Owls marks the first of four world premieres scheduled for the orchestra's 2008-09 season. The program will also feature internationally renowned violinist Gil Shaham joining as soloist on Stravinsky's Violin Concerto, followed by the ensemble closing the evening with Beethoven's Symphony No. 4.

"Conducted by the esteemed composer himself, Previn's Owls is an orchestral nocturne, mostly ruminative but also suggesting the night's unwitnessed activity," according to press notes.

"Owls evokes the mysteries of the wilderness, and was inspired at least in thought, as Mr. Previn describes, by the woods behind his former home in England: 'the 15 acres of woods were filled with animals, where more often than not, we would see the animals in pairs: pairs of deer, pairs of squirrels, and in one instance a pair of baby owls.'"

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Sir Andre Previn has long relationship with the Boston Symphony Orchestra as a conductor, pianist, and composer. Throughout his prolific career, he has guest conducted the world's major orchestras, earned 10 Grammy Awards and four Academy Awards, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, received a Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award, and has served as music director of the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Oslo Philharmonic. His most recent appearances with the BSO were at Tanglewood in August 2008, when he led the orchestra in an all-Mozart program on August 10 and a Russian-themed program on August 16, in addition to conducting the combined forces of the BSO and Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra in Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture as the finale of Tanglewood on Parade on August 5. As pianist, Sir Andr_ also joined the BSO, soprano Andrea Rost, and conductor Hans Graf in Mozart's "Ch'io miscordi di te...Non temer amato bene," concert aria for soprano and orchestra with piano, August 9 at Tanglewood.

American violinist Gil Shaham is regarded as one of his generation's most virtuosic and engaging musicians. His acclaimed discography of more than two dozen recordings has earned multiple Grammy Awards, a Grand Prix du Disque, and a Gramophone "Editor's Choice" award. As a soloist, he has performed with such ensembles as the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Vienna Philharmonic.

Owls will be performed at 8 PM on Thursday, October 2; Saturday, October 4; and Tuesday, October 7; with a 1:30 PM matinee on Friday, October 3.

Tickets, priced from $29-$115, may be purchased at www.bso.org.