Masterworks

The NRO's opening night concert sets the stage for our season’s theme, The Elements of Nature. In Smetana’s Vlatva: The Moldau, take a trip down the mighty river Vlata, meandering through woods and meadows, past palaces and castles ruins, and ultimately ending in the majestic Elbe. Kodály's "Variations on a Hungarian Folksong" is a vibrant orchestral work that skillfully weaves intricate variations around a traditional Hungarian melody, while Williams' The Lark Ascending beautifully captures the essence of a lark soaring through the English countryside. Finally, Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphosis vividly portrays natural themes with with lush orchestration and dynamic shifts throughout.

Music Director, Michael Stern returns to Summit County for this rousing concert including Tchaikovsky’s joyfully exuberant piece "Little Russian.” Depicting the calm, tumult, and power of the sea, Jean Sibelius’ The Oceanides tells a colorful tale of the mythical creatures who reside in the ocean. Gustav Mahler’s “What the Flowers in the Meadow Tell Me” starts with a graceful minuet then turns stormy, showing Mahler’s (and our own) conflicted relationship with nature.