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An early work by Britten, Young Apollo, will feature Ying Li, a pianist rapidly achieving renown for her graceful playing, perfectly suited for Britten’s transparent writing. Inspired by John Keats’ poem “Hyperion” about the ascendancy of the new Olympian gods, Britten described Young Apollo as “bright and brilliant music.”

Grammy® Award-winning mandolinist and singer/songwriter Chris Thile is a founding member of the critically acclaimed bluegrass bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek. Hailed by the Guardian as “that rare being: an all-round musician who can settle into any style, from bluegrass to classical,” Chris Thile brings his musical genius and artistry to Kansas City for one special evening with the Symphony, weaving story with melody in the most beautiful way.

Matthias Pintscher leads your Kansas City Symphony in Gabriel Fauré’s Masques et bergamasques, a thoroughly enchanting suite drawn from incidental music for a divertissement staged in Monte Carlo. Fauré’s music readily captures the essence of the masked balls and rustic dances alluded to in the title, offering refined accompaniment to the glamourous mystique of the event. Soprano Sophia Burgos is featured in Francis Poulenc’s Gloria, one of his signature works. The Symphony Chorus shines in this music, filled with rhythmic verve and suave syncopations. Lush and inviting dissonances paired with sensuous chord progressions are part of his glittering harmonic palette. Lyrical phrases encounter angular counterpoint, much like Poulenc’s paradoxical personality. This radiant and often playful music is a perfect juxtaposition of sacred and secular.

Ahh, yes. Let us take you on a bodacious yacht rock adventure through the 70s and 80s. Imagine yourself sailing to Catalina or dropping the top on your LeBaron as you crank up rad music on your Walkman. Christopher Cross, Toto, Hall & Oates, Dan Fogelberg and so many more. Guest conductor Jason Seber has created a program that will make you want to wear shoulder pads and leg warmers again. Pop the collar of your Izod polo and join us. Be sure to sing along, Muffy.

“Get out of the water!” The original movie blockbuster, with an Academy Award®-winning score that made John Williams a household name, Jaws is the ultimate film + live orchestra experience. Based on the best-selling novel by Peter Benchley and directed by Steven Spielberg, this masterpiece of suspense tells the tale of a small New England seaside community terrorized by a predatory great white shark during the busiest weekend of the tourist season — the 4th of July. You may need a bigger boat!

A towering work of genius, Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 will take you on a musical journey encompassing a world of emotion. Led by Music Director Matthias Pintscher, the Symphony’s virtuosity will be on full display. Contralto Jasmin White brings their incandescent sound and exquisite musicianship to this masterwork, joined by the Symphony Chorus women and a children’s choir. Mahler famously said, “A symphony must be like the world. It must contain everything.” He set out to accomplish just that and his Third Symphony is a profound work encompassing existential questions, serene contemplation and eloquent grandeur. You’ll hear moments of warm tenderness, orchestral thunder and everything in between. Mahler poured his soul into this music, saying, “In it the whole of nature finds a voice.”

Start your weekend with our new must-see Friday night concert series and social experience, Symphonic Piazza. Prepare to escape, mingle, and be entertained as you enjoy the perfect combination of a shorter format concert with enjoyable and engaging lobby activities to share with family, friends, and our musicians. Arrive early and unwind with a signature beverage, then let our music take you on a journey to new places as you experience Friday evenings in a whole new way.