Menacing timpani rolls set the tone for Rossini's solemn Overture to Semiramide, a deceivingly upbeat narration of family rivalries. Bartók's Dance Suite—featuring five original Hungarian folk soundscapes composed for the 50th anniversary of the merger of Buda and Pest—offers a vibrant musical journey. Chopin's poetic Piano Concerto No. 1 stands as a sparkling showcase of virtuosity.

The spirited orchestration of Gould's Cowboy Rhapsody, filled with yodels and cowboy calls, is complemented by two works by Behzad Ranjbaran. Concertmaster Nikki Chooi masterfully leads Beethoven's monumental Violin Concerto in D major, celebrated for its improvised cadenzas.

Britten's mysterious and moving Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes powerfully interpret an outcast fisherman's tragic end amid turbulent seas. Buffalo-born Robert Paterson's colorful Triple Concerto compellingly examines Earth's fragility, while Beethoven's gentle Sixth Symphony portrays a charming countryside turn, evoking deep relaxation and contemtment.

Only sixteen Lieder (songs for voice and piano) survive from Alma Mahler's vast output, as her husband Gustav curtailed her publication efforts. Five poem-based works evoke love—intoxicating, intimate, infinite, and reflective of loves' past. Gustav's initially panned Symphony No. 1 employs musical imagery akin to a song cycle, interpreting nature's joys and sorrows.

Brahms' vibrant and lively Hungarian Dances were inspired by the cherished traditional heritage of a long-time friend. Schumann's passionate Fourth Symphony, emblematic of his joyful marriage to Clara, languished for ten long years before final publication. Grieg's heroic Piano Concerto shines with rich Norwegian folk melodies, virtuosic cadenzas, and majestic flourishes.

Our Mozart Festival opens with the "Prague" Symphony No. 38, composed on the heels of The Marriage of Figaro's tremendous success. Rich in complex subtleties and lyrical sophistication, it spans a full spectrum of emotion. Mozart's unfinished "Great" Mass in C minor—his most exalted and personal work—was deeply influenced by the Baroque traditions of Bach and Handel. Its original movements journey from somber to soaring, with later 20th-century revisions completing the piece.

Continuing our Mozart Festival, enjoy works by two peers: Joseph Bologne's jaunty Symphony No. 2 and Maria Theresia von Paradis's Overture to The School Candidate, her sole surviving orchestral piece, in commedia dell'arte form. Mozart's five violin concertos, composed in 1775, culminate in a Fifth that is imaginative and technically challenging. The fiery "Haffner" Symphony, honoring a former Salzburg patron, is bold and regal.

Composed to acknowledge an honorary degree despite not attending university, a mischievous Brahms penned the tongue-in-cheek Academic Festival Overture, featuring boisterous student drinking songs. Reinecke's Concerto in E minor spotlights the harp in a virtuosic display of shimmering arpeggios and rhythmic optimism. The forced optimism of Symphony No. 5, glorifying Stalin's regime, proved both career- and lifesaving for Shostakovich.

Four notes instantly recognizable across generations welcome back the much-loved Symphony No. 5 to the Kleinhans stage. Dance Symphony's rhythmic jazz motifs were drawn from an evocative Copland ballet about a morbid conjurer who could raise the dead and make them dance. Beethoven expands on Mozart's influence in his Piano Concerto No. 1, featuring challenging key changes and bold harmonies.