On Saturday, November 18, the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra (NBSO) presents Beautiful Moments in the Bronspiegel Auditorium at New Bedford High School, their temporary home during the Zeiterion renovation. Under the direction of Music Director Yaniv Dinur, the orchestra will perform works by Assad, Shostakovich, and Dvořák.

Brazilian composer Clarice Assad draws on the rain-making rituals of the Tupi and Gurana tribes of the Amazon basin to create a piece of music that is both prayerful and delightful, including that beautiful moment when you feel light raindrops falling on your uplifted face. Composer Dimitri Shostakovich might not typically be associated with the idea of pure beauty, but the second movement of his Piano Concerto No. 2 is truly mesmerizing in its gentle beauty, and the rest of the piece is infused with a celebratory joy, which is fitting since Shostakovich wrote it as a gift to his piano-playing son on his 19th birthday. Another reason to celebrate this piece is that it will be performed by the NBSO’s very own South Coast Chamber Music Series artistic director, the inestimable Janice Weber. The program concludes with Dvořák’s sixth symphony, which is filled with an embarrassment of beautiful melodic riches, as only he can do.

Beautiful Moments will take place on November 18, 7:30 p.m., at the Bronspeigel Auditorium, New Bedford High School, 230 Hathaway Boulevard, New Bedford. Please join Maestro Dinur and Ms. Weber for the pre-concert talk at 6:30 p.m. Doors to the theater will open at 6 p.m. for the talk and 7 p.m. for the concert. 

Tickets are $20, $50, and $65, with $10 student tickets (available at the box office only with student ID). Purchase tickets through the Z box office, 508-994-2900, or online at www.nbsymphony.org. To purchase tickets in person, please go to Zeiterion.org/visit for information on their new location and hours. Convenient and free parking is available in the lots near the entrance to the auditorium.

All are invited to the free open rehearsal on Friday, November 17, 4:00 – 6:30 PM in the auditorium. Come and go as you please! Seating is general admission, with no tickets or RSVP required. Voluntary donations will be accepted at the door. Please note that this is a working rehearsal, and pieces may not be played in their entirety. A 20-minute break usually occurs between 5 and 5:30.

The NBSO is a professional orchestra that annually presents a concert series of classical and pops music with internationally acclaimed guest artists, as well as an outstanding chamber music series. In addition, the NBSO’s innovative and nationally recognized educational programs reach more than 8,000 students each year. The NBSO is dedicated to building a community of music in the South Coast. Visit www.nbsymphony.org today!