The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra has announced its lineup of concerts for next season.

Highlights include popular works by two internationally known local composers, William Bolcom and Michael Daugherty; the return of the Beethoven festival; excerpts from "Rigoletto"; and a season-closing performance of "Carmina Burana" at Hill Auditorium.

Music Director Arie Lipsky is returning for his 12th season leading the ensemble.

The full announcement from the symphony:

The Ann Arbor Symphony announces an exhilarating year of classic concertos, expressive opera, and contemporary works in its 83rd season, We Speak Music. With a season that promises enough variety to speak to every ear, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra prepares for another record-breaking number of season subscriptions after the exciting success of their 2010-2011 season of Great. Live. Music.

In his 12th season, Maestro Arie Lipsky and the incomparable Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra musicians will navigate the ragtime stylings of Pulitzer Prize-winning Ann Arbor composer William Bolcom, explore new interpretations of classic greats by Beethoven and Mozart, and join with the musical forces of Huron, Pioneer and Skyline High Schools to bring the season to a close with Carl Orff’s monumental Carmina Burana.

Accompanying the Ann Arbor Symphony on stage this season will be familiar favorites including pianist Anton Nel, cellist Julie Albers, and mezzo-soprano Sarah Nisbett, as well as first-time appearances by vocalist Paul Grizzell and others. This season celebrates more than just powerful and inspiring music, but the way music speaks to us all, expressing our true feelings through lyrical melodies and visceral rhythms, bringing us joy, sadness, and hope.

In the first mainstage concert of the season on September 17th, composer William Bolcom kicks off the concert by speaking to us with his most-performed work (over 1000 times) Ragomania: A Classical Festival Overture. Following is Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A minor, Op. 129 as performed by Julie Albers, whom the A2SO is thrilled to have back for yet another season. Finishing out the evening is Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47, with its unrivaled emotional depth, taking the listener on a journey like no other.

The second concert this season is the perpetual favorite Beethoven Festival, with one of the A2SO’s favorite guest soloists, Anton Nel, who is coming back for his seventh appearance with the A2SO. Praised for his expert interpretations of Beethoven’s piano concertos, Nel will be performing what many consider the greatest of the set, the “Emperor.” Listeners will also be treated to Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio Overture, which is the fourth iteration of Fidelio, none of the previous versions satisfying him, along with Symphony No.1 in C major, Op.21 which showcases Beethoven at the genesis of his young career.

In keeping with this season’s theme, the November concert Rigoletto will feature excerpts from Verdi’s classic musical drama, preceded by the haunting Debussy three-part orchestral epic La mer. Rediscover Verdi, considered the greatest composer of lyrical melody, through the shimmering and resonant voices of Sarah Hibbard, Vale Rideout, Thomas Hall, and Sarah Nisbett as they guide you through the twists, turns, revenge, and heartbreak of Rigoletto.

In our annual celebration of the boy genius and his music, the Mozart Birthday Bash, the A2SO gives you a sampling of Mozart’s brilliance in three forms:  an overture to one of his greatest opera’s, Don Giovani; a tour de force Piano Concerto No. 27 in B flat major; and one of his later symphonies, Symphony No. 38 in D major. Also referred to as the “Prague Symphony,” named after its premier performance during Mozart’s 1787 visit to Bohemia, Symphony No. 38 is sure to thrill. Pianist Ran Dank will join the A2SO after making his Kennedy Center debut in the 2010-2011 season.. Let him wind you through the charm, grace, and sublimity of Mozart’s No. 27 in B- flat speaking in his own unique voice through his fingers.

The music of Ann Arbor Grammy Award winner Michael Daugherty is featured as the opening number for the March concert, Masterworks, with his comic-book inspired “Oh, Lois” from the award-winning Metropolis Symphony. As a Professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, Daugherty is akin to a musical superhero, being one of the most frequently commissioned, programmed, and recorded current American composers. Concertmaster Aaron Berofsky will perform Saint-Saens’ Violin Concerto No. 3 in B minor, where you’ll hear the composer’s voice come through in the romanticism of this monumental 19th-century violin concerto. “What we adore about Aaron’s playing is his gorgeous sound, elegant approach, and seemingly effortless virtuosity,” says Maestro Arie Lipsky. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor rounds out this fantastic display of musical prowess, depicting the ultimate triumph of perseverance through adversity that will leave you speechless.

Finishing out the exciting season of We Speak Music is Carmina Burana, held at Hill Auditorium. The finale opens with Kernis’ New Era Dance, a contemporary piece originally written for the New York Philharmonic, “in anticipation of the new millennium to come in the Year 2000, in hope for a time of imperial political and social change” (Kernis). Come experience what The Times described as “a six-minute explosion of New York exuberance” in your own backyard. From contemporary to 17th century, Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn takes the listener on a harmonious voyage through the theme before arriving at a triumphant finale. For the grand finale, Carl Orff’s monumental cantata Carmina Burana combines medieval sounds and poetry with the maximum orchestral power of the modern era, creating an epic masterpiece that remains one of the most popular symphonic works of all time that will surely leave you talking! Singer Tim Culver returns to the stage along with Mary Wilson, who returns for a second performance with the A2SO. Paul Grizzell, heard most recently performing with the Berlin Philharmonic and at Carnegie Hall, will be making his first appearance with the A2SO. We will celebrate the close of our season by having voices from our own community join our musicians and singers onstage from Huron, Pioneer, and Skyline High Schools and Measure by Measure.

To order tickets, call 734-994-4801; fax 734-994-3949; mail 220 E. Huron Suite 470, Ann Arbor, MI 48104; email a2so@a2so.com; go online at www.a2so.com. Single tickets range from $10 to $55.  Subscriptions start at $40. First-time subscribers can buy one season subscription and get one FREE! Students receive 50% off ticket price (sections A-D). Senior, group and community orchestra discounts also available. Now is the time to take the opportunity to enjoy all this season’s incredible performances for a discounted price!

The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra is a premier regional orchestra that offers live symphonic music for all ages. The A2SO touches the lives of over 76,000 people every year, from tiny tots to seasoned citizens in venues ranging from the Michigan Theater to Hill Auditorium, as well as schools in the five-county area; Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Dexter District Libraries; and senior centers. For concert or educational programming information, contact the A2SO by calling 734-994-4801, or emailing a2so@a2so.com.