ASO Concerts in the Park: The gift at the gazebo

So what do you think of when you think of going to the symphony? I think of large concert halls, people dressed in formal wear, crowded auditoriums, voices hushed in anticipation. The conductor enters to a swell of applause, bows, taps his baton, and raises it as the house quiets to a stillness. Then, a flick of the wrist – and the music plays.

If you think of something similar, get that vision out of your head for the Austin Symphony's annual Concerts in the Park. Sponsored by the Hartman Foundation, this year's concerts will, as always, be performed in the gazebo in Wooldridge Park, just south of the Travis County Courthouse, for 12 consecutive Sundays, free of charge. Featuring Austin Symphony Orchestra members organized in quintets and ensembles, playing swing, jazz, pop, and classical (of course), these concerts offer something for everyone.

And the musicians love getting out of the concert hall and inside that gazebo. "When I play in them," says Bob Cannon, who's played trumpet with ASO for many years, "I always envision the way it might have been around the turn of the 20th century, when band concerts outside were not unusual. That's just the way people heard music many times, especially in America in the summertime."

Of course, playing outside presents unique challenges. "I think the instruments respond differently just because you're playing in different elements," says Jennifer Bourianoff, one of ASO's longtime violinists. "We can't have any kind of rain because it would hurt the wood. At the first sign of rain, we pack up our instruments and run for cover." In fact, if it does rain on any given Sunday, call ASO to see if the evening's concert is on at all.

Playing a wind or brass instrument outside offers slightly different challenges. "Bugs can be an issue," says Cannon. "They'll be flying around, and you might inhale one, or they might crawl inside your mouth as you're playing. But you know, we all laugh it off. It's just part of the craziness of playing outside. A couple times there have been thunderstorms in the area. I remember once hearing thunder off in the distance, and you know, you're holding metal instruments in a gazebo. The thunder cracks, it's very close, I turn around just in time to see lightning, and we're all like, 'Okay. That's the end of that concert.'"

Despite the challenges, playing outdoors appears well worth the effort. "People can really experience the music in a setting that is comfortable to them," says Bourianoff. "If they want to wear shorts and sandals, they can do that. If they feel like having a picnic while we're playing or getting up and playing with their dogs, they can do that. I love to see the kids dance around and play chase. It's a happy time, a really wonderful atmosphere. It's such a positive, earnest type of emotion, especially from children. It's a gift. They're saying, 'I like this.' And they're showing it. It makes me happy, and I think that happiness carries into the music."

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The Austin Symphony's 2007 Concerts in the Park series runs June 3-Aug. 26, Sundays, 7:30pm, at Wooldridge Square Park, Ninth and Guadalupe. Admission is free. For more information, call 476-6064 or visit www.austinsymphony.org

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June 3: Large String Ensemble (classical)

June 10: Big Band (swing)

June 17: Brass Ensemble (Father's Day theme)

June 24: Woodwind Ensemble (classical)

July 8: Big Band (audience requests)

July 15: Brass Quintet (patriotic theme)

July 22: Mixed Woodwind Ensemble (light classical)

July 29: Large String Ensemble (light classical)

Aug. 5: Big Band (Count Basie; Duke Ellington)

Aug. 12: Woodwinds/Brass Ensemble (pops)

Aug. 19: Brass Ensemble (pops)

Aug. 26: Season Finale (mixed; variety)