The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra welcomes the revered conductor Ton Koopman to the Taft Theatre for his CSO debut on Friday, November 11 (11 a.m.), Saturday, November 12 at (8 p.m.), and Sunday, November 13 at (2 p.m.).

He will lead the Orchestra in a program of Baroque-era masterworks from revered composers Handel and Bach. Handel’s Water Music (premiered in 1749 for English king King George II for an intricate outdoor event celebrating the end of the war of Austrian Succession) and Royal Fireworks Music are today often heard at weddings or other special events. Bach’s music is considered essential in the history of Western music, serving as inspiration for composers even today. The Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 and Orchestral Suite No. 3 demonstrate a chamber- like virtuosity for the players of the Orchestra.

The CSO’s “home away from home,” the Taft Theatre, provides an ideal space for the smaller ensembles required for Baroque-era repertoire. The intimacy of the Taft creates an atmosphere for Handel and Bach’s masterpieces to resonate in the spirit in which they first premiered.

Ton Koopman is one of the specialists in conducting Baroque-era music. A winner of the 2014 Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize, he also founded the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra which he continues to conduct.

“In many ways, the Baroque period in music (lasting from 1600 till 1750) serves as the source material for much of the music of the last two and half Centuries, and served to inspire composers from Mendelssohn to Brahms, as well as composers today. As Brahms once famously said: ‘Study Bach. There you will find everything,’” said CSO Music Director Louis Langrée about this program.

Tickets for these concerts start at just $12 and are available by calling the CSO Box Office at (513) 381-3300 or visiting www.cincinnatisymphony.org.