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Austin Symphony Closes Season With Van Cliburn Medalist And Texas Tenors

Updated: Monday, June 4 2012, 01:28 PM CDT
By Rob Faubion, AustinOnStage.com

The Austin Symphony closes its Centennial Season regular classical concert series on June 1 and 2 as the symphony welcomes back world-acclaimed pianist Jon Nakamatsu to perform Rachmaninoff’s "Second Piano Concerto" at The Long Center for the Performing Arts.  The following week, the Texas Tenors join the symphony for the closing concerts of the Sarah and Ernest Butler Pops concerts on June 8 and 9 at the Palmer Events Center.
     
Pianist Jon Nakamatsu takes center stage on June 1 and 2 for Sergei Rachmaninoff’s "Second Piano Concerto."  Since his dramatic 1997 Van Cliburn Gold Medal triumph, Nakamatsu’s musicianship and eclectic repertoire have made him a clear favorite throughout the world - both on the concert circuit and in the recording studio.
   
He has performed widely in North America, Europe and the Far East and has collaborated with such conductors as James Conlon, Philippe Entremont, Marek Janowski, Raymond Leppard, Gerard Schwarz, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Michael Tilson Thomas and Osmo Vänskä.  His extensive recital tours throughout the United States and Europe have featured appearances at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and in cities such as Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Paris, London and Milan.
    
The concert will also feature the premiere of a new orchestral version of "Triple Venti Latté" by Zack Stanton - a chamber work original written for the UT New Music Ensemble in 2008 - along with "Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18" by Rachmaninoff and "Symphony No. 3, Op. 27 – Sinfonia Espansiva" by Nielsen.  Patrons can also enjoy the Pre-Concert Talks with Bob Buckalew at 7:10 p.m. in the Dell hall
     
Tickets for Jon Nakamatsu with the Austin Symphony start at $19, with student rush tickets available 20 minutes prior to performance for $5 cash and current student ID.
     
The Austin Symphony then welcomes The Texas Tenors for the closing concert of the Sarah and Ernest Butler Pops concerts, June 8th and 9th at the Palmer Events Center. The Texas Trio takes the stage for an evening blending classical, country and pop.
    
Weaving effortlessly from John Denver to Puccini to West Side Story, the trio takes their audience on a musical ride from West Virginia to Italy to New York City, pausing between genres long enough only to tell stories and smile for pictures. The three Texas boys made quite an impression on the television show “America’s Got Talent,” and now bring their voices to the Austin Symphony stage.
     
Tickets for The Texas Tenors include table seating for $45 or theater seating for $30.  Tickets for all the Austin Symphony concerts are available at the Symphony Box Office, located at 11th Street and Red River, by phone at (512) 476-6064 or 1-888-MAESTRO (toll-free) or online at www.AustinSymphony.org.
 
(Jon Nakamatsu photo by Christian Steiner; Texas Tenors photo courtesy the artists)
Austin Symphony Closes Season With Van Cliburn Medalist And Texas Tenors