HUNTSVILLE – After an eight-month hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Huntsville Symphony Orchestra has resumed a modified 2020-2021 season that promises a powerful message of hope.

The musicians are excited to once again present live concerts in the safe environment of the Von Braun Center. Their 2020-2021 season will look somewhat different from previous concerts but still will deliver impeccable sounds of the string, woodwind, brass and percussion instrumentalists.

In their Fall Festival Concert series, the symphony will present “From the Alps to the Appalachians” on Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 14 at 11 a.m. in the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall at the Von Braun Center.

With this concert, Huntsville Symphony Orchestra invites residents to join their musical adventure through rolling country hills and misty mountain peaks. This tranquil program will feature the pervasive Alpine tranquility of Austrian composer Josef Haydn’s “Piano Concerto in D Major,” along with Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and its extremely popular depiction of the essence of rustic early American life.

Acclaimed pianist Aleksandra Kasman will join the symphony for this concert. Kasman is rapidly establishing an international solo career with engagements across the United States, Italy, Russia, Ukraine, France and Japan.

Kasman’s recent awards include selection as a 2019-2020 Young Artist in Residence with NPR’s “Performance Today”; first-prize winner of Premio Roberto Melini International Competition; and first prizes at national collegiate and international piano competitions.

Born into a musical family in Moscow, Kasman grew up in Vestavia Hills and studied piano with her father Yakov Kasman. Aleksandra earned a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a master’s degree from Juilliard.

At upcoming concerts, safety is top priority for the symphony. “From the Alps to the Appalachians” will cover about one hour to avoid intermission. The audience and musicians will observe social distancing. Masks will be required.

Tickets are free for subscribers and $25 for the public. For tickets, visit hso.org/series/fall-festival/.

The symphony’s future performances include “Ragtime, Blues and All That Jazz: The Gospel According to Swing” by Byron Stripling Quartet with the orchestra. This New Year’s Eve celebration will start on Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. in the VBC concert hall.

In addition, the symphony plans to present a free Family Concert on Feb. 27, 2021 at 11 a.m. in the concert hall. The program Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals” involves the various instruments mimicking the sounds of wildlife. For example, the clarinet portrays a cuckoo, while the double bass depicts an elephant’s sounds.

For more information, call 256-539-4818, email infohso.org or visit hso.org/seasonupdates.