Festival City Symphony will begin its 2016-2017 “Symphony Sundays” series with a concert titled Music for the Birds on Sun., Oct. 2, at 3:00 pm at the Pabst Theater, 144 East Wells Street.

The concert will include compositions inspired by our feathered friends. FCS will feature a suite from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s great ballet “Swan Lake.” Ottorino Respighi wrote his delightfully descriptive suite “The Birds” based on earlier works by Baroque composers. FCS also will play two overtures: Gioacchino Rossini’s spritely “Overture to the Thieving Magpie,” and Johann Strauss’s “Overture to Die Fledermaus.”

FCS welcomes children to these concerts, which are most appropriate for those in second grade and older. Prior to each concert at 2:45 p.m., Education Director Jayne Perkins presents “Children’s Program Notes,” offered to help children become familiar with the music they are about to hear. Conductor Monte Perkins will also include descriptive program information from the stage.

Admission to each concert is $14 for adults and $8 for children, students, and seniors. Early-bird season ticket packs are available through September 30, 2016, in several categories—a season Family Pack admits an entire family to all four concerts for just $75; Couples Packs admit two people to all four concerts for $72; a Single Adult Pack admits one adult to all four concerts for $50; and a Senior or Student Pack admits one adult over age 60 or a student to all four concerts for $28.

Information about purchasing season packs or group tickets may be obtained by calling Festival City Symphony at 414-365-8861 or by visiting festivalcitysymphony.org. Individual tickets may be purchased in person at the Pabst Theater Box Office, by calling the box office at 414-286-3205, or online at pabsttheater.org.

Milwaukee’s Festival City Symphony, the oldest performing symphony orchestra in the area, showcases area professional musicians. Its mission is to educate the community and extend the reach of classical music with reasonable pricing and informative formats that embrace people of all ages. For more information, visit festivalcitysymphony.org or call 414-365-8861.