· A Birthday Toast to Mozart, featuring the MSO's own Beverly Butts, on Feb. 11 and 12, 2006. The MasterWorks III concert, a celebration of the 250th anniversary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birth, will turn the spotlight on two of his works: "Overture to Il Re Pastore" and Symphony No. 41, aka "Jupiter."
· A Rare Selection of Audience Favorites on March 25 and 26, 2006. The MasterWorks IV concert will include Mendelssohn's "Overture to A Midsummer's Night Dream" and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5. Jonathan Biss will be the guest artist.
· A Sparkling Season Finale on April 22 and 23, 2006, will feature violinist Jennifer Frautschi. She will perform Saint Saen's masterpiece, Violin Concerto No. 3.
The MSO will perform a variety of other concerts for the season, including Vintage Americana, the annual Salute to Independence, on July 2 at Antietam National Battlefield.
On Sept. 17, 2005, the MSO Pops! will bring Bravo Big Band to Hagerstown.
The MSO will present its 2005 holiday concert, Glorious Holiday Spirits, on Dec. 17 and 18. The orchestra will perform holiday music, and Hagerstown Choral Arts will perform Vivaldi's "Gloria."
Heroes and Heroines, the March 4, 2006, family concert, will feature a blend of puppetry, narrative and classical music.
Incentives offered for early-bird subscriptions
Subscriber benefits include preferred seating, flexible ticket exchanges and savings on the price of single concert tickets.
Patrons who subscribe by Monday, Feb. 28, will receive a free bonus ticket to any one of the five 2005-2006 MasterWorks concerts, and are eligible to win one of several prizes. These include the use of a 2005 Mercedes convertible for a month, courtesy of Mercedes Benz of Hagerstown, a three-day getaway to one of more than 77 locations, courtesy of F&M Bank, one night's stay for two at Coolfont Resort in Berkeley Springs, W.Va., and a print by local artist Bob Wantz. The prize drawing will be held at the April 2 MasterWorks IV concert.
Season subscriptions are available at the MSO Box Office at 13 S. Potomac Street in Hagerstown, by calling 301-797-4000, or on the Web at www.marylandsymphony.org.
