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MUSIC MILESTONES AT SYMPHONY HALL
Celebrate Boston Philharmonic’s 45th season at Boston’s Symphony Hall along with the 85th birthday of the founder and conductor Benjamin Zander. The ensemble of student, professional, and amateur musicians will be performing carefully curated programs of symphonic masterworks, including Beethoven, Shostakovich, Mahler, Bruckner, and more. The season includes four Boston Philharmonic Orchestra concerts and three Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra concerts, kicking off Oct. 20 and ending May 3. Prior to each concert, Zander will offer a deeper understanding of the works in the program with his legendary “Guide to the Music” talks.
Opening night presents Elgar’s Violin Concerto, featuring Israeli-born violinist and conductor Guy Braunstein — the former concertmaster of the Berliner Philharmoniker — who plays a rare violin, built in 1679. Continuing its tradition of nurturing emerging soloists, this season welcomes back several young artists who made their Boston debuts with one of the orchestra’s ensembles. Of note is Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 performed by Ukrainian pianist Anna Federova, who has been organizing benefit concerts for victims of the war; Mozart’s C minor Piano Concerto featuring the Italian pianist Alessandro Deljavan — winner of the Raymond E. Buck Discretionary Award at the Van Cliburn Competition in 2013 and the youngest winner ever, at the age of 9, of the Concours musical de France; and Schumann’s Cello Concerto with Boston-bred Zlatomir Fung — the first American in four decades and youngest musician ever to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition for cello. Tickets are on sale now, $10-$125. Live stream tickets also available: $20. 617-236-0999, www.bostonphil.org
THERE
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NEW IMMERSIVE EXHIBITION BENEATH THE COLOSSEUM
Gladiators! Armor! Competition! If these topics get your historic travel juices flowing, you won’t want to miss the new VIP Underground Colosseum tour in Rome, which also includes the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. City Experiences, part of Hornblower Group, has expanded its one-of-a-kind tours through the award-winning international tour providers, Walks. Offered in partnership with the Parco archeologico del Colosseo, this all-new exhibition and immersive multimedia installation — featuring holographic projected gladiators — transports visitors back nearly 2,000 years to Ancient Rome, reviving the scenes of the passage of the gladiators from the tunnel that connected Ludus Magnus (the gladiator training gym) to the Colosseum Arena.
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Along the tour path, the underground exhibition is enhanced through a collection of armor displayed along with original artifacts from the collections of the Parco archeologico del Colosseo, the National Archaeological Museum in Naples and the National Archaeological Museum in Aquileia, with weapons that categorize the styles of gladiators competing for victory. After an extended tour of the Colosseum (including general access areas), the tour heads to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, once the center of politics and commerce in Rome. The tour includes a Colosseum entrance ticket, an English-speaking guide, and headsets for groups over six people. Tickets from $133. www.takewalks.com/rome-tours/colosseum-undergound-tour
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TRAVEL OPTICS FOR THE BIRDS
What makes for a perfect travel binocular or monocular? Those looking for great optics combined with compact, waterproof, and rugged housing (at an affordable price) will want to consider Nocs Provisions, maker of adventure-ready binoculars, monoculars, and accessories. The company recently launched the Green Jay Collection, inspired by the rare and active forager typically found on the border between Texas and Mexico. The brightly colored, limited-edition collection references the bird’s yellow and green body, bright blue head, and black contrast around the eyes and beak. Available in the brand’s 8x32 Zoom Tube monocular ($75) and the Standard Issue 8x25 binocular ($95).
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Need more details? The Standard Issue features fully multi-coated lenses and BaK4 roof prisms to produce an extra crisp image. Completely waterproof (IPX7 certified) and fog proof, the binoculars are ideal for every adventure, from mountain trail hiking to sightseeing in the city and even, yes, to birdwatching. The rugged and water-resistant Zoom Tube’s wide field of view (384 feet @ 1000 yds / 7.3º) allows you to see an extremely wide range while maintaining a close focus of 7 feet for viewing nature’s smaller details. Great for backcountry adventures where every inch of space is precious. www.nocsprovisions.com/collections/green-jay
Necee Regis can be reached at neceeregis@gmail.com.