Don't miss a beat as the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, Stuart Malina conducting, continues its Masterworks series in January 2007, featuring Brahms' final symphony and violinist extraordinaire Tai Murray performs Samuel Barber's "Violin Concerto."

Stuart Malina will conduct the feature piece, Johannes Brahms' "4th Symphony." Brahms' farewell symphony is a thoughtful and deep musical musing of a classical icon. German musical scholar August Kretzschmar described the work as leading "into realms where joy and sorrow are hushed, and humanity bows before that which is eternal."

The Harrisburg Symphony Masterworks concert begins with Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's "Prologue and Variations for String Orchestra." This work is known for its emotive and complex, yet accessible style. Zwilich is known as a groundbreaker in classical music as she was the first woman to receive a Pulitzer Prize for music.

The Brahms and Zwilich works are tied together by Barber's "Violin Concerto." The success of the Barber piece is dependent on the skill of the soloist, who must weave together the differing lyrical themes and melodic flavors that comprise the concerto.

This concert is sponsored by the Josiah W. and Bessie H. Kline Foundation.

Performances will be held Saturday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 14 at 3 p.m. at the Forum located at 5th and Walnut streets in downtown Harrisburg.

Masterworks tickets are available from just $10 to $49 depending on seating area. Season subscription packages for the remainder of Harrisburg Symphony concert season are still available. Tickets and program notes are available online at HarrisburgSymphony.org, or by calling (717) 545-5527.

Coming later in January, the Harrisburg Symphony performs Gilbert and Sullivan's "HMS Pinafore" (concert version) on Jan. 27 and 28, featuring film and television actor Josh Malina, known by many for his costarring role as Will Bailey on NBC's "The West Wing."

In February, the Masterworks series features works of Mozart and Beethoven. Mozart's familiar string serenade "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" and his "Linz" Symphony complement nicely Beethoven's "Emperor" Concerto played by German pianist Markus Groh. -- www.harrisburgsymphony.org