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SASO season opener

Globe-trotting conductor s back at the podium leading the in its 2023-24 season opener this weekend.

Lerner, who also is of the Rio Grande do Norte Symphony Orchestra and Gramado Symphony Orchestra in his native Brazil, will lead SASO in a concert of works that includes a new piece celebrating George Gershwin’s iconic “Rhapsody in Blue.�

“Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue� was conceived by pianist , who brought in composer Peter Boyer to pen the 17-minute work for piano and orchestra.

Biegel will perform the piece with SASO at its concerts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at SaddleBrooke’s , 39900 S. Clubhouse Drive; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 7575 N. Paseo del Norte on ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s northwest side.

SASO’s “Gershwin, Boyer and Rosauro� concert also includes Gershwin’s Overture to “Funny Face;� Rosauro’s Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra featuring Dorothy Vanek Youth Concerto winner Campbell Stewart; and Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture� arranged by Robert Russell Bennett.

Tickets for SaddleBrooke are $30 through . For ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, tickets are $25 at the door or in advance at .

World premiere highlights TSO concert

opens its MasterWorks chamber series with the world premiere of a piece the orchestra co-commissioned from Grammy- and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer .

This weekend’s concert, part of the TSO’s ¡Celebración Latina! series, is bookended by 20th-century Spanish composer María Teresa Prieto’s symphonic poem “Chichén Itzá� and Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring� suite.

Higdon’s “Cold Mountain� Suite, co-commissioned by TSO and a consortium of 36 other orchestras, is based on Higdon’s 2015 opera “Cold Mountain.� The suite borrows music from the opera and includes music Higdon wrote specifically for the suite, according to press materials.

Higdon is no stranger to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥. She was here in January 2022 when premiered her “Summertime Music,â€� a piece commissioned by the song festival. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Friends of Chamber Music commissioned Higdon to write a string quartet for the Tokyo String Quartet that premiered during the 2006 ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Winter Chamber Music Festival.

TSO is one of 34 orchestras to perform "Cold Mountain" Suite.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, at Catalina Foothills High School, 4300 E. Sunrise Drive. Tickets are $50-$66 through .

Jerusalem Quartet playing ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ encore

The made good on its pandemic-postponed 2020 concert with in October 2021.

Two years later, the ensemble, largely regarded as one of the finest chamber groups in America, is coming back to open the on Wednesday, Oct. 11.

The group will perform string quartets from Haydn (No. 5 E-flat Major), Brahms (No. 3 B-flat Major) and Shostakovich (No. 2 in A major) beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Leo Rich Theater, 260 S. Church Ave.

Tickets are $45, $12 for students through or at the door. It’s $45 to stream the concert.