In sync with Boston Baroque's exciting 40th Anniversary Season, the Grammy-nominated orchestra will present a free concert at the historic 1400-seat Strand Theatre, 543 Columbia Road in Dorchester on Sun., Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. The concert, sponsored and hosted by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and the City of Boston's Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events is also made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Free For All Concert Fund.

The performance will feature a Beethoven program that features the always-celebratory Symphony No. 9. Soprano Leah Partridge, mezzo-soprano Ann McMahon Quintero, tenor William Burden and bass Kevin Deas are featured soloists alongside the acclaimed Boston Baroque Chorus. “I'm proud of all the hard work that’s gone into the renovation and re-opening of the Strand,” Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said.

“Organizations are recognizing the Strand as an important venue for the performing arts and a valuable resource for all the people of Boston. I’m pleased to welcome Boston Baroque for its performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, as it celebrates its 40th anniversary,” said Mayor Menino.

Free, general-admission tickets are available now at the Uphams Corner Art Place at 545 Columbia Road— right next to the Strand— Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets can also be reserved by calling Boston Baroque at 617-987-8600, extension 113.

In addition, tickets will be available at the Strand Theatre box office on the day of the concert.

Boston Baroque's Executive Director, Miguel Rodriguez says, "For our upcoming 40th Anniversary Season, we look forward to expanding Boston Baroque's presence beyond the traditional concert hall by presenting an accessible program with period instruments to new audiences and communities in urban Boston."
"Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is the perfect vehicle to give back to the community, and we are committed to making this an annual event," says Music Director Martin Pearlman.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony was the first example of a major composer using voices in a symphony, thus making it a choral symphony. The words are sung during the final movement by four vocal soloists and a chorus. They were taken from the "Ode to Joy", a poem written by Friedrich Schiller in 1785 and revised in 1803, with additions made by the composer. Today, it stands as one of the most popular and widely-performed symphonies in the world.