The Traverse Symphony Orchestra will debut a new Jazz Orchestra this weekend and offer alcohol sales for the first time, with the new group performing Saturday and Sunday at the City Opera House.

A new concept for TSO, the Traverse Symphony Jazz Orchestra will celebrate "the music from the heyday of Las Vegas, the Hollywood Studio system, the bawdy days of the Charleston, Motown Soul, to folk, to funk - with a little classical thrown in," according to TSO. A vocal quartet featuring Kate Botello, Lynne Church, Dominic Fortuna, and Jane Rhodes will be featured as part of the performance, while Maestro Kevin Rhodes will be conducting. TSO will also serve craft cocktails and a full bar for the first time as part of the "retro club" atmosphere of the performance.

“We couldn't be more excited to present the new Traverse Symphony Jazz Orchestra, a mixture of a jazz big band and orchestra strings," says TSO Executive Director Dr. Kedrik Merwin. "The music is so fun and exciting, and with the addition of singers combining on some lounge standards, this promises to be an evening that everyone will enjoy." TSO Director of Marketing and Box Office Operations Becky Childs says TSO is seeing a "flood of first-time concert attendeees" due to the new concept, adding that the Jazz Orchestra is helping the organization expand "to a broader audience than ever before."

The Traverse Symphony Jazz Orchestra will perform Saturday, October 23 at 7:30pm and Sunday, October 24 at 3pm at the City Opera House. Doors open an hour before each performance. Tickets range from $28-$65 and are available online or by calling the TSO box office at 231-947-7120. First-time attendees and students receive a 50 percent discount on tickets through phone orders.