Some of the worlds top musicians, conductors and composers will perform at the West Virginia University Creative Arts Center during 2007-2008 as the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra returns for a second season.

The three-concert series will feature the return of Marvin Hamlisch and Sir Andrew Davis, as well as special appearances by principal cellist Anne Martindale Williams and world-renowned violinist Sarah Chang. All shows in the series will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre.

The series is made possible through a partnership between the WVU College of Creative Arts and the Pittsburgh Symphony.

This unique partnership will bring music of the finest quality to Morgantown,said Bernie Schultz, dean of the College of Creative Arts.Last year, these Pittsburgh Symphony concerts generated enormous excitement and enthusiasm with our audiences.

The Pittsburgh Symphony is one of the most outstanding in the country, and these concerts, along with the master classes by orchestra musicians, are just the beginning of a fantastic new season for WVU and for our Morgantown community,he noted.

The full series schedule is as follows:

Oct. 3�€Marvin Hamlisch inBroadway Hear and Now

Maestro Marvin Hamlisch returns Wednesday, Oct. 3, with a program calledBroadway Hear and Now,featuring tunes fromLes Miserables,Wicked,Chicago,A Chorus Lineand more.

As a composer, Hamlisch has won virtually every major award that exists, including three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys, a Tony and three Golden Globe awards. His groundbreaking show,A Chorus Line,received the Pulitzer Prize.

He is the composer of more than 40 motion picture scores, including his Oscar-winning score and song forThe Way We Wereand his adaptation of Scott Joplins music forThe Sting,for which he received a third Oscar.

Hamlisch holds the position of principal conductor with the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops. He is also the Pops orchestra conductor for the National Symphony and San Diego Symphony.

Dec. 6�€Sir Andrew Davis and cellist Anne Martindale Williams

Sir Andrew Davis returns Thursday, Dec. 6, to lead the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in a concert featuring principal cellist Anne Martindale Williams inEdward William Elgars dramaticCello Concerto.

Davis will lead Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts majesticSymphony No. 39,and the evening will also featurePhantasmagoriaby John Corigliano, who was named the Pittsburgh Symphonys Composer of the Year.

An Academy Award and Pulitzer Prize winner, Corigliano is considered one of the leading composers of his generation.

In addition to being artistic advisor of the Pittsburgh Symphony, Davis serves as music director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and conductor laureate of the Toronto Symphony, as well as the BBC Symphony.

His remarkably varied repertoire ranges from baroque to contemporary, with world premieres of many symphonic and operatic works to his credit.

Known to audiences worldwide from his BBC Proms appearances, he is a notable interpreter of much 20th century music, including LeoJancek, Olivier Messiaen, Pierre Boulez, Michael Tippett, Edward Britten and Elgar as well as the core symphonic repertoire.

Williams has enjoyed a successful career as principal cellist of the Pittsburgh Symphony since 1979. Throughout her tenure with the orchestra, she has often been featured as soloist both in Pittsburgh and on tour in New York at Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall.

She divides her time between the orchestra, teaching at Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne Universities, and solo and chamber music performances in America, Europe and Asia.

She has appeared in several nationally-televised productions includingConcertos,produced by the BBC andPrevin and the Pittsburgh,produced by WQED .

She also is a member of the Carnegie Mellon Trio, which performs throughout the United States.

Feb. 11�€Sir Andrew Davis and violinist Sarah Chang

The final concert on Monday, Feb. 11, 2008 will feature world-renowned violinist Sarah Chang in a program also conducted by Sir Andrew Davis and featuring Ludwig van BeethovensSymphony No. 7and Antonio Lucio Vivaldis masterpiece,The Four Seasons.

Chang has performed with orchestras all over the world and recently toured Europe with the Pittsburgh Symphony. One of the most remarkable prodigies of any generation, she has matured into a young artist whose musical insight, technical virtuosity and emotional range continue to astonish.

Appearing in the music capitals of Asia, Europe and the Americas, she has collaborated with most major orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the Boston Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the principal London orchestras and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam.

She has reached an even wider audience through her many television appearances, concert broadcasts and best-selling recordings for EMI Classics. The remarkable accomplishments of her career were recognized in 1999 when she received the Avery Fisher Prize, one of the most prestigious awards given to instrumentalists.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Series is made possible with support from William and Loulie Canady in memory of Valerie.

The three-concert package can be purchased for $94.50 by calling 800-743-8560 or reserved online athttp://www.pittsburghsymphony.org. Tickets are available only through the Pittsburgh Symphony box office.