PSO Sunday Concert Welcomes Renowned Mezzo-Soprano, October 26

PORTLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA'S FIRST SUNDAY CLASSICAL CONCERT OF THE SEASON FEATURES RENOWNED MEZZO-SOPRANO, OCTOBER 26

PORTLAND, Maine ’Äì For the first Sunday Classical performance of Robert Moody's inaugural season as Music Director, the Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) presents Classical Travels with renowned American mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bishop on Sunday, October 26 at 2:30 PM.

Classical Travels opens with the Overture to L'Italiana in Algieri (The Italian Girl in Algiers) by Gioachino Rossini. Famous for his great comic operas including The Barber of Seville, Rossini wrote this piece in just one month at the age of 21. The second work on the program is Gustav Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer). Mahler's intensely poignant work, for which the composer wrote the texts in addition to the music, was possibly motivated by his own unrequited love for a singer of the time. Classical Travels closes with Antonˆ‚n Dvo‰ôˆ°k's famous Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 "From the New World." Inspired by African-American spirituals and Native American rhythms, the piece brims over with melody and drama.

Elizabeth Bishop has been hailed by Opera News for her "gorgeous voice," and has performed on opera and concert stages across the country, in music ranging from the baroque to the contemporary. The San Francisco Chronicle has praised her singing as "luminous ... with utter panache." A former participant in San Francisco Opera's prestigious Adler Fellowship and Merola Opera program, this season Ms. Bishop will perform with the Los Angeles Opera and Masters Chorale, the Metropolitan Opera, the Atlanta Symphony, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. She and Maestro Moody have performed together often, and are thrilled at this most recent reunion opportunity.

The Classical Travels concert begins at 2:30 PM on Sunday, October 26 at Merrill Auditorium, located at 20 Myrtle Street in Portland. A Concert Conversation with Maestro Moody and mezzo-soprano Elizabeth Bishop will be held at 1:15 PM in the Rehearsal Hall before the concert. This performance will also be broadcast on MPBN over the radio on November 12 at 8:00 PM.

Ticket prices for the October 26 concert range from $17 to $54, with special pricing available for students, seniors and groups of 10 or more. All Portland Symphony Orchestra tickets are sold through PortTix at (207) 842-0800 or www.porttix.com, and new this year, the website offers real-time online seat selection. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the box office at 20 Myrtle St., Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.

For complete season information, including artist biographies and program notes, visit www.portlandsymphony.com.