Join the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra at 8 p.m. on Nov. 8 for “Clarinet Bel Canto,” the second concert of the Masterworks Series.

It will feature the New York Philharmonic’s principal clarinetist, Anthony McGill, who performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and Gabriela Montero at Barack Obama’s first inauguration in 2009.

This September, McGill was named principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic after serving as principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for the past decade. He has been recognized as one of the classical music world’s finest solo, chamber, and orchestral musicians.

“Clarinet Bel Canto” opens with an all-time favorite piece by Gioachino Rossini, the Overture to The Barber of Seville. McGill will be featured next in two compelling pieces, Concertino for Clarinet by Donizetti and Clarinet Concerto by Copland. These works perfectly compliment this brilliant musician’s range of talent incorporating the operatic gestures of Donizetti and the orchestral and jazz influences of Copland.

Closing the program will be Schumann’s Symphony No. 2. “He wrote it from the depths of despair,” says PSO Maestro Peter Rubardt, “…yet the music itself is joyful and deeply felt.” This symphonic finale is a compelling masterpiece that captures Schumann’s matchless spirit.

 There will be a matinee dress rehearsal for the concert beginning at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the Palafox entrance of the Saenger Theatre beginning an hour prior.

At 7 p.m., Dr. Larry Reed will host Classical Conversations. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn more about the music, as well as a chance to hear from the evening’s guest artist. The event is free with your concert ticket.

 Tickets start at only $22 – available at pensacolasymphony.com, by phone at 850-435-2533, and at the Saenger Theatre, on the corner of Palafox and Intendencia.