CSO announces audience policy, free tickets, pre-show entertainment for 1023 concert

Oneonta’s Catskill Symphony Orchestra first concert of the 2021-2022 Season, Archissimo, is Saturday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center

ONEONTA, NY, Oct. 14, 2021—The Catskill Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announces its audience policy, free student and family tickets, and pre-show entertainment for the Archissimo concert on Saturday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center in Oneonta. 

Archissimo is the first concert of the CSO’s 2021-2022 season and the first in-person concert it has presented since November 2019. Archissimo will feature evergreens of string orchestra repertoire, including the witty Serenata Notturna by Mozart, and virtuosic pieces composed by Edvard Grieg and Béla Bartók. It is the first concert led by the CSO’s new music director Maciej Zoltowski, who joined the organization in January 2020, and the first of two fall concerts at Foothills PAC. The second is Nov. 20. 

Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert starts at 7 p.m. with a presentation by Zoltowski. Preshow offerings include live music by Hartwick College student musicians, a full cash bar, and desserts and snacks by King’s Kakery and 221 Bakery for sale.

All audience members are required to wear masks in accordance with CDC public health guidelines. As an added precaution, attendance at the concert is limited to 50 percent capacity of the Foothills PAC theater to allow for social distancing between parties. 

Thanks to an anonymous donor, the CSO is offering free tickets to all students in elementary school through college, as well as the accompanying adults of minors. To reserve free tickets, email Executive Director Cassandra Miller at contact@catskillsymphony.org with the names of students and adults, school district, and year. Reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis. Children age 2 and older are welcome to attend with a properly fitted mask. 

General admission tickets for regular season concerts are $32 in advance or $35 the day of performances. Season Passes are available for $120 through Oct. 23, and include tickets for the three regular season concerts as well as the Cabaret fundraiser. For more information and tickets, visit www.catskillsymphony.org.

About the Catskill Symphony Orchestra

The Catskill Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded in 1953 for the purpose of providing access to live symphonic music to area residents, who otherwise would have to travel great distances in order to enjoy such performances. In 1974, the committee filed for articles of incorporation, applied for tax-exempt status, and oversaw the transition from a volunteer community orchestra to a professional organization that has grown steadily in the quality of its musicians and programming. Maestro Charles Schneider served as the orchestra's conductor from 1973 until 2017. After an international search, Maciej Zoltowski became the new conductor, and 2021-2022 will be his first season with the orchestra. The CSO is an unparalleled resource to entertain, educate, and inspire  audiences of all ages in upstate New York—by presenting an ensemble of the highest artistic quality performing the full range of symphonic literature. The CSO typically holds five concerts per season to an audience of over 3,500 patrons offering a diverse repertoire.