Elvis Costello [ tickets ] has lined up a series of 2006 concerts that will feature the veteran singer/songwriter backed by an orchestra as he performs his full-length orchestral composition "Il Sogno," as well as pop and rock hits.

Costello's itinerary currently comprises a handful of days scattered from late March through mid-May, including performances in San Francisco, Houston, Baltimore, Boston, Brooklyn and Atlanta. In each city, Costello will team with a local orchestra. Details are included in the itinerary shown below.

The shows will be divided into two halves, with Costello and the backing orchestra performing "ll Sogno" first, followed by an intermission, after which Costello will return to the stage to perform a "collection of his pop and rock hits," according to a tour announcement.

Online presales are already underway for a number of shows. More information is available at Costello's website.

Released in September of 2004, "Il Sogno" is Costello's score for Italian dance company Aterballetto's adaptation of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." The London Symphony Orchestra recorded the piece.

Also in September of 2004, Costello and his band The Imposters issued their most recent rock album, "The Delivery Man."