Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances

The New World Symphony presents a concert program exploring themes of remembrance and resilience on Saturday, January 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, January 19 at 2:00 p.m. Under the baton of conductors Anja Bihlmeier and Molly Turner, this concert explores the impact of war and exile on some of the 20th century's most influential composers.

The program opens with Erich Korngold’s Main Title from Between Two Worlds and Franz Waxman’s Elegy for Strings, both of which harken back to Hollywood’s Golden Age, where these musical exiles found refuge and created timeless film scores. Julián Orbón’s Pavana from Tres Versiones Sinfónicas offers a taste of Cuban folk music, showcasing the composer’s ability to infuse his cultural heritage into classical forms.

Arnold Schoenberg’s A Survivor from Warsaw serves as a poignant reminder of the Holocaust. The program culminates with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances, his final composition composed shortly after fleeing a war-ravaged Europe for America.

This performance is part of the *Resonance of Remembrance* series, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the Holocaust.