Beethoven’s self-proclaimed greatest work, Missa Solemnis, is a heavenly and complex choral-symphonic work. Musicologist Carl Dahlhaus observed, “the concert hall was transformed into a church, and the Mass into a concert piece.” Just as a great work of architecture plays tricks with our perception of scale, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis seems to bend time expressing both human struggle and deep spirituality.

The season finale highlights two great Russian symphonic works. Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by Ravel, creates the auditory experience of touring The Louvre in Paris. The powerful Piano Concerto No. 1 features one of the true iconic opening passages in all the concerto repertoire. Our soloist will be the engaging and technically masterful, Ilya Yakushev, a charismatic audience favorite.