For November in its classical music series, the Allentown Symphony performs two concerts at Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown, and a third concert at Lafayette College, Easton.

The theme is “Mozart, Vivaldi and More,” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11 and 2 p.m. Nov. 12, Miller Symphony Hall, and 8 p.m. Nov. 14, Williams Center for the Arts.

The program presents the world premiere of an Allentown Symphony-commissioned work and heralds the 25th anniversary of the Schadt String Competition.

The concerts, with Diane Wittry, ASO Music Director and Conductor, at the podium, anticipate the 25th anniversary of the Schadt String Competition with guitarist Petrit Çeku (pronounced Peh-Treet Check-oo), winner of the 2011 Schadt String Competition, with the 25th edition in February 2024.

Çeku performs two of the most popular guitar works in the repertoire: Antonio Vivaldi’s “Guitar Concerto in D” and Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Fantasia para un gentilhombre.”

The ASO presents the world premiere of a work it commissioned, “Circus Fantasia,” by Composer-in-Residence Clarice Assad.

The program includes George Frideric Handel’s “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” from “Solomon,” and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Symphony No. 41, Jupiter,” his last and most popular.

Wittry hosts “Meet the Artist,” to discuss “Mozart, Vivaldi and More,” noon Nov. 10, Miller Symphony Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

“This concert was interesting to program,” says Wittry. “I looked for works which were musically-appropriate in consideration of the instrumentation required in Petrit [Çeku] and Clarice’s [Assad] selections.”

The concert opens with Handel’s “Entrance of the Queen of Sheba” from “Solomon,” composed in 1748.

“This year [the 2023-24 season], we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the biennial Schadt String Competition and are bringing back two winners from the past,” Wittry says.

Established in 1997 at the bequest of Edwin H. and Leigh W. Schadt, the competition supports string-instrument performance. First prize is $12,000 and a guest solo in concert with the ASO. Second prize is $5,000. Third prize of $2,500.

“For this concert, we are very pleased to feature our 2011 winner, guitarist Petrit Çeku, in performance of two great works, the ‘Guitar Concerto in D major, R. 93’ by Antonio Vivaldi, and Joaquin Rodrigo’s ‘Fantasia para un Gentilhombre,’” says Wittry.

Çeku graduated from the University of Zagreb Academy of Music, Zagreb, Croatia, and the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Çeku teaches chamber music for guitar at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz, Austria.

Çeku has performed as soloist with the Baltimore Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Czech Chamber Philharmonic and Zagreb Philharmonic.

He was the only classical music performer in the 2018 “Night of the Proms Tour” with the Antwerpen Philharmonic conducted by Alexandra Arrieche, and featuring pop singers Brian Ferry, Seal and Suzanne Vega.

Çeku’s recording, “The Cello Suites,” of the six cello suites by Johann Sebastian Bach, was nominated for International Classical Music Awards in the Baroque Music, Instrumental category. Recording sessions were subject of a documentary film, “Sarabande,” by director Kaltrina Krasniqi. Çeku composed the score for Krasniqia’s feature film, “Vera Dreams of the Sea,” which premiered at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.

The ASO program includes, after intermission, the world premiere of “Circus Fantasia for Chamber Orchestra” by Assad.

“Circus Fantasia” is playful, very tonal and tries to emulate the sounds of band music,” Assad says.

“The piece has no breaks, but is divided into ‘acts,’ Assad continues. “There is a curtain-raiser opening that goes into the tightrope walker at the top, followed by a clown act.

“Then we are taken to the imaginary skies with the flying trapeze. The final act, ‘Jugglers and Tumblers.’ leaves the audience with a sense of continuation. I will eventually expand this work to become an animation with additional acts,” says Assad.

Says Wittry, “There’s a bit of a jazz influence in Clarice’s work and I like the way she uses trumpets and various mutes to depict the clowns’ conversations. The work creates a vision of what we today associate with going to the circus.”

The program concludes with “Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, Jupiter” by Mozart.

“Handel and Mozart are a perfect fit for this concert. We haven’t performed Mozart in quite a while and it’s a great way to end the concert,” says Wittry.

Al Jacobsen, Allentown Symphony Executive Director, likes that the ASO is “going on the road.”

“I’m particularly excited that we will also be presenting this program at the intimate Williams Center at Lafayette College in Easton after the concerts at Miller Symphony Hall,” says Jacobsen.

“It will be a fantastic opportunity for additional audiences on the other side of the Valley to experience the Allentown Symphony.”

Concludes Jacobsen, “This creative concert spans nearly 300 years of music, with the Vivaldi concerto written sometime in the 1730s right up to 2023 with Clarice’s new work, ‘Circus Fantasia.’ There is something for everyone, whether it is from the Baroque or Classical time periods to music of today.”

Allentown Symphony Orchestra, “Mozart, Vivaldi and More,” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 11; 2 p.m. Nov. 12, Miller Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown. Tickets: box office, 610-432-6715; https://www.millersymphonyhall.org; 8 p.m. Nov. 14, Williams Center for the Arts, 317 Hamilton St., Easton. Tickets: box office, 610-330-5009; https://williamscenter.lafayette.edu

“Classical View” is a column about classical music, concerts, conductors and performers. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnon-line.com