DEBUSSY | La Mer
SCHUMANN | Piano Concerto in A Minor
Joshua Mhoon, piano
SHOSTAKOVICH | Symphony No. 1
Inspired by Claude Debussy’s La Mer, this program features works that left an indelible mark on history. Debussy’s “symphonic sketch” captures the ocean’s essence through shifting orchestral colors rather than traditional structures. Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto, a hallmark of Romanticism, features guest pianist Joshua Mhoon in a conversation with the orchestra that is free-flowing and expressive, punctuated with dramatic, bold lines. We conclude with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1, heralding the defiant arrival of a 19-year-old prodigy. The piece crackles with cinematic flair and "wrong-note" humor—a nod to the composer’s time as a silent-film accompanist—balanced by moments of remarkable emotional depth.
