First Baptist Church of Asheville

Darko Butorac, conductor Alexi Kenney, violin “Music begins where language ends.” Sibelius’s profound words echo deeply through this program steeped in nostalgia and emotional gravitas. Our Masterworks series begins with a defiantly optimistic WWII-era overture by Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz as she lived through the war in Warsaw. Sibelius’s haunting and exquisite Violin Concerto follows, delivering an achingly beautiful tribute to a dream slipping just out of reach. Last is Dvořák’s sun-soaked Eighth Symphony, a nostalgic reflection of summertime bird calls, windswept trees, and happier times. Bacewicz: Overture for Orchestra Sibelius: Violin Concerto Dvořák: Symphony No. 8

Darko Butorac, conductor Alexi Kenney, violin “Music begins where language ends.” Sibelius’s profound words echo deeply through this program steeped in nostalgia and emotional gravitas. Our Masterworks series begins with a defiantly optimistic WWII-era overture by Polish composer Grażyna Bacewicz as she lived through the war in Warsaw. Sibelius’s haunting and exquisite Violin Concerto follows, delivering an achingly beautiful tribute to a dream slipping just out of reach. Last is Dvořák’s sun-soaked Eighth Symphony, a nostalgic reflection of summertime bird calls, windswept trees, and happier times. Bacewicz: Overture for Orchestra Sibelius: Violin Concerto Dvořák: Symphony No. 8

Darko Butorac, conductor Terrence Wilson, piano Iconic, legendary, epic — the Emperor stands alone as an unrivaled titan among concertos. With his fifth and final piano concerto, Beethoven goes beyond the traditions of his early inspirations and ultimately crafts an innovative and epic masterpiece that surpasses his predecessors’ wildest dreams. Sharing the program with Beethoven is one such early inspiration: C.P.E. Bach. Son of J.S. Bach and a master in his own right, C.P.E. Bach left a huge impact on future generations, including Beethoven. Rounding out the program is Brahms, the man perhaps most preoccupied with Beethoven’s legacy. As Beethoven’s de facto successor, Brahms revered, grappled with, and eventually transcended his idol’s legacy through his magnificent symphonies. C.P.E. Bach: Symphony in D Major Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor” Brahms: Symphony No. 3

Darko Butorac, conductor Terrence Wilson, piano Iconic, legendary, epic — the Emperor stands alone as an unrivaled titan among concertos. With his fifth and final piano concerto, Beethoven goes beyond the traditions of his early inspirations and ultimately crafts an innovative and epic masterpiece that surpasses his predecessors’ wildest dreams. Sharing the program with Beethoven is one such early inspiration: C.P.E. Bach. Son of J.S. Bach and a master in his own right, C.P.E. Bach left a huge impact on future generations, including Beethoven. Rounding out the program is Brahms, the man perhaps most preoccupied with Beethoven’s legacy. As Beethoven’s de facto successor, Brahms revered, grappled with, and eventually transcended his idol’s legacy through his magnificent symphonies. C.P.E. Bach: Symphony in D Major Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor” Brahms: Symphony No. 3

Darko Butorac, conductor Jessica Beebe, soprano Timothy Parsons, alto Brian Giebler, tenor Jonathan Woody, bass Asheville Symphony Chorus  When asked to name the greatest composer of all time, Beethoven exclaimed without hesitation, “Handel — to him I bow the knee.” Mozart too held the English master in high regard: “Handel understands effect better than any of us… When he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt.” Experience the full might and awe-inspiring emotional weight of Handel’s legendary Messiah and kick off your holiday festivities with this powerful performance featuring four outstanding soloists and the Asheville Symphony Chorus Handel: Messiah

Darko Butorac, conductor Jessica Beebe, soprano Timothy Parsons, alto Brian Giebler, tenor Jonathan Woody, bass Asheville Symphony Chorus  When asked to name the greatest composer of all time, Beethoven exclaimed without hesitation, “Handel — to him I bow the knee.” Mozart too held the English master in high regard: “Handel understands effect better than any of us… When he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt.” Experience the full might and awe-inspiring emotional weight of Handel’s legendary Messiah and kick off your holiday festivities with this powerful performance featuring four outstanding soloists and the Asheville Symphony Chorus Handel: Messiah

Darko Butorac, conductor Jessica Beebe, soprano Timothy Parsons, alto Brian Giebler, tenor Jonathan Woody, bass Asheville Symphony Chorus  When asked to name the greatest composer of all time, Beethoven exclaimed without hesitation, “Handel — to him I bow the knee.” Mozart too held the English master in high regard: “Handel understands effect better than any of us… When he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt.” Experience the full might and awe-inspiring emotional weight of Handel’s legendary Messiah and kick off your holiday festivities with this powerful performance featuring four outstanding soloists and the Asheville Symphony Chorus Handel: Messiah

Darko Butorac, conductor Lissie Shanahan, flute Rebekah Hou, harp Many 20th-century composers were approached to reinvent Bizet’s Carmen as a ballet, but only Shchedrin accepted the challenge; instead of struggling to outshine the legendary opera, he embraced Bizet’s work and re-formed it into a modern, percussion-centric ballet suite. The suite is written for strings, vibraphone, temple blocks, castanets, tam-tams, and more to bring the beloved melodies of Carmen to life in unexpected ways with daring ingenuity. Paired with the Carmen Suite is Montgomery’s Strum!; drawing on American folk idioms and inspired by the spirit of dance, Strum! begins with a fleeting nostalgia and transforms into ecstatic celebration. Rounding out the program is Mozart’s Parisian concerto for the unique and delightful pairing of flute and harp. Montgomery: Strum! Mozart: Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra Bizet / Shchedrin: Carmen Suite

Darko Butorac, conductor Lissie Shanahan, flute Rebekah Hou, harp Many 20th-century composers were approached to reinvent Bizet’s Carmen as a ballet, but only Shchedrin accepted the challenge; instead of struggling to outshine the legendary opera, he embraced Bizet’s work and re-formed it into a modern, percussion-centric ballet suite. The suite is written for strings, vibraphone, temple blocks, castanets, tam-tams, and more to bring the beloved melodies of Carmen to life in unexpected ways with daring ingenuity. Paired with the Carmen Suite is Montgomery’s Strum!; drawing on American folk idioms and inspired by the spirit of dance, Strum! begins with a fleeting nostalgia and transforms into ecstatic celebration. Rounding out the program is Mozart’s Parisian concerto for the unique and delightful pairing of flute and harp. Montgomery: Strum! Mozart: Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra Bizet / Shchedrin: Carmen Suite

Darko Butorac, conductor Joshua Roman, cello Artists have always been drawn to the troubling but profound notions of fate, destiny, and inevitability. Verdi’s La forza del destino explores destiny as an irresistible force bringing two lovers together only to wrench them apart through accidental deaths, tragic misunderstandings, and mistaken identities. The Awakening cello concert, composed and performed by Joshua Roman, reflects on a fateful journey from darkness and anger to personal rebirth through the support of others and the affirmation that no one is alone. Our final exploration of inevitability is Tchaikovsky’s relentless Fifth Symphony; suffused with emotional intensity, introspective depth, and undaunted optimism, the work is centered around a single compelling theme, intricately woven through each movement and rumored to be symbolic of the unrelenting call of fate itself. Verdi: Overture from La forza del destino Roman:  Awakening Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5

Darko Butorac, conductor Joshua Roman, cello Artists have always been drawn to the troubling but profound notions of fate, destiny, and inevitability. Verdi’s La forza del destino explores destiny as an irresistible force bringing two lovers together only to wrench them apart through accidental deaths, tragic misunderstandings, and mistaken identities. The Awakening cello concert, composed and performed by Joshua Roman, reflects on a fateful journey from darkness and anger to personal rebirth through the support of others and the affirmation that no one is alone. Our final exploration of inevitability is Tchaikovsky’s relentless Fifth Symphony; suffused with emotional intensity, introspective depth, and undaunted optimism, the work is centered around a single compelling theme, intricately woven through each movement and rumored to be symbolic of the unrelenting call of fate itself. Verdi: Overture from La forza del destino Roman:  Awakening Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5

Darko Butorac, conductor TIME FOR THREE Ranaan Meyer, double bass  Nick Kendall, violin  Charles Yang, violin Music possesses an almost magical ability to tell stories. It can paint vivid images of far off lands, enchanted forests, fairy tale villages, the timeless battle between good and evil — all without a single spoken word. Step into the enchanted world of German legends, filled with tales of mysterious swan knights, magic bullets, and mischievous tricksters. Then, delve into the otherworldly Contact; inspired by the idea of interstellar communication, this jazzy, bluegrass-infused, and ethereal concerto for trio was collaboratively written with and for Time For Three. Weber: Overture from Der Freischütz Puts: Contact Wagner: Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin Strauss: Till Eulenspiegel