Albany Symphony kicks off season with ‘Spooktacular’ performance
When: Saturday, starts at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Albany Municipal Auditorium, 200 N. Jackson St.
The Albany Symphony Orchestra is presenting a hauntingly beautiful night of enchanting melodies. Performers will dress up for the occasion.
Admission: No charge, but donations will be accepted (suggested $15). Venue has a clear-bag policy.
Staff Photo: Tara FletcherBy Carlton Fletcher
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ALBANY — Maestro Claire Fox Hillard and officials with the Albany Symphony Orchestra have a suggestion for parents whose kids will spend Thursday evening trick-or-treating: Hold on to those elaborate costumes your kids wore during their candy collecting.
On Saturday, the symphony will open its 2024-25 season with a Halloween Symphonic Spooktacular Concert at the Albany Municipal Auditorium, an evening filled with music that will keep the Halloween Spirit alive.
“It’s going to be fun; all of the performers will be dressed up in Halloween costumes,” Hillard said. “Other orchestras in the area have done this, and everyone loves it, especially the musicians.”
The Spooktacular will kick off the symphony orchestra’s 61st season, dubbed “Celebrate With the Symphony.” All performances during the season are geared toward special celebrations, including Halloween, the Christmas holidays (Peppermint Pops, Dec. 10), Valentine’s Day (Romantic Music by Candlelight, Feb. 8), Black History (St. George’s Sword and Bow Educational Outreach, March 14), and Good Friday (A Concert of Music and Meditation, April 18).
“Last year, we celebrated our 60th anniversary,” Hillard said. “This year, we want to keep the celebration going.”
The symphony also will continue its policy of allowing citizens to view the concerts without cost, but it is suggesting a donation of $15 for those who can pay.
“The whole idea is to get rid of any barrier that would keep anyone in the community from attending the performances,” Hillard said. “Thanks to our donors and sponsors, we were able to do that last year, and we saw a definite increase in attendance. We will do the same this year, but we do ask that those who can support the orchestra do so. There are significant costs with putting a performance together.”
During Saturday’s performance, officials with the Flint River Entertainment Complex will provide refreshments in the lobby of the auditorium, Symphony Orchestra General Manager LeeAnna Anglin said. There will be no intermission during the performance. Patrons can buy signature drinks like witches’ brew, Tito’s vodka punch, beer, wine and liquor, and snacks like chips, candy, popcorn and charcuterie cups.
And about those Halloween hold-over costumes? ASO officials are encouraging parents and other adult attendees to come in costume as well.
“This will be such a fun way to kick off the new season,” Orchestra Board President Ben Roberts said. “Once again, this year, we are not selling tickets to performances because we don’t want cost to keep any families away. We do encourage those who can donate to do so, but we will not charge admission because we want everyone in the community to be able to enjoy the symphony.”
Hillard said he would have preferred to have the Spooktacular performance before Halloween, but other area symphonies (in Valdosta, Columbus and Tallahassee, Fla.) had performances planned during the dates leading up to Halloween.
“All of the symphonies in the area share a lot of the players,” Hillard said. “If I’d just insisted that we have our performance on a given day and they were already committed to playing on that day, I’m afraid the performance might have suffered. So we’ll just do it a couple of days after Halloween, and everyone can get one extra use out of their costumes.”
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