Symphonic I: Celebrating a New Era

× We open the new season with Olly Wilson's Shango Memory, inspired by the Yoruban deity Shango, god of thunder and lightning. Wilson, the ground-breaking African American composer, taught at UC Berkeley and lived here until his death in 2018. Our friend Conrad Tao returns to the Zellerbach stage to perform Ravel's jazz-infused Piano Concerto in G Major, which premiered in 1932 with Ravel conducting. Getting a head start on Beethoven's 250th birthday celebration in 2020, we conclude this evening's performance with his joyfully triumphant Symphony No. 5 in C minor. Let the celebration begin!

Program Olly Wilson: Shango Memory Maurice Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major Ludwig Van Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor

Joseph Young, conductor Conrad Tao, piano