Dvořák, Symphony No. 8 / Oksana Lyniv

It was a close call for American Gabriella Smith to pursue a career in marine biology rather than composition – it's no coincidence that her music references flora and fauna. Nature also inspires Dvořák in a serene Eighth : "At dawn, he wanders through the fields, moors, and forests surrounding the hamlet. It is in their intimacy that his musical ideas are born," noted his first biographer. This contrasts sharply with Shostakovich's First Concert...