BPO season kicks off with gala and performance by renowned violinist Joshua Bell

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra's 2016-17 season opens with its gala and "An Evening With Joshua Bell" this Saturday, Sept. 17. JoAnn Falletta will conduct.

The doors to the event open at 5 p.m., when gala patrons begin cocktail hour. The event supports educational programs and is sponsored by the Louis P. Ciminelli Family Foundation.

The concert begins at 8 p.m. The first half of the program features Spanish-inflected works by Falla, Granados and Rimsky-Korsakov. Bell performs Bruch's Violin Concerto on the second half of the program.

As Buffalo's cultural ambassador, the Grammy Award-winning Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, under Falletta's leadership, presents more than 100 concerts each year. Since 1940, the orchestra's home has been Kleinhans Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark with a reputation as one of the finest concert halls in the U.S.

For more information about the BPO, visit www.bpo.org.