EarRelevant Staff | 11 MAY 2023
With summer only six weeks away, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra has just announced that on the first full day after the Summer Solstice, the orchestra will return to Midtown Atlanta’s Piedmont Park for its Concerts in the Park series. The free performance, led by ASO resident conductor Jerry Hou, will take place on Oak Hill in the park’s southwest side on Thursday evening, June 22, at 7:30 p.m., with a program featuring a celebration of Latin music and composers from around the world, including Astor Piazzolla and Manuel de Falla, amongst others.
Pre-concert activities will include a performance by the Community Brass Ensemble, led by ASO principal tuba Michael Moore, from the ASO’s Education and Community Engagement Department, which will host family-friendly activities from 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. Families are encouraged to arrive early with their picnic dinners, as seating with a good view of the stage is on a first-come, first-served basis. There will also be a merchandise table with ASO-branded gear for purchase.
The free Concerts in the Park are among the orchestra’s most popular traditions of community outreach, drawing thousands of people from across the city. Tickets are not required, but there are some important facts to know about attending this concert at Piedmont Park:
- Patrons are encouraged to arrive early, as seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, and seating with a direct view of the stage is not guaranteed.
- While there is limited parking at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens Parking Facility, adjacent to Piedmont Park, patrons are encouraged to carpool, ride MARTA to Arts Center Station or Midtown Station, and walk or bike to the event. (EarRelevant suggests that additionally, patrons can ride MARTA bus #36 to a stop near the 10th St entrance to the park near Oak Hill, bus #27 to stops near the park’s 14th St. entrance, or the #809 bus to the southeast corner of the park at 10th St. and Monroe Drive which is also accessible via the eastside Atlanta Beltline.)
- Patrons may bring outside food and beverages into the concert area; however, grills, glass containers, and outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted. Beer, wine, and food will be available on-site for purchase.
- Pets are not permitted at this event. However, the Piedmont Park Dog Park will be open.
- In the case of inclement weather, check aso.org and ASO social media channels for updates. There is no scheduled rain date.
Additional details and full program information will be posted at www.aso.org/piedmont.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra last performed a concert at Piedmont Park on June 22, 2022. In the interim, a concert initially scheduled there by the ASO for September 27, 2022, was quietly canceled in the wake of the cancellation of the Music Midtown festival at the beginning of August amid controversies over Georgia gun laws and uses of public parks. Happily, the ASO is returning to live performance at the park with this upcoming June concert. EarRelevant hopes to see more music ensembles and organizations doing the same soon. ■
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