Verdi’s angst-filled overture to the tangled and tragic operatic tale La Forza del Destino opens the first weekend of our Beethoven Festival. The foreboding and melodramatic aspects of the piece are interspersed with sweeping lyrical motifs, resulting in a theatrical experience full of contrasts and tension. This turbulent theme continues in the symphonic fantasy, Francesca da Rimini, Tchaikovsky’s interpretation of the eternal torment of illicit lovers as depicted in Dante’s Inferno narrative, with Francesca’s retelling of her own fraught story. BPO Concertmaster Nikki Chooi follows these selections by masterfully leading Beethoven’s monumental Violin Concerto in D major, which is celebrated for its compelling themes, dramatic structure, and improvised cadenzas.

Program

JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Nikki Chooi, violin

VERDI  Overture to La forza del destino
TCHAIKOVSKY  Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32

INTERMISSION

BEETHOVEN  Concerto in D major for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61
I. Allegro ma non troppo
II. Larghetto
III. Rondo: Allegro

WNY Teens: Join us at Saturday’s performance of Nikki Plays Beethoven for our first Teen Night of the 2025-26 season! Kick off the evening with a pre-concert party and get a look behind the scenes at the BPO before the concert. Concert tickets are required to attend the pre-concert party. Learn more and register for Teen Night here.

The Classics Series is presented by

The Coffee Concert Series is presented by

Nikki Chooi’s performance is sponsored by
Mark Chason and Mariana Botero Chason.