CEDAR FALLS - The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra has developed a taste for musical adventure.

In the past few seasons, Mozart, Modernism and Yo-Yo Ma have whet appetites for such intrepid fare as Disney's "Fantasia," brought to life by Waterloo's Attitudes Dance by Aimee, and this season's out-of-this-world collaboration between the symphony and renowned local artist Gary Kelley on Gustav Holst's "The Planets."

The 2008-2009 season "may be the most enterprising we have planned in my six years with the WCFSO," says music director Jason Weinberger. "Audiences can truly 'expect the unexpected' from our programs. Guests artists making their very first visits to the area include bassist Edgar Meyer and pianist Simone Dinnerstein, and concerts throughout the year will feature music of our time by Leonard Bernstein, Wynton Marsalis and Sam Adler."

The season will feature five classical concerts, two pops concerts, a family concert, a chamber music performance and a chamber orchestra performance. In addition, a free Sturgis Falls preseason performance will be offered on June 29.

"Two special highlights of the season for me are November's program - my first opportunity to play with the orchestra as soloist - and our special spring performances of the complete score to the Hollywood classic 'Wizard of Oz' alongside a beautiful print of the original film," Weinberger explains. "Overall, I am thrilled that the WCFSO continues to distinguish itself both locally and nationally with such creative programming."

The season kicks off with a free Sturgis Falls concert. "Lincoln at 200," a tribute to President Abraham Lincoln, takes place at 3:45 p.m. June 29 in Overman Park, Cedar Falls. Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" will be performed along with Civil War-era music. A patriotic sing-along will cap off this event.

On Sept. 14, the best wind players in the Cedar Valley will be showcased on the chamber music concert In Harmonie, a performance of Mozart's Harmoniemusik, 18th-century entertainment at its best. Music director Weinberger will lead the WCFSO winds from the clarinet.

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein is the guest artist Oct. 4 on a concert program entitled "Lenny" and dedicated to Leonard Bernstein. The performance will include the Symphonic Dances from "West Side Story" and the "Overture to Candide." Other selections include Mahler's Symphony No. 5 in c sharp as well as the piece Dinnerstein will perform, Mozart's Concerto for Piano.

Dinnerstein has been described as one of the most compelling female pianists. Her recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations was released in 2007, earned the top spot on the Billboard classical chart in its first week of sales and has remained high on the list.

The family concert "Cowboys of the Americas" with Calle Sur will be presented Oct. 19. This performance was originally planned for last February but was canceled due to a snowstorm. Joining Calle Sur will be Alfredo Rolando Ortiz on the Paraguayan harp. This lively event will focus on Wild West cowboy tunes and the folk sounds of Latin American gauchos. The Symphony's instrument petting zoo and the popular Hearst Center craft activity will be available for the children in the lobby before the concert.

"Birthday Fete" is the title of the Symphony's Nov. 1 classical concert, with birthday wishes for one of America's leading composers, Samuel Adler. To celebrate, Adler introduces one of his works for orchestra and then conducts another for clarinet and strings with Weinberger as soloist. Weinberger will conduct the second half of music by Felix Mendelssohn, whose 200th birthday is the occasion for this performance of his Third Symphony.

This year's annual holiday spectacular on Dec. 13 spotlights youth of the Cedar Valley. The University of Northern Iowa Children's Choir will lend their voices to this popular event. An audience sing-along and several familiar numbers by Leroy Anderson, who was born 100 years ago, complete a family holiday celebration.

On Jan. 10, a chamber orchestra performance, "The Fiddler's Tale," will be presented. Stravinsky's "The Soldier's Tale," one of the most interesting works of art from World War I, features an unprecedented combination of seven instruments and narrative. Almost a century after this piece premiered, American jazz great Wynton Marsalis used the same combination of instruments and format to create his own jazz-inspired mortality tale, "The Fiddler's Tale." These two compositions will be showcased on this intimate concert at the Oster Regent Theatre. The popular Montage dinner will again be offered before this concert.

Two of the usual three musical B's will make an appearance on the Feb. 7 "B Surprised" concert, as Austrian guest violinist Wolfgang David performs Beethoven's monumental Violin Concerto and the WCFSO presents Bach's Toccata and Fugue in d minor. Bela Bartok is the surprise here, with one of his most interesting pieces, the suite from "The Miraculous Mandarin."

David is well-known on the international stage as a recitalist and soloist with many leading orchestras. At age 8, he was admitted to the University for Music in Vienna.

Gifted American composer and performer Edgar Meyer brings his bass playing and his approachable compositions to the Cedar Valley for the symphony's March 7 performance, a concert of American orchestral pieces that draws on popular musical styles. Prominently established as a unique and masterful instrumentalist who has collaborated with such artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Bela Fleck and Mark O'Connor, Meyer delights his audiences both as a vibrant performer and an innovative composer. His uniqueness in the field was recognized by a MacArthur Award in 2002. "American Places, American Bassist" will also feature quintessential works by Charles Ives and Aaron Copland.

The final concert of the 2008-09 classical season, "Favorites Old and New," opens with a 2003 work by America's most well-known living composer, John Adams, whose "My Father Knew Charles Ives" is a reflection on its composer's place in American musical history. The second half will be determined by popular choice. Patrons will have the chance to vote throughout the season for one of three pieces: Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 or Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

Audiences will be treated to the innovative "Oz with Orchestra" on April 25. This performance offers the chance to experience one of the most beloved films of all time, "The Wizard of Oz," as never before. In the year of its 70th anniversary, the brilliantly restored film will be projected on a large screen above the stage and accompanied by WCFSO musicians. Judy Garland's original 1939 studio recordings will be backed by lush, live orchestration.

A special add-on concert, "Discovery" Brahms Symphony No. 2, closes the season May 9. The hour-long concert begins with Weinberger's insights into Brahms' life and music alongside live examples from the composer's second symphony, followed by a performance of the complete work by the WCFSO.

All concerts, unless otherwise noted, will be performed at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center.

Season tickets are on sale now. Single tickets go on sale to the general public July 1. Three different season ticket packages are available including the new Create Your Own, which allows patrons to choose specific performances. Call 273-3373.

To receive a brochure, call 273-3373 or e-mail info@wcfsymphony.org.