The Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia, conducted by Music Director Benjamin Rous, opens its 50th Anniversary Season on Saturday, September 28, 7:30pm, at Old Cabell Hall on the Grounds of the University of Virginia and Sunday, September 29, 3:30pm, at Charlottesville High School’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Performing Arts Center.

Marking the occasion, Rous says, “For our 50th Anniversary Season, we wanted to showcase the best of what the Charlottesville Symphony at the University of Virginia has been over the years. As a classical music ensemble, our aim was to celebrate a tradition of serving as a unique bridge to the past, while also connecting with the present. We’ve planned a season that emphasizes the symphonic tradition – both the Charlottesville Symphony’s and the broader history of symphonic music – while also continuing to show the versatility of orchestra performance and the way our music can intersect with the modern world. I want the whole season to feel like a celebration, and I designed every program to be a moment worthy of cherishing.”

The September 28-29 concerts open with Giuseppe Verdi’s Overture to La forza del destino (“the force of destiny”). An ominous three-note motif opens Verdi’s tragic opera, symbolizing the working of fate on its principal characters.

Jiyeon Choi, the orchestra’s Principal Clarinet and Lecturer in Clarinet at the University of Virginia, swings as the soloist in Artie Shaw’s jazzy and bluesy Concerto for Clarinet. She will be joined by Principal Cello and UVA Associate Professor of Music Adam Carter for the slowly unfolding Adagio from Jonathan Russell’s Double Concerto for Clarinet and Cello.

Another famous fate motif appears in the opening four notes of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor, arguably one of the most iconic works in the symphonic repertoire. Beethoven’s biographer thought the recurring theme resembled fate knocking at the door.

The orchestra’s September concerts are underwritten in part by Dolores G. Bedell. Jiyeon Choi’s appearance is made possible by the Angus Macaulay Visiting Artist Fund. Major support has also been provided by the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation.

Free parking is available in the UVA Central Grounds Parking Garage, located on Emmet Street South on Saturday nights and at Charlottesville High School’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Performing Arts Center on Sunday afternoons. The Charlottesville Free Trolley stops at McCormick Road near the UVA Amphitheater, in close proximity to Old Cabell Hall. Both venues are wheelchair accessible.

Single tickets are $10-$53 for adults and $10 for students, and may be purchased at the University of Virginia Arts Box Office, (434) 924-3376, 12:00-5:00pm, Tuesday through Friday in the lobby of the UVA Drama Building at 109 Culbreth Road, or online at www.artsboxoffice.virginia.edu.

All University of Virginia employees (faculty and staff of all UVA departments and professional schools) are entitled to a 20% discount on tickets to individual performances. This offer does not apply to subscriptions, the December Family Holiday Concerts, Pops at the Paramount or previously purchased tickets.