Koh makes an auspicious ASO debut in The Singing Rooms - an ASO co-commission with the Philadelphia and Minnesota Orchestras - by the homegrown Ms. Higdon, a prized member of the Atlanta School. Divine love flows from masters Wagner and Scriabin and former ASO composer-in-residence Singleton.

Spellbinding violinist Leonidas Kavakos performs Sibelius's towering Violin Concerto that bursts with ecstatic incantations. Kodaly's Gypsy Dances sparkle and whirl, and the genial Second Symphony is a wonder, revealing Brahms at is most cheerful and energetic.

Tchaikovsky's joyous fantasia on Italian melodies opens a bravura program. Horacio Gutierrez's elegant style enlivens Prokofiev's concerto - by turns playful and serene. The dynamism of Beethoven flourishes in his towering Seventh Symphony. Nicola Luisotti, the San Fransisco Opera's music director-designate, conducts in his ASO debut.

Imagine coming face-to-face with some of history's most fascinating composers - Bach, Mozart, Dvorak, Beethoven! Now you can by flying on the coattails of young Corky as she tries to recreate the musical formula that will bring a happy ending to a time travel experiment gone awry.

BBVD is back! The electric swing jazz and rockabilly of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy burst upon the scene in the film "Swinger," and remains fresh in the minds of ASO audiences, who leap to their feet when the popular group performs. Put on your dancing shoes for this one.

As the iconic Mr. Perlman so artfully demonstarted two seasons ago, conducting and performing can go hand in hand with stirring results. He performs Bach's deeply satisfying and sinuous concerto as only he can, and leads Schubert's glistening and profound Third Symphony and Brahm's final symphony, which continues to move and amaze audiences with its searing Romantic passion.

Donald Runnicles summons one of his most exalted muses. Mahler's "Tragic" Sixth Symphony is an epic, inexorable journey from the grim, opening march to the final cry of despair. With its hammer blows of fate it is an awe-inspiring masterpeice of extremely personal inspiration.

Christopher Theofanidis, the acclaimed composer of Rainbow Body, brings his melodic gifts and brilliant orchestral colors to a new work commissioned by Robert Spano in a world-premiere weekend! Gershwin's Concerto in F is an irresistible synthesis of jazz and classical music, realized here by the remarkable Mr. Roberts, who wowed Atlanta audiences with his astonighing performances Rhapsody in Blue.

Chris Botti, the Grammy-awarded trumpet player who was sensational at Delta Classic Chastain last season, sets up shop in the intimacy of Symphony Hall. The heartthrob's sensual new album Italia romances the beauties of Italy, and will enthrall concertgoers.

Will the Gimquat find her groove? Join this imaginary creature in search of her identity and the secrets of music, as she explores music from Gregorian chants to the present day, with stops in Leipzig (where the audience becomes Bach's choir!), Vienna, Berlin, New Orleans, and other storied cities.

The incarnate lyricism of Orpheus sings in Liszt's haunting tone poem and Beethoven's evocative concerto - brought to life by the sublime artistry of Louis Lortie. Debussy's seductive "Prelude" is a pioneering work in Impressionism and his landmark La Mer is the definitive paean to the infinite wonders and mysteries of the sea.

In his final concert of the Classical season, Robert Spano ingeniously couples Mozart's hainting final utternace with Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms.

The breathtaking images of Machu Pichu, floating island villages and the expanses of the Peruvian plains are matched to stirring and moving music - from the time of the Conquisadores to the thrilling sounds of the first new classical voices of the 21st century in Latin America. It is a journey of the heart and soul through timeless landscapes and memorable music.

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, one of the true multi-genre superstars, collaborates with the Argentinan-born composer and ASO partner Osvaldo Golijov, and the gifted conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya in an evening of stirring Latin-American music. The program includes two Golijov works — Azul, which Mr. Ma world premiered several years ago, and Omaramor — and Tangazo, by Tango master Astor Piazolla.

Join celebrated Tango dancer Rosa Collantes and her ensemble along with songstress Luciana Souza (celebrated for her part in the Golijov Pasion) for an evening of dance and song. From the Tangos of Argentina, the Bambucas of Columbia, the Marineras Trujillanas of Peru to the Sambas of Brasil, Tango, Fados and Dance! will transport us to the steamy nights of Buenos Aires, Bogota, Lima and Rio de Janeiro!