Concert first performed on May 13, 2017.

Many well-known American composers and artists spent time absorbing French culture in the heart of Paris, which profoundly influenced their work. All of the composers on this program spent time in Paris studying their musical craft, and we will explore the distinctive Parisian threads that run through these pieces.

Many of the composers on this program also have another thing in common – Thomson, Copland, and Diamond were all students of Nadia Boulanger, the sister of Lili Boulanger whose work we also perform on this program.

You won’t want to miss renowned local artist Dan Chouinard—who himself has traveled extensively in France—close out our season with Gershwin’s popular jazz-infused Rhapsody in Blue.

Concert first performed on March 11, 2017.

While not exactly “lost,” the MPO has “found” several works we’d like to introduce to you that have not been performed very often. Most casual classical music fans are probably familiar with Schubert’s so-called “Unfinished Symphony” (No. 8).  Schubert also left No. 7 unfinished—he only sketched out the main melodies.  The version of this “lost symphony” we present on this program was filled in with its full orchestration more than 150 years after Schubert began composing it.

Also in the “lost” column, Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 2 is performed far less frequently than No. 1, even though it is far more virtuosic. We look forward to hearing returning soloist Scott Lykins introduce us to this piece. We hope you find an enriching musical experience with us.

Concert first performed on December 3, 2016.

Batten down the hatches for this musical exploration of tempest-tossed seas. Dame Ethel Smyth’s Three Preludes from her opera The Wreckers tells the tale of a Cornish village accustomed to looting the remains of shipwrecks upon its shores. Peter Grimes also tells the tale of a coastal village and its inhabitants’ relationship with the sea.

Britten’s Four Sea Interludes portrays the sea at dawn, when a storm breaks, on a peaceful Sunday morning, and in the moonlight. We will also reprise our 2003 premiere of MPO’s principal oboeist Diane Benjamin’s gently turbulent work Ocean Motion. As the tempest subsides, a final chord sounds, symbolizing the power and expanse of the sea.

We’ll also take a break from the storms with another work by Britten, Movements for a Clarinet Concerto, featuring the MPO’s very own Ryan Golden.

These works provide a nautical foundation for the hands-on kids’ activities available for families before our free Sunday concert on December 4.