How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Practice. Or, get invited. Or, in the case of the Nashville Symphony, both.

In case you missed Jessica Bliss’ post for The Tennessean, our friends over at the Nashville Symphony have been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York on Saturday, the closing night of the Spring for Music festival.

Bliss:

Nashville is one of only six symphonies to be selected for this year’s festival, and this concert — with its 121 musicians, multi-conductor pieces and program as brilliant as it is rare — will showcase the dynamic and diverse musical offerings of Music City.

 ...And Nashville’s participation in this event is a tangible representation of how much musical art matters in this city. It is a chance to create an institutional identity and bring worldwide attention to Nashville, a city that strives to position itself as the country’s music capital.

According to the post, this will be the Symphony’s first appearance at Carnegie Hall since its booster-filled fundraiser for the $123.5 million Schermerhorn Symphony Center, which was completed in 2006. HISTORIC NOTE: Did you know the Nashville Symphony used both the historic War Memorial Auditorium and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall as its home? 

If you're like us and want to give a warm send off to another great Music City ambassador you may want to attend the free and open dress rehearsal tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Schermerhorn. First come, first served.

You can also follow Bliss' coverage of the Symphony's trip to the Big Apple in her online diary at Tennessean.com/Music and at @TNMusicNews.

PHOTO: A public rehearsal by the Nashville Symphony served as a send-off to Carnegie Hall and the group’s May 12 performance at the famous concert hall. It will be the second time the performance group has played at Carnegie. (Photo: Larry McCormack/The Tennessean)

-Tony