Alpharetta SymphonyConcert Companion
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Digital concert program

Beethoven’s 7th

Mozart’s Don Giovanni Overture, Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 1 and Beethoven’s dancing Seventh Symphony.

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Date
Concert
7:30 PM
Pre-concert talk
6:30 PM
Venue
Innovation Academy Auditorium

Program order

What you’ll hear

About 1 hr 10 min of music, in the order listed by the Symphony (subject to change). Larger works are split into movements, separate sections with short pauses between them. Audiences usually hold applause until the whole piece ends.

  1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    1787 · Duration: about 6 min

    Overture to Don Giovanni

    The curtain-raiser to Mozart’s opera about the legendary seducer Don Juan, whose crimes finally catch up with him when the statue of a man he killed comes to life. The overture packs the opera’s mix of terror and comedy into a few minutes.

    Listen for

    Two thunderous chords at the start, then the sudden switch from darkness to bright, bustling energy.

    Needs confirmation In the opera the overture runs straight into the first scene, so concert performances add a closing ending. Which version will be played needs confirmation.

  2. Joseph Haydn

    c. 1761–65 · Duration: about 24 min

    Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major

    Jeremy Woolstenhulme, cello

    Written while Haydn was working for the Esterházy court, probably for its principal cellist Joseph Weigl. The concerto was lost for almost 200 years until a copy was discovered in Prague in 1961. It has been a favorite of cellists ever since.

    Movements

    1. Moderato
    2. Adagio
    3. Allegro molto

    Listen for

    The cello racing through the finale, leaping between high and low notes at top speed.

  3. Ludwig van Beethoven

    1811–12 · Duration: about 38 min

    Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92

    Premiered in Vienna in 1813 at a benefit concert for soldiers wounded in the Napoleonic Wars, this symphony was an instant hit. Its relentless rhythms led Richard Wagner to call it “the apotheosis of the dance.”

    Movements

    1. Poco sostenuto – Vivace
    2. Allegretto
    3. Presto
    4. Allegro con brio

    Listen for

    The steady, solemn rhythm of the second movement, which begins quietly in the low strings and builds to a great climax.

Open the Listening Guide

Featured performers

On stage

  • Conductor

    Michael Giel

    Music Director, Alpharetta Symphony

    Michael Giel is currently in his third year as Music Director and Conductor of the Alpharetta Symphony. Since 2010, he has also served as Principal Conductor of Capitol City Opera Company in Atlanta and is the Associate Conductor of the Atlanta Pops Orchestra. Praised by ArtsATL for his “infectious onstage energy” and “vivacious demeanor,” he brings dynamic artistry to both classical and contemporary stages. Michael made his debut in the summer of 2025 conducting the Atlanta Symphony with Rumours ATL and Lindsey Stirling.

    He spent seven seasons as Associate Conductor of the California Piano Concerto Festival in San Jose, CA, and has performed across Georgia and Florida with ensembles including the Savannah Philharmonic, Gwinnett Philharmonic, Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, Ocmulgee Symphony, Gainesville (GA) Symphony, Albany (GA) Symphony, Coastal Symphony of Georgia, Rome (GA) Symphony, Atlanta Pops Orchestra, Ludwig Symphony Orchestra, Da Salo Solisti Chamber Orchestra, LaGrange Symphony, and Central Florida Symphony.

    Michael earned Bachelor’s degrees in Music Performance and Music Education from Valdosta State University and a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Georgia. From 2008 to 2014, he served as Orchestra Director for the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program and has been a guest clinician for orchestra festivals in Atlanta Public Schools, Cherokee, DeKalb, Fulton, and Muscogee Counties.

    In the modern music arena, Michael has performed with and for artists including CeeLo Green, Gucci Mane, Rick Ross, Jadakiss, Nas, Evanescence, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Josh Groban, Chloe Agnew (Celtic Woman), John Hopkins (Zac Brown Band), Debby Boone, Il Volo, Debbie Reynolds, Barry Manilow, Michael Bolton, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Sarah Brightman, Lindsey Stirling, Il Divo, and the rapper T.I. in a pair of concerts in which Rolling Out Magazine said his conducting provided the “sonic magic.”

    A native of Atlanta, Michael lives in Brookhaven with his wife, concert pianist Catherine Giel. The two also perform together in the rock band Full Service, with Catherine on keyboards and Michael on electric bass. In his spare time, he is an avid tennis player and outdoor enthusiast.

  • Cello

    Jeremy Woolstenhulme

    Principal Cello, Alpharetta Symphony

    Placeholder Official biography and photo coming soon.

Composer spotlight

Meet the composers

Choose a composer to learn more.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

1756–1791 · Austria

A child prodigy who became one of the most complete composers in history, Mozart wrote masterpieces in every form of his day, from symphonies to opera.

Did you know?

  • As a child he toured Europe with his father and sister, performing for royalty.
  • He wrote more than 600 works before his death at 35.
  • Don Giovanni premiered in Prague in 1787, with Mozart himself conducting.
  • Its librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte, also wrote the words for The Marriage of Figaro and Così fan tutte.

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