Concert Preview: Boston University Symphony Orchestra

This program weaves together themes of fate, nature, and cultural identity. It begins with Verdi’s La Forza del Destino Overture (1862), capturing the inexorable force of destiny with its dramatic intensity. Experience the East Coast premiere of Takemitsu’s Fantasma/Cantos II (1994), featuring Concerto Competition winner trombonist Kevin A. Virgilio (CFA’24), offers a reflective journey, blending Eastern and Western influences to explore the mystery of sound. Living Canadian composer Kelly-Marie Murphy’s Dark Night, Bright Stars, Vast Universe (2015) takes us on a cosmic voyage, delving into the expansiveness of the universe.

Respighi’s Fountains of Rome (1916) vividly depicts the eternal city’s iconic fountains at different times of day, while Ginastera’s Dances from Estancia (1941) brings the program to an exciting close with a celebration of Argentina’s cultural identity, infused with the rhythms of the pampas. Each piece, in its way, reflects on the forces—whether destiny, nature, or culture—that shape our world from different perspectives.