STRAUSS’ ALPINE SYMPHONY

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Kansas City Symphony

Percussionist, Josh Jones

We all share this amazing planet with its extraordinary ecology and astonishing beauty. Composers often translate their own wonder and concern about Earth into compelling music. Iranian-Canadian composer Iman Habibi wrote Jeder Baum Spricht (Every Tree Speaks) as a reflection on Beethoven’s Fifth and Sixth symphonies during the observance of his 250th birthday year. Habibi’s music encapsulates Beethoven’s reverence for nature and expresses current worries about — and hope for — our environment.

Kansas Citians have embraced Adam Schoenberg’s high-spirited music, including his Grammy® Award-nominated Picture Studies, inspired by artwork in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. His percussion concerto, Losing Earth, embodies the cyclical timelines of humanity and Earth, and the crisis presented by climate change. The music drives forward relentlessly but not without offering a sense of hope and optimism. Superbly skilled KCS Principal Percussionist Josh Jones is featured in this kaleidoscopic concerto.

Richard Strauss’ vivid depiction of summiting an Alpine peak is an exquisite expression of nature. An Alpine Symphony illustrates woods, meadows, a stream, a pasture, sunrise, a storm and so much more. Strauss represents nature while also conveying the human emotions it evokes. You won’t want to miss this mountaintop experience!