SOUTH BEND, In. (September 11, 2018) – On Saturday, September 22nd at 7:30 p.m. at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra (SBSO) will open its exciting 2018-19 Season with a dazzling program of favorites from the American and English orchestral repertoire.

Grammy-nominated conductor Alastair Willis begins his second year as Music Director of the SBSO. For the first time since assuming the position his artistic vision is shared through the repertoire and programs of this Season. Maestro will be on the podium for all of the Symphony’s twenty concerts.

The SBSO’s Opening Night concert honors the centennial of American composer and conductor, Leonard Bernstein. The program will open with John Adam’s playful Lollapalooza, an orchestral game whose main motif – the framework of the entire work – plays off the onomatopoetic syllables of the piece’s title. In celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday, the SBSO will pay homage with the beloved Symphonic Dances from “West Side Story”, a dynamic suite of music from the Broadway sensation. Finally, Willis will lead the Orchestra in Edward Elgar’s captivating symphonic treasure, Variations on an Original Theme, “Enigma”.

Maestro will also host a Prelude Conversation one hour prior to the performance on Saturday night at 6:30pm. To be held in the Patricia George Decio Theatre in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

This concert is made possible by the generosity of Series Title Sponsor Jack M. Champaigne and Concert Sponsor Electronics, Inc.

Tickets are $40, and $10 for children and students with a valid I.D. and are on sale at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, by phone at (574) 631-2800 or online at www.performingarts.nd.edu. The DeBartolo Box Office is open Monday – Friday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Due to the change of the venue, seating to this concert is limited.

Details for the SBSO’s full 2018-19 Season can be found at www.southbendsymphony.org.