The Mobile Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will take a jazz-infused stroll through the City of Light with George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, Saturday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, April 12, at 2:30 p.m. at Mobile’s historic Saenger Theatre. Pianist Zlata Chochieva joins the orchestra for Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, considered by many as the best piano concerto ever written.
Gershwin’s An American in Paris is a vividly detailed musical postcard from the composer’s own journey to Paris. “You can hear everything he loved about the place: the glamour, the clamor, the sense of endless possibility. You can also hear homesickness creeping in through the back door, not to mention the thrill of a budding love affair,” Music Director Scott Speck explains. “But it’s the taxi horns that seal the deal – literal Parisian taxi horns that Gershwin selected and carefully scored into the piece. It’s not a parody. It’s a love letter, written in jazz, nostalgia and traffic.”
Pianist Zlata Chochieva is celebrated worldwide by critics and audiences alike as one of the most extraordinary artists of her generation. Her acclaimed recording of the Chopin Etudes was selected by Gramophone as one of the 10 greatest Chopin recordings. Following her Carnegie Hall debut last season, Chochieva has toured extensively across the world – from Europe to the United States and South Africa. She was born in Moscow and is now a resident of Berlin.
MSO’s next concert is The Planets, May 2 and 3, 2026. Holst’s classical blockbuster collides with scores by Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer, featuring music from Interstellar, Inception, Dune and Darkstar from Top Gun: Maverick
Tickets are $20-$96 and can be purchased online at mobilesymphony.org, by phone at 251-432-2010 or at the symphony box office, 257 Dauphin Street. Bring a group of 10 or more and receive 20% off your order!
Student tickets are $10. Through MSO’s Big Red Ticket program sponsored by the Alabama Power Foundation and the Figures Foundation, students in grades K-12 can attend any of the season’s six classical Sunday performances free when accompanied by a paying adult. More details can be found online at www.mobilesymphony.org.
Concertgoers can enjoy an informative pre-concert talk, TakeNote, beginning at 6:30 p.m. before the Saturday performance and 1:30 p.m. before Sunday’s performance in Room 1927 adjacent to the Saenger entrance on Joachim Street.
An American in Paris is sponsored by The J.L. Bedsole Foundation, The University of South Alabama and Lowell & Bobette Friedman. All concerts have been made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
The Saenger Theatre has implemented new security procedures for all events held at the theatre. To ensure everyone has a safe, enjoyable and seamless experience, all patrons will be screened by walk-through magnetometers. Only clear bags/purses no larger than 12″x6″x12″ will be permitted inside the theatre.
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The Mobile Symphony has been a regional orchestra for the central Gulf Coast since 1997. Scott Speck serves as music director. In addition to offering a full season of classical and pops concerts, the orchestra serves the area with a wide range of educational and outreach programs including student performances, string academies and a youth orchestra. http://www.mobilesymphony.org
