Timothy Verville, Music Director Finalist
Evgenia Pirshina, contralto

The SMSO presents an afternoon of stories brought to life by great music. Engelbert Humperdinck's Overture to "Hansel and Gretel" opens this symphonic storybook with a familiar fable. Russian - American contralto Evgenia Pirshina joins the SMSO performing a selection of songs by Gustav Mahler. Known for primarily creating massive orchestral works, Mahler asserts his compositional prowess by melding short stories with beautifully crafted music. The final chapter of this literary journey concludes with Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. Using several tales from the famous 1,001 Arabian Nights, and featuring  SMSO concertmaster Whun Kim, this dazzling display of orchestral fireworks is not to be missed.

PROGRAM
Engelbert Humperdinck, Overture to Hänsel und Gretel
Gustav Mahler, Five Selected Songs
Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen
Rheinlegendchen  
Wer hat dies Liedlein erdacht? 
Wo die schonen Trompeten blasen
Urlicht, from Symphony No. 2 
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Scheherazade Op.35