In The Places That Inspire Us, we explore music inspired by real-world settings and the emotional landscapes they evoke. The program begins with Anna Clyne’s Restless Oceans, a thrilling contemporary work for chamber orchestra that channels the turbulence and strength of the sea. This work draws inspiration and its title from A Woman Speaks – a poem by Audre Lorde.  Next on the program, WHCO is joined by Ariadne Greif for Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, a nostalgic meditation on childhood and place, set to the words of James Agee. Concluding our program is Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 “Scottish”, a sweeping tribute to the rugged romance of the Scottish Highlands.

This concert will be approximately 1hr, no intermission. Reception to follow.

The People That Inspire Us begins with Revelry by trailblazing American composer and Imani Winds founder and WHCO Spotlight Composer, Valerie Coleman. The work, described by the composer as “a sensory guide to the reckless abandon that emerges when people congregate” pulses with rhythmic drive and jubilant energy. We continue with Clara Schumann’s Piano Trio in G minor, inspiring not only because it was composed by a woman in a male-dominated musical world, but because of its extraordinary emotional depth, formal elegance, and expressive power. Our program concludes with a rarely heard gem from Louise Farrenc, a French Romantic composer and groundbreaking music educator.

This concert will be approximately 1hr, no intermission. Reception to follow.