The Albany Symphony Orchestra, will once again present a concert for families, preceded by an “Instrument Petting Zoo” on Saturday morning, March 11 at the Albany Municipal Auditorium. Following last year’s successful presentation of “Beethoven Lives Upstairs,” Classical Kids LIVE will return with an hour-long production of “Vivaldi’s Magic Ring.” Vivaldi, Venice, and Violins: all three are celebrated in “Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery” as the story unfolds.

A gifted young orphan named Katarina is sent to study music at the great Pieta orphanage in seventeenth-century Venice. There, she comes under the tutelage of the famous music director and composer Antonio Vivaldi and searches through the thrilling but mysterious atmosphere of Carnival and the Island of the Dead for clues to her past and a vanishing Stradivarius violin. A touching final scene unites Katarina with her grandfather and together they take Vivaldi’s music, its spirit and soul, out into the world.

The Classical Kids LIVE production features actors Chris Pertschler as Vivaldi and Nicole Hren as Katarina along with musicians of the Albany Symphony under the director of music director Claire Fox Hillard.

The concert is designed for music lovers of all ages, including families, and will be preceded at 10:00 AM by and instrument petting zoo where audience members are encourages to try their hand at various orchestral instruments.

Presenting Sponsors for the orchestra’s 59th season are: WALB-TV; Phoebe Putney Health System; Watson Spence Attorneys LLP; and In the Light Creative Studio.

Tickets for the concert are $25 for adults, $22 for senior (65+) and $15 for students/military. Season tickets and season packages are also available at a savings over single ticket prices. For more information and to purchase tickets, call the Albany Symphony offices at (229) 430-8933 or visit www.albanysymphony.org.