The Lancaster Symphony Orchestra (LSO), led by music director Michael Butterman, will kick off its 77th season with a program featuring George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" on Friday, Sept. 15, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 16, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. A free pre-concert lecture will begin 45 minutes before each performance. The concerts will be held at the LSO's new home, the Gardner Theatre within Lancaster Country Day School, 725 Hamilton Road, Lancaster.

The concert's theme centers around rhythm in music and showcases how composers can combine different genres to expand the world of classical music. The LSO will welcome Cuban pianist and composer Aldo López-Gavilán, who will also perform his original composition "Emporium," which blends classical and jazz sounds. The program will also include music by Jessie Montgomery and Alberto Ginastera, both of whom find ways to inject new rhythms and culture into their music.

To further celebrate its inaugural season in a new home, the LSO invites all audience members to gather in the theater's grand lobby after each performance for drinks, refreshments, silent auctions, and a chance to meet Butterman, López-Gavilán, and the musicians of the LSO.

Free parking is available on-site. Tickets range in price and can be purchased by calling the LSO box office at 717-291-6440 or visiting http://www.lancastersymphony.org/rhapsody-in-blue.