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Our first concert of the season will be a special family concert celebrating Halloween on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. in Knowlton Auditorium. We are calling it “An Orchestral Mystery.”

For the first time in our history we will be offering a pre concert carnival for the kids, with face painting, a treasure hunt, games and a costume contest, all starting at 12:45 in Austin High School’s Ove Berven Gym. So have the kids dress up in their Halloween costumes and partake in the fun. Then, after intermission, the kids will march onto the stage as the orchestra plays “Teddy Bears Picnic” and pose for pictures while the winners of the costume contest are announced.

But that’s not all. There will also be some great Halloween music, a world premiere of a composition by high school student Blake Zimmerli, and a side-by-side performance of “Danse Macabre” with the Austin High School Symphony, directed by Gene Schott. In addition, the major work will be a hilarious composition titled “The Composer Is Dead by Lemony Snicket” The Inspector/narrator, played by professional actor Jake Endres, has discovered that the composer has died in the night and decides to question each section of the orchestra on their whereabouts at the time of death and their feelings about the composer and his music.

It sounds dark but it is kid friendly, humorous and with plenty of subtle humor for the adults in the audience. And each section of the orchestra reveals its special sound and personality. It is a really entertaining tour de force.

Blake Zimmerli, a senior at Austin High School, is an award-winning pianist, composer and percussionist. The title of his piece, “Brouhaha,” is a French word for “uproar.” It is a dynamic composition that showcases the incredible versatility of the orchestra and takes the listener on a wild and unpredictable ride through a variety of styles and moods. Blake is thrilled to have his piece performed by ASO: “As a young composer, I am humbled and excited to have my largest orchestral composition premiered by the Austin Symphony Orchestra!”

The Austin High School Symphony Orchestra has a decades-long reputation in Minnesota as a top tier high school ensemble. Over the last 67 years many high school students have had the opportunity to advance their skills by performing with the ASO and many have received scholarships for private lessons. This is an important part of the Austin Symphony’s educational outreach.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the synergy happening between the AHS music department and the Austin Symphony,” Schott said. “We find common ground, connection and language through music.”

Endres, from St. Paul, is a professional who splits his time between the musical and theatrical worlds while freelancing as a singer, actor, music director and composer. He has performed with many regional organizations, including the Minnesota Orchestra and the Metropolitan Symphony to name a few.

Also on the program is music from the movie “Psycho” by Bernard Herrmann and “The Noonday Witch” by Antonin Dvorak.

The next day the ASO will be performing this same program in two concerts for over 3,000 fourth through sixth graders from Austin and the surrounding communities in southeast Minnesota and Norther Iowa. This is part of our educational outreach and the response has been amazing.

Tickets are $25 in advance if purchased at Hy-Vee or the Coffee House on Main or online at www.austinmnsymphony.org. Tickets at the door are $30. Children 18 and younger are free, as are college students with a college ID. We would like everyone to have a ticket this year to better keep track of our attendance.

So, if you bring children, please stop at the ticket desk and pick up a free ticket for them. Visit our website to purchase season tickets and/or individual concert tickets, and to learn more about our season and our educational programs. For more Information our number is 507 460 3678.