The Portland Symphony Orchestra presents perennial favorite Ravel’s Boléro as part of the Sunday Classical Concert series at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 12 at Merrill Auditorium in Portland. The concert will be conducted by guest conductor Nir Kabaretti, with guest violinist Gilles Apap. The program includes Sheriff’s Akeda, Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major (“Strassburg”), Strauss’Death and Transfiguration, op. 24 and concludes with Ravel’s Boléro.

Kabaretti is music director of the Israel Sinfonietta Be’er Sheva and the Southwest Florida Symphony. He has worked with some of the world’s most sought-after musicians including Lang Lang, Placido Domingo, Joyce Di Donato, and Angel Joy Blu.

Apap performs as a soloist with orchestras around the world. Currently he is Camerata Zürich’s artist in residence.

A POPS! program featuring the music of Louis Armstrong and friends with guest artist Carmen Bradford will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 19. The program includes such popular works as Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Love Is Here To Stay,” “I Won’t Dance,” and more led by guest conductor Byron Stripling, who will also perform on the trumpet. Stripling returns to conduct the PSO, this time with a live audience.

Bradford is a 2022 Grammy Nominee, and recipient of the Los Angeles Jazz Society’s Jazz Vocalist Award. She sang on the haunting soundtrack for Oprah Winfrey’s “Beloved” and starred in the title role of Duke Ellington’s Folk Opera “Queenie Pie” at the University of Texas at Austin’s Butler School of Music.

A Discovery Series concert with the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra will be presented at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 26. The Discovery Series concerts are an entertaining and educational hour-long exploration of music. This concert will be conducted by PSO Music Director Eckart Preu and the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra conductor Robert Lehmann. This side-by-side concert provides a rare opportunity for musicians from the PYSO, ranging in age from 13-18, to take the stage with professional musicians. The concert, titled “Around the World with the Portland Youth Symhony Orchestra,” features a mix of works by classical and contemporary composers including Dvořák, Schumann, Márquez, John Williams and more.

Founded in 1924, the Portland Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is one of the largest performing arts organizations in Maine and is widely regarded as one of the top symphony orchestras of its size in the country. Made up of more than 80 professional musicians, the PSO is renowned for its critically acclaimed performances and broad community engagement. The Symphony’s mission is to serve its community by enriching lives through music. More information can be found at www.portlandsymphony.org.

Tickets to PSO performances start at $12. Discovery Series tickets are $10 each. For more information, visit portlandsymphony.org. For tickets, visit porttix.com.

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