Cirque de la Symphonie Pairs Stunning Circus Feats with Greatest Classical Hits, led by BSO SuperPops Conductor Jack Everly, February 5-8

Special Family Series Concert on Saturday, February 7

Baltimore, Md. (January 12, 2009) - The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra lends musical panache to the impossible exploits and hilarious antics of talented contortionists, aerialists, strongmen and more in Cirque de la Symphonie on Thursday, February 5 at 8:00 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore and Friday through Sunday, February 6 - 8 at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. In the tradition of a European circus, the concert hall turns into a Big Top as Cirque performers put on dazzling displays. BSO Principal Pops conductor Jack Everly dons the top hat of Ringmaster to lead exciting works by Wagner, Saint-Saëns, Mussorgsky and more. See below for complete program information.

The daring performers' death-defying feats will be paired with Classical favorites for maximum drama. Featured works include Saint-Saëns' Danse macabre, Mussorgsky's A Night on Bald Mountain, Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries and excerpts from both Khatchaturian's Gayane and Resphighi's Pines of Rome.

A special program for children takes place on Saturday, February 7 at 11:00 a.m. as part of the BSO's Family Concert Series: Classically Kids, for ages 7 and up. Children are invited to experience the magic of the symphony and the mystique of the Cirque escapades in this show of program highlights.

Jack Everly, Principal Pops Conductor
Known for his innovative programming ideas and his knowledge of and love for the pops genre, Jack Everly is principal pops conductor of the Baltimore, Indianapolis and National Arts Centre (Ottawa) symphony orchestras. He is also the music director of the Indianapolis Symphony's A Yuletide Celebration and the BSO's Holiday Spectacular.

Music director of American Ballet Theater for 14 years, Mr. Everly conducted thousands of performances and dozens of world premieres for that company. He teamed with Marvin Hamlisch in shows that Mr. Hamlisch composed. Mr. Everly has appeared on "In Performance at the White House" and has been music director on numerous Broadway cast recordings, including Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He conducted the PBS "Dance in America" at New York's City Center as well as the PBS telecast from the Metropolitan Opera House of the Prokofiev-MacMillan Romeo and Juliet.

A frequent guest conductor on the world's concert, opera and ballet stages, Mr. Everly's appearances include the National Symphony of London, the Ravinia Festival Orchestra, the Teatro Colón, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Everly is also the music advisor for the Symphony Pops Consortium (SPC), an alliance formed by the Indianapolis, Detroit, St. Louis, Milwaukee, National and Seattle symphony orchestras. The SPC is producer of programs that include A Celtic Celebration-The Music of the Emerald Isle, Those Glorious Musicians-A Tribute to MGM and Pops Goes British featuring the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

About Cirque de la Symphonie
Cirque de la Symphonie brings the magic of the circus to the music hall. It is an exciting adaptation of artistic performances widely seen in theaters and arenas everywhere. Artists include the most amazing veterans of exceptional cirque programs throughout the world-aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers, and strongmen. These artists are among the best in the business, and they include world-record holders, gold-medal winners of international competitions and some of the most original talent seen anywhere. Their performances are uniquely adapted to stage accommodations shared by symphonies, and each artist's performance is professionally choreographed to classical masterpieces and popular contemporary music in collaboration with the maestro.

COMPLETE PROGRAM INFORMATION
BSO SuperPops: Cirque de la Symphonie
Thursday, February 5, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.-The Music Center at Strathmore
Friday, February 6, 2009 at 8:00 p.m.-Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (JMSH)
Saturday, February 7, 2009 at 8:00 p.m. -JMSH
Sunday, Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 3:00 p.m.-JMSH

BSO Family Concert Series: Classically Kids
Saturday, February 7, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.-JMSH

Jack Everly, conductor
Irina Burdetsky, hoop
Aloysia Gavre, hoop
Elena Tsarkov, lady in white
Vladimir Tsarkov, juggler
Christine Van Loo, silks
Alexander Streltsov, cube and aerialist
Jarek & Derek, strongmen

Kabalevsky: Overture to Colas Breugnon  
Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre
                   "Bacchanale" from Samson and Delilah 
Khachaturian: "Lezghinka" and "Dance of the Rose Maidens" from Gayane Suite No. 1
                    Sabre Dance and Gopak from Gayane Suite No. 3
                    Waltz from Masquerade Suite   
Mussorgsky: A Night on Bald Mountain*  
Shostakovich: Festive Overture*
Sondheim: "Comedy Tonight" from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum  
De Falla: "Ritual Fire Dance" from El amor brujo 
Wagner: "Ride of the Valkyries" from Die Walküre 
Shostakovich: Opening of 4th movement of Symphony No. 5
Respighi: "Pines of the Appian Way" from Pines of Rome  

*Please note these works will not be on the Family Series Concert program.

Tickets for these concerts range from $25 to $80 for the BSO SuperPops Series and $12 to $20 for the Family Series Concert.  Tickets are available through the BSO Ticket Office, 877.BSO.1444, 410.783.8000 or BSOmusic.org.
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