Dear ACO friends:

The American Classical Orchestra's twenty-sixth season follows an extraordinary Silver Anniversary with sold-out concerts garnering standing ovations and glowing reviews. The 2010-11 season includes beloved masterpieces as well as two "modern premieres," which New York audiences will be the first to experience.

Opening Night: Beethoven and Dragonetti – Beethoven’s Eroica is the master’s most stirring work, from the famous theme, to the bone-chilling funeral march, to the finale’s heroic trumpets. Plus, ACO bassist John Feeney plays the modern premiere of a thrilling concerto by Beethoven’s legendary bassist Domenico Dragonetti.

Mozart “Linz” plus Weber and Haydn – The composer penned this symphony just in time for his tour stop in Linz (1783), and it has remained an audience favorite ever since. Also on the program: a rare performance of the Weber Clarinet Concerto in F minor and one of Haydn’s sturm und drang symphonies.

St. Matthew Passion at St. John the Divine – Perhaps no other work has inspired musicians and listeners so deeply as Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Our concert in the splendid cathedral nave will feature the renowned tenor Rufus Müller as the Evangelist, and three superb choirs with soloists.

Grétry Richard the Lionheart – Following the ACO success of Grétry’s Zémire and Azor, we present a semi-staged performance of his most popular opera, replete with battle scene and heraldry. This is the first performance in New York in modern times.

Salon concerts – ACO subscribers attend two special concerts this season, each held in intimate venues where you can hear the group “up close” and interact with the musicians.

As the founder of the ACO, I am still marveling at a year of unparalleled growth for the ensemble.

• The audience quadrupled in size. 
• Two New York Times reviews revealed the orchestra as a vital participant in the city’s cultural scene. 
• Classical Music for Kids again reached thousands of children. 
• We made a soon-to-be-released commercial recording for Centaur Records. 
• England ’s Nimbus Records just re-released our acclaimed 1998 boxed set of the Mozart Wind Concerti. 

Artistically, the ACO took a palpable leap in quality during every performance, and the musicians’ enthusiasm is at an all-time high. As the veteran publicist Jay Hoffman noted, “This is the ACO’s moment.” We have an opportunity to grow in wholly new ways.

Thanks to all of you who have attended our performances and helped bring the orchestra to this inspiring place.  Please join us this season, as we strive to present even more memorable experiences. I invite you to subscribe and enjoy!

Sincerely, 

Thomas Crawford, Music Director