The MSO is joined by conductor and early music specialist Benjamin Bayl for a sparkling program of classical and classically-minded works.

• Rameau’s Zoroastre follows the story of a Persian priest who lived during sixth-century BCE. The opera was not initially a hit with audiences, but a rewritten version which premiered in 1756 was a great success. Critics praised Rameau’s elegant orchestration and richly detailed instrumental voicings.
• Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante remains the only example of the genre composed over a prolific career. A sinfonia concertante shares characteristics with a concerto, but incorporates multiple soloists – here drawn from MSO musicians – into the orchestral texture. Haydn deftly contrasts the high and low sonorities of a violin, cello, oboe and bassoon in a characteristically bright and animated work. 
• Louise Farrenc broke many barriers in her lifetime: she was the first woman professor of piano at the Paris Conservatoire, a role she held for thirty years. The concert overture was a popular genre in the nineteenth century, inspired by the drama and spectacle of Grand Opera in Paris.
• Schubert’s Third Symphony was written when the composer was only eighteen and working full time as a teacher. The lively rhythms and spirited melodies reveal a clear debt to Mozart, Haydn and Rossini.
  

Program and artists subject to change.