Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

WHO: Jaime Laredo and Sharon Robinson with the Austin Symphony Orchestra
WHEN: January 5 & 6, 2007 - 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Bass Concert Hall
TICKETS: $19-$42
CONTACT: Don Hill, Director of Public Relations - 476-6064 x 213

STRING DUO, BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY HIGHLIGHT JANUARY AUSTIN SYMPHONY PERFORMANCE

Season Sponsor: JPMorganChase
Concert Sponsors: Frost Bank and Slack & Davis
Media Sponsors: Time Warner Cable/News 8 Austin, Austin American-Statesman and KVET 98.1 FM

"Laredo and Robinson poured out dynamic, lustrous tone and phrases that were full of character...electric." - The Sun-Sentinel

Austin audiences will continue to experience the excellence of the Austin Symphony’s 96th concert season on January 5 & 6 when Maestro Peter Bay and the ASO welcome violinist Jaime Laredo and cellist Sharon Robinson for an evening featuring works by Wagner, Rózsa and Beethoven. Frost Bank and Slack & Davis proudly sponsor this concert.

PROGRAM
Wagner - Siegfried’s Rhine Journey from Götterdämmerung
Rózsa - Sinfonia concertante, Op. 29
Beethoven - Symphony No. 3 in E-flat, Op. 55 “Eroica”

Maestro Peter Bay opens the evening with “Siegfried’s Rhine Journey” from Richard Wagner’s final Die Ring der Nibulungen cycle, Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods). Bay then welcomes violinist Jamie Laredo and cellist Sharon Robinson to center stage to perform Miklós Rózsa’s Sinfonia concertante.

More commonly known as a film composer of the 1940s and 1950s, Rózsa scored dozens of films, including Ben-Hur, Adam’s Rib, Julius Caesar, Spellbound and The Jungle Book. His score for The Killers is the source of the famous and infamous “dum-da-dum-dum” motive of the television show, “Dragnet.”

Laredo and Robinson celebrate their 30th anniversary beginning with this concert, both as a performing duo and married couple. Bolivian-born Jaime Laredo has excelled in the multiple roles of soloist, conductor, recitalist and chamber musician in his 40-plus years before the public. Winner of the Avery Fisher Recital Award, the Piatigorsky Memorial Award and a Grammy® nominee, Sharon Robinson is recognized as one of America’s foremost champions of the cello. Critics and audiences alike delight in her sophisticated blend of intellect and vibrant emotion.

After a brief intermission, Maestro Bay concludes the evening with a performance of Beethoven’s “Eroica” Symphony No. 3, the third stop on the ASO’s two-year “tour” of all nine Beethoven symphonies in celebration of its eminent move to its new home, The Long Center for the Performing Arts.

Concertgoers can enjoy “Concert Conversations” with Bob Buckalew at 7:10 p.m. in the concert hall. These discussions provide an in-depth look at the composers and works being performed, including commentary on the social climate in which they were composed.

Tickets for Jaime Laredo and Sharon Robinson with the Austin Symphony range from $19 to $42. Student rush tickets are also available 20 minutes prior to performance for $5 cash and current student ID. Charge tickets online at www.austinsymphony.org where you will find interactive seating maps, price options and a wealth of concert information. Tickets are also available at the Austin Symphony Box Office, 11th and Red River or call 476-6064 or 1-888-4-MAESTRO (toll-free).