In honor of the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein's birth, IPO has programmed this 17-18 season with the legendary conductor's favorite composers and works, along with his own music. The
March 10
concert offers a Bernstein all-star pairing of
Symphonic Dances from
West Side Story
and
Mahler's Symphony No. 1
.
"Although Bernstein and Mahler are two composers who are very different in style, these are two composers whose artistic connection is extremely strong. It is not a secret that Bernstein kept Mahler's music very close to his heart," said Maestro Stilian Kirov about the composer/conductor who was actually buried with a copy of the score for Mahler 5.
Mahler's Symphony No. 1 is one of the greatest masterpieces highlighting the composer's first mark in the golden pages of symphonic literature, Kirov added. It is also one of Maestro's personal favorites, and he is excited to share Mahler 1 with IPO patrons.
