PORTLAND – Music Director Toshiyuki Shimada will lead the Portland Symphony Orchestra in a concert featuring music from Rome and the great Italian opera tradition Sunday, April 4, as the musical tour of European capitals on the Sunday classical series concludes at Merrill Auditorium on Sunday, April 4, at 2:30 p.m.

Portland Symphony Orchestra’s principal oboist Neil Boyer will be featured on Strauss’ Oboe Concerto.

The program opens with Rossini’s Overture to the opera “The Barber of Seville” and follows with the celebrated works of Verdi’s “Prelude” to Act III of “La Traviata” and Mascagni’s “Intermezzo” to “Cavalleria Rusticana.” Next, Boyer is featured in Strauss’ elegant Oboe Concerto. Closing the concert is Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 “Italian,” known as one of the greatest romantic symphonies.

This concert is part of the Sunday classical series, which provides an opportunity to enjoy a more relaxed, intimate concert featuring insightful commentary from the podium about the music.

Free to concert-goers is the Concert Conversation, a pre-concert event that begins at 1:15 p.m. and provides an opportunity to learn more about the music and musicians on the program. Director of the University of Southern Maine School of Music, Scott Harris, will lead the discussion of “There’s No Place Like Rome” about the lure and lore of Italy, including its native and visiting composers.

Merrill Auditorium is in Portland City Hall. The auditorium entrance is at 20 Myrtle St.

Tickets for this concert are $49, $42, $34, $25 and $15. They may be purchased at the PortTix box office (open noon to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday), by phone through PortTix at (207) 840-0800 and online at www.portlandsymphony.com. Discounted tickets for students and seniors are available.


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