Beethoven began work on the Eighth in the summer of 1812, immediately after the completion of his Seventh Symphony. Martin Geck describes the Eighth as containing “all the relevant hallmarks, including motivic and thematic writing notable for its advanced planning, defiant counterpoint, furious cross-rhythms, sudden shifts from piano to forte, and idyllic and even hymnlike episodes.” The orchestra will then perform Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra. This work combines elements of Western art music and Eastern European folk music, especially that of Hungary, and it departs from traditional tonality, often using non-traditional modes and artificial scales.

Beethoven + Bartók

University of Alabama at Birmingham

The orchestra will play Bartok’s Concerto for orchestra. Bartók makes extensive use of classical elements in the work; for instance, the first and fifth movements are in sonata-allegro form. The work combines elements of Western art music and eastern European folk music, especially that of Hungary, and it departs from traditional tonality, often using non-traditional modes and artificial scales.

EPSG:4326

Bartók - Coffee Concert

Alys Robinson Stephens Performing Arts Center

A community favorite, Tunes on Tap is BACK in 2024! Classical meets casual, join us at the Fennec for food, drinks, and a special performance by the ASO unlike any you’ve seen before!

Tunes on Tap @ The Fennec

The Fennec

Viennese Kaleidoscope (Trios)

Samford University

This interactive concert is sure to engage all the senses as students experience the orchestra through the lens of science, technology, engineering, and math! Commissioned by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and written by Candace Neal Pappas, come celebrate the WORLD PREMIERE of “The Great Orchestra Experiment- Where Science Meets the Symphony!”

Young People's Concert 2024: The Great Orchestra Experiment (Grades 3-6)

A once-in-a-lifetime concert with Brian Raphael Nabors’ Letters from Birmingham (2022), William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony (1934), and Stars Fell on Alabama (1934), arranged by ASO’s fourth music director Amerigo Marino. Join the ASO as we record this concert to preserve the Alabama legacy as never done before.

Inspired by Alabama

In celebration of Carlos Izcaray’s 10 years as Music Director of the ASO, the orchestra will perform an anniversary program featuring works Maestro Izcaray conducted at his opening concert in 2013. La Péri, written in 1911, and was Dukas’ last published work is not as well known as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, this ballet has been considered to be one of his most mature and skilled pieces. Then, Pianist Conor Hanick, regarded as one of his generation’s most inquisitive interpreters of music, performs the world premiere of Carlos Izcaray’s Piano Concerto. Symphonie fantastique returns to the ASC stage for the first time since 2019! Programmatic in nature, it tells the story of a gifted artist who, in the depths of hopeless and despair because of his unrequited love for a woman, has poisoned himself with opium. Witness the artist’s drug-induced hallucinations, beginning with a ball and a scene in a field and ending with a recognizable “march to the scaffold” and a satanic dream.

Izcaray: 10 Years Remembered

The orchestra will perform The Symphonie fantastique, a piece of music that tells the story of a gifted artist who, in the depths of hopelessness and despair because of his unrequited love for a woman, has poisoned himself with opium. The piece tells the story of the artist’s drug-fueled hallucinations, beginning with a ball and a scene in a field and ending with a march to the scaffold and a satanic dream.

Izcaray: 10 Years Remembered - Coffee Concert

The ASO takes you to the neon-lit era of leg warmers and hair spray. Back to the ’80s! The ASO brings to life classic hits that defined a generation with artists like Elton John, Madonna, Billy Joel, Steve Winwood, Cyndi Lauper, and much more. This show will have you singing along like you’re with friends crammed in a car and music blaring from your favorite cassette tapes. A blast from the past!

Back to the '80s

Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex

Join the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Birmingham Children’s Theatre in the story of a young boy’s adventure with his grandfather and animal friends! Peter and the Wolf, a “symphonic tale for children” was written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936 to introduce young audiences to the instruments of the orchestra. This reimagined musical adventure is perfect for our youngest audiences, as professional actors and musicians show the audience how each instrument, when combined, can tell a story.

Explorer Concert: Peter & the Wolf with Birmingham Children's Theatre (Grades K-3)

Join the Alabama Symphony Orchestra for a Hip Hop fusion show with local Birmingham talent Shaheed and D.J. Supreme! Perfect for all ages, this Young People’s Concert will fuse the orchestral artform with turntables, empowering messaging, and sick beats! Knowledge is power with the incorporation of STEAM components and a teacher guide for grades 3-5. We can’t wait to welcome you into the concert hall to experience the hype of this musical powerhouse collaboration between world class artists!

Young People's Concert: Shaheed and D.J. Supreme & the ASO- Rhythm, Rhyme, and Flow! (Grades 3-12)

Music Director Carlos Izcaray opens the 2024/25 season with Shostakovich’s Festive Overture. Described by Shostakovich as “festive or celebrative in spirit,” It begins with a brass fanfare which later reappears. Amaryn Olmeda joins Maestro Izcaray and ASO for a performance of Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto. The evening concludes with Saint – Saëns Organ Symphony No. 3, colloquially known as the ‘Organ Symphony.” The composer inscribed it as: Symphonie No. 3 “avec orgue” (with organ.) Patrick Scott is one of the most celebrated and award-winning American organists of his generation: his ASO debut is not one to be missed!

Masterworks: Barber Saint-Saëns

UAB’s Alys Stephens Center

Described by Shostakovich himself as “festive or celebrative in spirit,” The Festive Overture begins with a brass fanfare which later reappears before the work’s coda. The concert concludes with Saint – Saëns Organ Symphony No. 3. It is popularly known as the Organ Symphony, since, unusually for a late-Romantic symphony, two of the four sections use the pipe organ. The composer inscribed it as: Symphonie No. 3 “avec orgue” (with organ).

Saint-Saëns Coffee Concert

Since 2011, the ASO has been delighted to share music with over 130,000 people at our Symphony in the Summer series at Railroad Park. We can't wait to see you there again on Memorial Day Weekend 2024! Stay tuned for more details on this highlight of our season.

Symphony in the Summer

Railroad Park

Acclaimed for his stellar stage presence and joyous musicianship, cellist Sterling Elliott is a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and the winner of the Senior Division of the 2019 National Sphinx Competition. Witness as he performs Dvorak’s wistful yet powerful Cello Concerto in B minor. The orchestra will also perform Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. The work, at one time referred to as “Beethoven’s Tenth Symphony,” is noted for its amazing lyricism and thematic unity and remains one of the greatest examples of the Austro-German symphony to this day.

Dvorak's Cello Concerto & Brahms' First

Join the Alabama Symphony Orchestra as they perform Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. The work, at one time referred to as “Beethoven’s Tenth Symphony,” is noted for its amazing lyricism and thematic unity and remains one of the greatest examples of the Austro-German symphony to this day

Brahms' First Symphony

Ready for a night of music and intrigue? This concert of hits from legendary James Bond films is for you. “Goldfinger,” “Skyfall,” and much more will be performed by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, led by Pops Conductor Chris Confessore. A tribute to all things espionage, this concert will also feature music from classic spy movies like “Austin Powers,” “Mission Impossible,” and “The Pink Panther.”

Bond and Beyond

This concert will be about one hour long. Food and drink will be available for purchase on site. For other FAQs about Ferus Artisan Ales, please visit this link

ASO @ Ferus Artisan Ales

Ferus Artisan Ales

Celebrate 190 years of Johannes Brahms with an evening of songs and chamber music! Lester and Daniel Seigel join ASO Concertmaster Daniel Szasz, Principal Viola Christopher Lowry, and Music Director Carlos Izcaray to pay tribute to the legendary composer

Brahms' Birthday Celebration

This concert is FREE and open to the public! 

Thanks to Drummond Company, Inc., for their annual support of the Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra

ASYO @ Alys Stephens Center

Music Director Carlos Izcaray leads Mahler’s charming Fourth Symphony, a work exploring themes of childhood and innocence, highlighted with soprano soloist Helen Huang. Lauded for her “intelligence, integrity and all-encompassing technical prowess” and “astounding virtuosity”, Sara Davis Buechner will feature on Richard Strauss’ Burleske. This uncharacteristically complex scherzo will highlight her incredible talent and nuanced musicianship. 

Mahler's Fourth Symphony

The ASO will be joined by fantastic guest soloist Sara Davis Buechner. Lauded for her “intelligence, integrity and all-encompassing technical prowess”, “thoughtful artistry in the full service of music”, and “astounding virtuosity”, Davis Buechner will feature on Richard Strauss’ Burleske. This uncharacteristically complex scherzo will highlight her incredible talent and nuanced musicianship

Grab your broom and get ready for the tasks ahead! The Triwizard Tournament comes to Hogwarts™ in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ in Concert. Relive the magic of Harry Potter™ soaring across the big screen in high-definition and experience the music of a live symphony orchestra performing Patrick Doyle’s unforgettable score

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ in Concert

Hear the Argentinian master, Astor Piazzolla’s Libertango, is an impressively modern take on the Argentinian dance staple: the tango. Piazzolla takes the simple but dramatic genre and infuses it with jazz, chromaticism, and dissonance; taking the listener on a wildly unique ride. Additionally, the audience will be dazzled by Edvard Greig’s Holberg Suite. Composed to celebrate the birth of Ludwig Holberg, Grieg takes on the various dance styles and compositional techniques popular at the time of Holberg’s life

Piazzolla’s Libertango & Grieg’s Holberg Suite

Avon Theater

Celebrating the art form of film scoring and cinematic music, Guest violinist Charles Yang, recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Award, has been described by the Boston Globe as one who “plays classical violin with the charisma of a rock star.” His amazing talent will be displayed through his performance of Kris Bowers’ For a Younger Self. The work explores the journey of a young protagonist as they overcome fear, stress, and self-doubt. The ASO will also perform works by John Williams, Herrmann, Korngold, and Schreker. Hear music from your favorite film composers and classic features such as Much Ado About Nothing.

Masters of the Silver Screen

Hear your favorite film composers and music from quintessential feature films. The program will include Space-inspired music by John Williams, one of Bernard Herrmann’s classic Alfred Hitchcock scores, and Korngold’s incidental Much Ado About Nothing

This concert will be about one hour long. Food and drink will be available for purchase on site. For other FAQs about Back Forty Beer Co., please visit this link

ASO @ Back Forty

Back Forty Beer Company Birmingham

Bridging the gulf between rock n’ roll and classical music, conductor/arranger Brent Havens takes the podium to present The Music of Pink Floyd, a program he scored to extend the listening experience of Pink Floyd’s timeless tunes. Performed by an orchestra and amplified with a full rock band and Randy Jackson’s vocals, Havens and his ensemble capture the essence of Pink Floyd’s ethereal harmonies while adding new musical colors

The Music of Pink Floyd

Brahms’ German Requiem, which explores the grief and yearning experienced after the loss of a loved one, opens with a hushed and somber sound before transitioning to a comforting and ultimately triumphant mood. As is suggested by its title, the work is unique in its use of the German language, utilizing biblical text hand-selected by the composer rather than the traditional Catholic Latin text. 

Brahms' German Requiem

Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A little night music), one of his most recognizable and oft-performed works, is sure to delight in the warm and intimate setting of the Avon Theater. Additionally on the program is Dvorak’s richly dark and sonorous Serenade for Winds

Mozart & More

Perfect for our youngest concert goers, our Explorer Concert Series helps to lay a firm foundation for music appreciation by introducing listeners to the instrument families of the orchestra and beginning musical terms. Similar to how we build houses, skyscrapers and even cities, students will learn how music is built or constructed focusing on musical concepts and their correlation with STEAM concepts. Lesson plans to prepare students for their experience at the symphony will be focused around science, technology, engineering, and math! How do musicians count? Why does a woodwind instrument sound the way it does? What are the building blocks composers use to write a piece of music? We can’t wait for you to come discover these lessons as told by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra at our concert hall!

Building Blocks of the Symphony

Perfect for our youngest concert goers, our Explorer Concert Series helps to lay a firm foundation for music appreciation by introducing listeners to the instrument families of the orchestra and beginning musical terms. Similar to how we build houses, skyscrapers and even cities, students will learn how music is built or constructed focusing on musical concepts and their correlation with STEAM concepts. Lesson plans to prepare students for their experience at the symphony will be focused around science, technology, engineering, and math! How do musicians count? Why does a woodwind instrument sound the way it does? What are the building blocks composers use to write a piece of music? We can’t wait for you to come discover these lessons as told by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra at our concert hall!



Thompson High School

Tchaikovsky is said to have “put his entire soul” into his final symphony and the resulting somber and sighing music gives the listener a rare glimpse into the life of a complex man struggling with his identity. Santiago Cañón-Valencia has been praised as one of the most promising young cellists of his generation. Watch as he returns to the Alys Stephens Center stage to take on Shostakovich’s exciting Cello Concerto No.1.

Tchaikovsky's Pathetique Symphony

Tchaikovsky reported that he “put his entire soul” into this work and the resulting somber and sighing music gives the listener a rare glimpse into the life of a complex man struggling with his identity

Celebrate 100 years of Rhapsody in Blue and George Gershwin with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra conducted by Chris Confessore, and joined by Birmingham favorite Marlowe Shepherd, and pianist Simon Mulligan. Rhapsody in Blue has been called "Gershwin at his greatest" and his many iconic songs like "Our Love is Here to Stay" and "Embraceable You" have left an indelible mark on the Great American Songbook

Rhapsody in Blue at 100: A Gershwin Celebration

One of the great chamber works of the 20th Century, Shostakovich’s Quintet for Piano and Strings earned the composer the Soviet Union’s highest honor in the arts, and allowed him to tour for years, playing with the Glazunov Quartet. Award winning pianist Yakov Kasman joins talented musicians of the ASO to perform this beloved work alongside works by Shostakovich’s countrymen that also feature the clarinet

Shostakovich's Piano Quintet

Guest artist Conrad Tao has been dubbed “the kind of musician who is shaping the future of classical music” by New York Magazine, and an artist of “probing intellect and open-hearted vision” by The New York Times. Watch as he performs Beethoven’s beautiful and almost improvisational Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major. The sublime work allows the listener to enter a “magical and quietly intimate world of shimmering colors.” The ASO will also perform Bruckner’s dynamically sublime Symphony No.6 in A Major.

Beethoven's Fourth Piano Concerto

Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony, known for its smooth and long-lined intensity was a huge success with both audiences and critics alike and has remained popular due to its beautiful lyricism and dramatic ferocity. Blessed with “poetic and sensitive pianism” and a “wondrous sense of color”, Grammy-nominated pianist Joyce Yang captivates audiences with her virtuosity, lyricism, and interpretive sensitivity. Yang returns to join the ASO in her performance of Jonathan Leshnoff’s stirring Piano Concerto.

Ravishing Rachmaninoff

Witness one of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra’s most beloved holiday traditions! A fixture of the holiday season, Handel’s Messiah features the iconic Hallelujah chorus and sweeping solos portraying one of the greatest stories ever told. Gary Thor Wedow returns to lead the orchestra in a historically informed performance. This will be his first time back on the beautiful Alys Stephens Center stage since 2012

Handel’s Messiah

Hear holiday favorites from the Alabama Symphony Youth Orchestra while you shop! Performances are FREE and open to the public, and take place by the Carousel

Merry & Bright!

Riverchase Galleria

Deck the halls with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Chris Confessore, and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra Chorus! Sing along to holiday favorites, hear timeless classics, and enjoy the spirit of the season! Local performers Kristi Tingle Higginbotham and Dolores Hydock will return to join the orchestra and chorus in bringing the holidays alive!

Home for the Holidays with the ASO Chorus

Gather around your friends and family as the ASO performs Holiday classics you know and love.

Symphonic Holiday Celebration

Hear Bach’s Sixth Brandenburg Concerto featuring the warm rich sounds of the lower strings with incredible soloists from the Orchestra: Christopher Lowry and Zak Enikeev on viola and Warren Samples on cello. In addition, you’ll hear the return of the beautiful sounds of holiday music scored for brass ensemble

Bach’s Brandenburg 6 & Holiday Brass

Scheherazade tells the age-old tale of One Thousand and One Nights, in which the titular Scheherazade prolongs her life by spinning intriguing tales for her tyrannical husband each night. Scheherazade is represented by a beautiful lyrical violin solo and the lilting motion of the sea comes in the form of the undulating cello and violin sections. Violinist Tessa Lark returns to perform alongside the orchestra once again; her amazing talents will be showcased in the world premiere of Music Director Carlos Izcaray’s Violin Concerto, a work composed specifically for her.

Scheherazade: One Thousand and One Nights

Scheherazade tells the age-old tale of One Thousand and One Nights, in which the titular Scheherazade prolongs her life by spinning intriguing tales for her tyrannical husband each night. Scheherazade is represented by a beautiful lyrical violin solo and the lilting motion of the sea comes in the form of the undulating cello and violin sections. 

This concert will be about one hour long. Food and drink will be available for purchase on site. For other FAQs about Monday Night Brewing, please visit this link

ASO @ Monday Night

Monday Night Brewing Social Club

One of Faure’s best known works, his Requiem, a “hymn of solace and supplication,” is a choral-orchestral setting of the Catholic Mass for the Dead and is filled with peaceful, serene, and calming melodies that are among the most beautiful in choral repertoire. Venezuelan-American pianist Vanessa Perez returns to perform Ravel’s Concerto in G Major. Praised for her “bold, passionate performing style allied with musicianship of keen sensitivity, [Perez] is not to be taken lightly.”

Faure's Requiem & Ravel's Piano Concerto

Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony, often referred to as the “apotheosis of dance,” is a thrilling ride filled with exciting rhythmic motifs and Irish folk-inspired melodies. Its rustic charm and rhythmic vitality make it a favorite for orchestras and audiences alike. Kathleen Costello, Principal Clarinet of the ASO, will be the featured soloist in Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto. Commissioned by jazz musician Benny Goodman, the work opens with a poignant and beautiful melody which then quickly transitions into virtuosic jazz-inspired music that is sure to dazzle listeners.

Beethoven's Seventh Symphony & Copland's Clarinet Concerto

Join us in commemorating the fantastic female composers that helped shape music history. Daniel Szasz and special guests will perform works by Amy Beach, Lili Boulanger, and Florence Price.

Trailblazers: Celebrating Women Composers

Afro-French composer Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges was a highly
acclaimed contemporary of Mozart. Experience Saint-Georges’ Symphony no 2, a
true testament to the symphonist’s extraordinary legacy.

Mozart & Saint-Georges

Grieg's Holberg Suite

Join the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in celebrating the life of beloved
patrons, board members, volunteers, and music lovers that have made a
significant impact on our experiences in and out of the concert hall.
Featuring former ASO Music Director Amerigo Marino’s arrangement of Stars Fell
on Alabama, let us come together to listen, remember, and reflect through the
power of music.

Stars Fell on Alabama: A Memorial Concert

Handel's Messiah has become the world's most popular choral work, delighting
audiences every holiday season. The ASO will also perform Bach’s divine
Brandenburg Concerto. No.3.

Handel's Messiah

Gather around your friends and family as the ASO performs Holiday classics you
know and love. Be inspired by the visions of sugar plums and bountiful sleigh
rides as the music of the season fills the hall.

Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio

Don’t miss Tchaikovsky’s fourth symphony, which shows the full range of the
orchestra’s virtuosity: from bombastic passages to flowing lyricism. The
orchestra revisits _Forest Dark and Stars Above_ , a piece written for the
ASO.

Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony

Journey to Norway with Grieg’s beloved Peer Gynt suites, featuring _In the
Hall of the Mountain King_. The ASO Chorus performs in Borodin’s Polovtsian
Dances and Brahms’ _Nanie_.

Peer Gynt & Polovtsian Dances

Experience director Ivan Reitman's two-time Oscar® and two-time Golden
Globe­-nominated film, screened live as the Alabama Symphony Orchestra
performs Elmer Bernstein's Grammy-nominated score and Ray Parker Jr.'s
Billboard Hot 100 chart ­topping theme song, "Ghostbusters." Bring your proton
pack and join the original paranormal investigation!

Ghostbusters in Concert

Hear Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto – a masterpiece weaving together the
pianist and orchestra – performed by Van Cliburn Silver Medalist and UAB
Distinguished Professor of Piano Yakov Kasman. The ASO also performs
Stravinsky’s groundbreaking _Petrushka_.

Opening Masterworks: Rach Two & Petrushka

Join us for one of Birmingham's favorite fall family events!

Musicians from the ASO will play a selection of music that the whole family is
guaranteed to love. There is even a 'kidzone' for your kids to enjoy crafts
and other fun activities while enjoying the concert. Food is provided by Jim N
Nick's and all proceeds go to supporting the Alabama Symphony Orchestra's
outreach missions in our communities.

22nd Annual Symphony30 Picnic

Join the Alabama Symphony Orchestra for a musical journey through vibrant
dreams and the night stars, all the way to the beauty of a new sunrise!

 ** ****This performance is designed for people living with autism spectrum
disorders, sensory and communication disorders, or learning disabilities, or
anyone who wants a more casual concert experience.**  

This special performance provides:

  * Materials to help you plan your visit including a social story and a visual schedule 
  * Quiet rooms with sensory accommodations 
  * Fun family programming 
  * Accessible seating

All the Stars in the Sky

Dance the night away with music from all around the world as the ASO plays
iconic pieces like Tchaikovsky’s _Waltz_ from _Swan Lake_ and selections from
Bizet’s _Carmen_!

Symphonic Celebration

The Ode to Joy: Beethoven's Ninth

Carlos Conducts Brahms, Beethoven, & Schumann

The Dance: Beethoven's Seventh Symphony

A Bohemian Spring: Smetana, Schumann, & Brahms

Maestro Izcaray continues his Beethoven cycle with Beethoven’s sixth symphony,
“ _Pastoral_ ,” which the composer called “the expression of feeling.”

The Pastoral: Beethoven's Sixth Symphony

The Revolutionary: Beethoven's Third Symphony

In the spirit of Valentine’s day, indulge in the age-old romance of Romeo and
Juliet, as told by Prokofiev.

Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet

The Classics: Mozart, Beethoven, & Haydn

Video Games Live™ is an immersive concert event featuring music from the most
popular video games of all time. Gamers and non-gamers alike will be dazzled
by synchronized cutting-edge video screen visuals, state-of-the-art lighting,
stage show production, and special on-stage interactive segments.

Video Games Live!

Experience the concerto that has enticed and amazed audiences for more than a
century, as “astonishing artist” Joyce Yang returns to the Alabama Symphony
Orchestra for the third time.

Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto

Enjoy New York’s foremost Latin jazz ensemble, in concert with your Alabama
Symphony Orchestra. The Mambo Kings apply their “explosive blend of Afro-Cuban
rhythms and improvisation” to classical favorites, pop hits, and jazz
standards.

The Mambo Kings

Dance into the New Year with waltzes, polkas, and marches by Johann Strauss
II, alongside dance-inspired music from around the world. A special guest will
join us for a couple of operetta selections, and the evening wouldn't be
complete without our yearly champagne toast!

Cheers! The New Year's Eve Concert

Audience members will hear selections from all three parts of Messiah,
including stunning solos, dynamic arias, and monumental choruses. Selections
include "Ev’ry valley shall be exalted," "The trumpet shall sound," and the
unforgettable Hallelujah chorus – all part of Birmingham’s grandest Messiah.

Schumann’s piano concerto, which demonstrates a stunning variety of musical
color, headlines a program featuring the robust, romantic sounds of Brahms,
Hindemith, and Schumann. The ASO Chorus joins the Symphony for Schicksalslied,
often considered Brahms’ greatest work for Chorus.

Schumann's Piano Concerto

Philip Glass’ Symphony No. 3 is an exploration of tension and relaxation.
Listeners will find themselves lost in familiar patterns and rhythms, enjoying
the soundscape that Glass creates. Martin Kennedy will be featured as the
2018-2019 Sound Investment Composer.

Philip Glass' Symphony No. 3

Get your popcorn ready as the ASO presents an epic concert celebrating the
giants of Hollywood, including your favorite actors, actresses, characters,
and composers! Stunning music from a variety of genres and eras brings
memorable characters from _The Wizard of Oz, Jurassic Park, Titanic, The
Incredibles,  _and more to life.

Hollywood Legends

The season begins with a dazzling array of pieces. Strauss’ _Don Juan_ tells
the legendary story of Spanish libertine Don Juan, and Poulenc’s concerto for
two pianos perfectly combines drama and charm. The evening ends with Bartok’s
Concerto for Orchestra, highlighting each section of the orchestra with daring
solos.

Opening Masterworks: Don Juan & Concerto for Orchestra

21st Annual Symphony30 Picnic

Birmingham Does Broadway

Mendelssohn called the Italian Symphony “the jolliest piece I have ever done.”
The piece acts as a musical postcard, documenting Mendelssohn’s travels
through the rolling hills and bustling cities of Italy.

Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony

A Night in Budapest

Family Fun Day sponsored by Protective Life

The Firebird & Tchaikovsky’s Sixth: Russian Masterpieces

Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto

Leonard Bernstein Centennial Celebration

Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Rimsky-Korsakov's spinning melodies and compelling harmonies conjure images of
the beloved tales in One Thousand and One Arabian Nights.

Scheherazade

We are honored to collaborate with the Violins of Hope project to present this important work, called the “most ethereally beautiful music of the twentieth century,” on Holocaust Remembrance Day. 

Quartet for the End of Time

Carlos Conducts Fauré’s Requiem

Shakespeare’s tragic romance returns to our stage after an absence of over 40
years, combining the powerful drama with Gounod’s lush music. Family rivalries
cannot fight the young love of Romeo and Juliet, with tragic consequences as
the couple is determined to be together forever.

Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet

ASO & ASYO Side by Side Concert

Gershwin in Hollywood with Rhapsody in Blue

The ASO returns to the spirited atmosphere of WorkPlay Birmingham with a pair of string quartets that reflect upon life during World War II and honor those affected by it.

Different Trains: Contemporary Visions

WorkPlay

This classic and timeless ballet is the tragic love story of Odette, a
beautiful princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse, who is to
swim in a lake filled with tears. Only in the hours of darkness may she assume
her human guise, but her spell can only be broken by a prince who swears his
eternal love and devotion to her.  _Swan Lake  _is one of the greatest works
in ballet history, set to the music of Tchaikovsky.

Swan Lake with the Alabama Ballet

Alabama dares to sing in this musical celebration of our State’s history. Sing
a long as we explore the rich diversity of Alabama’s historic and musical
tradition. This program features our story and our orchestra!

Young People’s Concert: Celebrate Alabama

Local favorite, pianist Yakov Kasman, returns to the stage for a brilliantperformance of Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. Our very ownMaestro Izcaray then conducts Shostakovich’s Symphony no. 10, which is sure tobe a magical experience.

Carlos Conducts Ravel’s Boléro

Join the ASO at the Avon Theater in Lakeview for a more intimate concert experience you can’t get anywhere else! The ASO will perform Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto, BWV 1050.2 for harpsichord, flute and violin as soloists, and an orchestral accompaniment consisting of strings and continuo. Also on the program is Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances, which is a set of three orchestral suites by the Italian composer.  The ASO will also perform the WORLD PREMIER of a new work by Alabama native, Brian Nabors.

Harpsichord, flute, & violin - Bach & Nabors

Experience holiday magic in Birmingham with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra! Joining the orchestra is fabulous guest soloist Birmingham’s own Sadie Goodman. With featured pianist Rich Ridenour and electric violinist Bethany Borg, the ASO will perform classics like Carol of the Bells, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and Merry Christmas Darling. There are surprises throughout the show that will have you smiling and singing in the spirit of the season. Enjoy a visit with Santa Claus himself! Make time for pictures with the jolly old man before the show and during intermission. Enjoy holiday treats and drinks at this special evening of classical music and Holiday Spirit.

It’s A Holiday Feeling with the ASO & Friends!

Witness one of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra’s most beloved holiday traditions! A fixture of the holiday season, Handel’s Messiah features the iconic Hallelujah chorus and sweeping solos portraying one of the greatest stories ever told. Leading the orchestra is special guest conductor James M. Meaders, founder and artistic director of Vox Anima London.

Toast the end of 2024 with a glass of bubbly and experience the ASO’s effervescent performance of the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Day tradition.

New Year’s Eve: A Viennese Celebration

Carlos Izcaray leads the orchestra in Ravel’s Alborada del gracioso — A tour de force of orchestral writing, displaying Ravel’s unique blend of impressionistic harmonies, Spanish folk influences, and rhythmic vitality. Then, the ASO welcomes pianist Awadagin Pratt to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Awadagin has received acclaim for delivering “forceful, imaginative, and precisely tinted” performances and is hailed as “one of the great and distinctive American pianists and conductors of our time.” The concert concludes with Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben (A Hero’s Life). Standing as one of Strauss’s most ambitious and iconic works, embodying the grandeur, drama, and virtuosity characteristic of his compositional style.

Beethoven + Strauss

Timpani, harpsichord, & strings - Fauré & Ravel

Coming to the ASO from a galaxy far, far away… the most epic space adventure of all time! From the triumphant opening fanfare to the ethereal “Princess Leia’s Theme,” the ASO brings John Williams’ Oscar–winning score to life as you are immersed in the full HD screen and surrounded by the depth of the live orchestra.

Star Wars: A New Hope in concert

The Orchestra is joined by fabulous guest soloist Alissa Anderson as the ASO Chorus appears in concert for the first time in 2025. Alissa has been hailed as “deliciously over the top” for her commanding stage presence, and Opera News describes the voice as a “powerful mezzo.” Anderson wields her comic prowess, striking features, and her “powerful vocalism” to great acclaim.

Choral & Symphony

Alabama Visions: An Evening of Music by composers with Alabama ties

Feel like you’re in New York City with the ASO! The Orchestra takes you down Broadway playing a Valentine’s Day themed selection from some of your favorite musicals. Enjoy love songs from Little Mermaid, Phantom of the Opera, Fiddler on the Roof, and so much more. The orchestra is joined by 5 local guest soloists and longtime friend of the ASO Kristi Tingle Higginbotham.

The ASO will perform Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 featuring soloist Gabriel Martins. Lauded for his “rich, warm” and “mesmerizing” sound, Martins carries a concerto repertoire spanning every major work. In recital, his performances of the Bach Cello Suites have garnered particular recognition.

Alabama Symphony Orchestra

22 - 23 Nov, 2024

Beethoven + Bartók

Dec 5, 2024

Harpsichord, flute, & violin - Bach & Nabors

Dec 6, 2024

It’s A Holiday Feeling with the ASO & Friends!

20 - 21 Dec, 2024

Handel's Messiah

Dec 31, 2024

New Year’s Eve: A Viennese Celebration

22 - 23 Nov, 2024

Beethoven + Bartók

Nov 22, 2024

Bartók - Coffee Concert

Alabama Symphony Orchestra