WEST SIDE STORY, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, STAR WARS Among Lineup for ASO's 9/27 Concert

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will perform an American Salute at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park on Sunday, September 27, 2015, 7:00 p.m. ASO Music Director Robert Spano will lead the Orchestra in a program of American classics, including selections from Bernstein's West Side Story and Candide, Gershwin's An American in Paris, John Williams' Star Wars, and other American musical selections.

In addition, ASO Principal Clarinet Laura Ardan will play Copland's Clarinet Concerto.

Tickets for this performance are $39 for Gold Circle table seating, $29 for table seating and $19 for reserved and lawn seating. Children 12 and under will receive free admission for reserved seating in the 100 section and lawn seating.

This concert offers table seating in the main Orchestra section of the venue, reserved seating throughout the pavilion and lawn seating.

Tickets will be available on Thursday, July 30, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. at atlantasymphony.org or by calling 404.733.5000. Tickets may also be purchased at Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster charge by phone, 800.745.3000, all Ticketmaster outlets, the Woodruff Arts Center Box Office, located in the Woodruff Arts Center at 15th and Peachtree Streets and the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Box Office, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Weekend hours vary.

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park is located at 2200 Encore Parkway, Alpharetta, GA, 30009. For more information, visit atlantasymphony.org or vzwamp.com, or call (404) 733-5010.

About the Artists:

Conductor, pianist, composer and pedagogue Robert Spano is known for his unique communicative abilities. In 14 seasons as Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, this imaginative conductor has quietly been responsible for nurturing the careers of numerous classically-trained composers and conductors. As Music Director of the Aspen Music Festival and School, he oversees the programming of more than 300 events and educational programs for 630 students, including Aspen's American Academy of Conducting.

Principal Clarinet Laura Ardan has been with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) since 1982 and holds the endowed Robert Shaw Chair. She has been a featured soloist with the Orchestra in works by Mozart, Weber, Debussy, Copland, Bernstein, Finzi, Rossini, Shaw, and Michael Gandolfi, and has also performed with the Cleveland Quartet.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO), beginning its 71st season, consistently affirms its position as one of America's leading orchestras by performing great music, presenting great artists, educating and engaging. The orchestra is known for the excellence of its live performances, presentations, renowned choruses and its impressive list of GRAMMY Award-winning recordings. A leading cultural organization in the Southeast, the ASO serves as the cornerstone for artistic development and music education in the region.

The Woodruff Arts Center is one of the largest arts centers in the world, home to the Tony Award- winning Alliance Theater, the GRAMMY Award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the vibrant High Museum of Art. Each year, these centers of artistic excellence play host to over 1.2 million patrons at the Woodruff Arts Center's Midtown Atlanta location, one of the only arts centers in the U.S. to host both visual and performing arts on a single campus. The Woodruff Arts Center also offers remarkable education programming, through each of its arts partners as well as Arts for Learning, the Woodruff organization focused exclusively on education. Through their combined efforts, The Woodruff Arts Center serves over 300,000 students annually and is the largest arts educator in Georgia. www.woodruffcenter.org.

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park is a not-for-profit venue, owned and operated by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Upon the opening of the Amphitheatre, the Orchestra became the first U.S. orchestra to perform and present in its concert hall and in two amphitheaters. For more than 40 years, the Atlanta Symphony has presented and performed concerts at Chastain Park Amphitheater, the legendary award-winning 6,500-seat venue in Atlanta. The investment by the Woodruff Arts Center, with the support of the Woodruff Foundation, will advance the mission of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and also continue to have a significant economic impact on the entire region.