The Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO) will perform “Astrolatry,” by Avner Dorman, professor at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music at Gettysburg College, May 8 at the Majestic Theater, on the way to their Carnegie Hall debut.

The ASO commissioned “Astrolatry” during Dorman’s 2010-2011 residency, funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. Conductor Justin Brown led the world premiere on March 25, 2011 in Birmingham. Michael Huebner of The Birmingham News praised the work, writing, “its unfettered expressive range gives an immediate appeal that is both probing and entertaining.”

Brown (pictured at left) has, in his four seasons with the ASO, won recognition for the ASO across the country, in particular as a vibrant destination for contemporary music, for which it received a first-place ASCAP award in 2010 and ASCAP's "strongest commitment" award for adventurous programming in 2011.

The 8 p.m. show at the Majestic Theater, located at 25 Carlisle Street, will also include the premiere of a piece by composer PaulLansky and the ASO’s spirited rendition of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.

Tickets cost $25 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets are available at 717-337-8200 or http://www.gettysburgmajestic.org. Groups of 10 or more should call for seating.

“Astrolatry” will make its New York debut on May 10 when it is performed by the ASO as part of Spring for Music, a concentrated festival of concerts by North American symphony and chamber orchestras presented annually at Carnegie Hall.

About Dorman

Avner Dorman has quickly risen to become one of today's most successful and renowned composers. At the age of 25, he became the youngest composer to win Israel's prestigious Prime Minister's Award and that same year he was awarded the Golden FeatherAward from ACUM (the Israeli Society of Composers and Publishers). Since coming to the United States, Dorman has received several international awards fromASCAP, ACUM and the Asian Composers League.

Dorman's unique approach to rhythm and timbre has attracted some of the world's leading conductors, including Zubin Mehta, Marin Alsop,Asher Fisch and Simone Young, to bring his music to international audiences at The New York Philharmonic, The Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Musikverein. He has written music for five films.

Recently, Dorman’s music received national attention with the world premiere of “Uzu and Muzu from Kakaruzu” in Stockton, California on March 8. The work was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and was commissioned and premiered by the Stockton Symphony Orchestra. Inspired by the profound urban decline in the City of Stockton, “Uzu” is based on themes of conflict and resolution from a children’s fairy tale of the same title by Israeli author Ephraim Sidon.

Dorman received his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Composition from The Julliard School. He also has a Bachelor of Arts in Physics from Tel Aviv University, and was co-founder of and led the algorithm writing for Musicraft, Ltd., a startup company that developed music performance and analysis software. Dorman has developed software applications for ringtone creation, and produced over 4,000 ringtones for various handsets.

More on Dorman is available here.

The Sunderman Conservatory of Music provides comprehensive music training grounded in the liberal arts for students who seek to make music integral to their lives as a career or life-long avocation. The Conservatory offers three degrees, a Bachelor of Music in Performance, a Bachelor of Science in Music Education (for aspiring music teachers) and a Bachelor of Arts in Music. Honoring their role as a dynamic conservatory within one of the nation's leading liberal arts colleges, they foster rigorous study, creativity, intellectual curiosity and joy in music.

Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences with a strong academic tradition. Alumni include Rhodes Scholars, a Nobel laureate, and other distinguished scholars. The college enrolls 2,600 undergraduate students and is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.

Contact: Nikki Rhoads, assistant director of communications, 717.337.6803