Rebirth and Dance

In this dynamic finale to our Masterworks Concert Series, conducted by Kyle Dickson, Music Director Finalist, the program embodies the richness of new beginnings, reimagined possibilities, and a celebration of both past and future. Christopher Theofanidis’s Rainbow Body opens the program with brilliantly colored orchestration, reflecting the idea of rebirth and renewal. Based on the melody of “Ave Maria” by Hildegard of Bingen, the work draws on Buddhist concepts of passing on and being reborn as pure light and energy, reabsorbed into the universe. Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto follows, written during a time of reinvention in Europe as nations moved toward the revolutions of 1848, a period marked by calls for reform, constitutional government, and greater freedom. Florence Price’s Dances in the Canebrakes pays homage to the Deep South while continuing the thread of dance music in a distinctly different voice, contrasting earlier traditions such as Stravinsky’s Firebird. The program culminates with Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird, a vivid musical portrayal of death and rebirth, imprisonment and liberation, following the journey from dark, ominous beginnings to a triumphant, uplifting finale as the kingdom is freed from the oppressive rule of Kashei. 

American Conductor Kyle Dickson has built a reputation as a dynamic musical force on and off the podium. He is Assistant Conductor of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Memphis Youth Symphony. From 2021-2023, Dickson was a Salonen Fellow with the San Francisco Symphony under the guidance of Music Director Esa-Pekka.