The Arts Council of Moore County announces the 27th season of the Classical Concert Series (CCS). Since its beginning, the series has grown into one of the most-respected chamber music series in North Carolina, by both audiences and artists. "Sponsored by The Jefferson Inn and Yamaha Pianos, this series is usually sold out on subscription, but a few seats still remain, so get your tickets now," says Chris Dunn, executive director of ACMC.

To open the 2009-2010 series, CCS will begin with one of today's most exciting and innovative chamber music ensembles, The American Chamber Players, Monday, Sept. 21. The group was formed in 1985 by violist Miles Hoffman, who may be familiar as the music commentator for NPR's "Morning Edition."

The ensemble performs repertoire ranging from familiar masterpieces to neglected gems to newly commissioned American works, and their fascinating and delightful programs with varied instrumental combinations have been as enthusiastically praised as their extraordinary, dynamic performances. They have been heard countless times on NPR's "Performance Today," on local radio stations throughout the U.S., and they are the resident ensemble of the Chamber Festival at the Kreeger Museum in Washington, D.C.

The series' second performance will feature pianist Wonny Song Monday, Nov. 2. Song won the 2005 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, which earned him the honor to make debut recitals at Carnegie's Zankel Hall in New York, and at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Born in South Korea, Song grew up in Canada and began his piano studies at the age of eight. He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Montreal University, and completed his doctoral studies with Lydia Artymiw at the University of Minnesota, having received the first Elinor Bell Fellowship. Highlights of Song's career include performances with the Orchestra of St. Luke, Cincinnati Symphony and Montreal Symphony.

The New Century Saxophone Quartet will perform Monday, Feb. 22. This group is a pioneering and versatile group, winning enthusiasm for the saxophone quartet as a chamber music ensemble. Though the saxophone is a relatively new instrument (invented in the mid-1800s), New Century's repertoire ranges from early Baroque to innovative contemporary works to imaginative transcriptions.

The group has been heard in major concert venues all over the world, such as New York's Weill Recital Hall, Boston's Symphony Hall, the Villa Schnberg in Switzerland, and the Conservatoire de Musique in Luxembourg. For over 15 years, New Century has been responsible for a significant broadening of the repertoire for saxophone quartet through its commissioning projects, premiering new works by Peter Schickele and well-known composer and jazz saxophonist Bob Mintzer.

The series will conclude in a flourish Monday, March 22, with a performance by the incomparable Tokyo String Quartet. Having captivated audiences and critics alike for over 40 years, the ensemble is regarded as one of the supreme chamber ensembles of the world.

Officially formed in 1969 at the Juilliard School of Music, the quartet traces its origins to the Toho School of Music in Tokyo, where the founding members were profoundly influenced by Hideo Saito. Soon after its formation, the quartet won First Prize at the Coleman Competition, the Munich Competition and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. Performing over a hundred concerts worldwide each year, the group has a devoted international following that includes the major capitals of the world and extends to all four corners, from Australia to Estonia to Scandinavia and the Far East.

The subscription price is $80 per person for all four concerts for Arts Council members ($90 for nonmembers). All concerts will be presented at 8 p.m. at the Sunrise Theater in Southern Pines.

In addition to the concerts, The Jefferson Inn is offering a Pre-Concert Dinner in its restaurant, One Fifty West, located less than a block from the Sunrise Theater at 150 W. New Hampshire Avenue.

"For $38 per person (tax and gratuity included), you will receive a delicious meal and your choice of the prime downtown parking places," Dunn says. "Reservations for the dinners are required and can only be made by calling the Arts Council at 692-4356."

To purchase a subscription, pick up a season brochure from the Arts Council of Moore County offices at Campbell House (482 E. Connecticut Avenue, Southern Pines, NC) or call 910-692-4356 to receive a brochure in the mail.

For additional information and questions about the Arts Council or CCS, visit www.mooreart.org.