Berkeley Leader

Berkeley Chamber of Commerce issued the following announcement on August 13.

The Charleston Symphony (CSO) today announced that tickets to individual concerts for its 2021-2022 performance season are now available for public purchase.

 

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, the CSO is one of a few select orchestras in the United States that was able to serve its community throughout the pandemic by performing full symphonic repertoire for live audiences. While the CSO completed a full 20-21 season of its Masterworks and Pops series, ticket inventory was dramatically limited due to social distancing requirements. The Symphony is planning to return to a full capacity hall at the exquisite Charleston Gaillard Center for more than 20 live performances from September through April.

 

The CSO’s upcoming season will focus on the artistic celebration of the orchestra’s ability to bring communities together through shared experiences of the greatest orchestral music in the world. Programs will feature larger-sized orchestras, expansive repertoire, exciting soloists, and an enhanced Virtual Concert Hall. The eight-month celebration of music and community culminates with the Beethoven Symphony Cycle completion; the orchestra is excited to welcome back the CSO Chorus to perform Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, an Ode to Joy.

 

“We are grateful to have been able to perform all but one of Beethoven’s Symphonies in our celebration of his 250th birthday to limited live audiences due to the pandemic, but we are also very much looking forward to getting back to our mission of engaging and inspiring our entire community. The CSO will boldly return to the stage this fall focused on serving the greater Charleston community once again, through our performances and education community engagement initiatives,” said CSO Executive Director Michael Smith.

 

Ken Lam, in his eighth and final season as Music Director with the Charleston Symphony will lead the orchestra in eight Masterworks programs with two performances each. The opening Masterworks weekend in September will usher in a celebratory season, with music from Berlioz, Rachmaninoff, and Saint-Saëns. The Shanghai Quartet – one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles – will join the CSO in January for the world premiere of A Charleston Concerto, written by local composer Edward Hart. This work was originally commissioned to commemorate the City of Charleston’s 350th anniversary in April of 2020.

 

Principal Pops Conductor, Yuriy Bekker, will lead four Pops concerts, and will be joined by Charlton Singleton and Quiana Parler from the local Grammy Award-winning group, Ranky Tanky, for one of the performances. “We begin the Pops Series with a trip to Hollywood with Music of the Movies: Heroes and Villains and end it celebrating Charleston’s deep connection to French culture with Dreaming of April in Paris in the spring,” said Bekker.

 

The full list of Masterworks and Pops programming can be found here.

 

The CSO has also released its 20-21 Masterworks season finale concert free to the public on its Virtual Concert Hall and encourages community members who are new to the Symphony to enjoy complimentary access to the orchestra’s live streamed performance featuring Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto with pianist, Sara Davis Buechner, and Beethoven Symphony No. 5.

 

Tickets for individual performances are now on sale to the general public. Masterworks, Pops, Pick 6, and Pick 3 subscriptions are also still available. Prices range from $25 to $131. The CSO will later announce its Chamber Music series at the Charleston Library Society, and other special concerts including Holy City Messiah that will take place at three churches across the Lowcountry and Magnetic South, a collaboration with the College of Charleston promoting contemporary music and new works.

 

To purchase tickets to one or more of the Charleston Symphony’s 21-22 performances:

●       Online: www.charlestonsymphony.org/concerts

●       Call: 843.723.7528 or 843.242.3099

●       Email: info@charlestonsymphony.org

 

About the Charleston Symphony

The CSO is celebrating its 85th season of serving the community through engaging musical performances and enriching education programs. Founded in 1936, the CSO remains a cornerstone of Charleston’s arts and culture scene, performing Masterworks and Pops series at the newly renovated Charleston Gaillard Center. In recent years, the CSO has expanded its education programs and now invests more than $530,000 annually to reach students throughout the tri-county region.

 

As the largest full-time performing arts organization in the state, the CSO serves close to 50,000 adults and children annually. Employing 24 full-time “core” musicians and more than 100 guest musicians throughout the season, the organization has a $3.5 million budget and relies on philanthropic support to cover 55% of annual operating expenses. Every year the orchestra hosts more than 150 concerts and activities throughout South Carolina, including education and family experiences, community engagement events, free performances, chamber music, main series concerts, and more. To continue learning about the CSO, visit charlestonsymphony.org.

Original source can be found here.