University Symphony Orchestra

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Kenneth Kiesler, conductor
Ellen Hayashi, 2025 SMTD Concerto Competition Winner, violin (Tchaikovsky)

PROGRAM

Kabalevsky – Colas Breugnon
Tchaikovsky – Violin Concerto
Mussorgsky/Ravel – Pictures at an Exhibition

Following its exciting tour of South Africa and triumphant performance at Carnegie Hall, the University Symphony Orchestra (USO), conducted by its GRAMMY nominated music director, launches its 2025-2026 season with a kaleidoscopic program of Russian showpieces: the effervescent Colas Breugnon Overture by Kabalevsky, and two of the most virtuosic and exciting showpieces for orchestra.

The SMTD and USO are delighted to welcome the evening’s featured soloist Ellen Hayashi, former USO concertmaster, recent graduate, and Winner of the 2025 SMTD Concerto Competition, to perform the celebrated Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto renowned for its technical demands and displays of virtuosity as well as its soaring melodies.

The USO also leads us on a monumental journey through Maurice Ravel’s colorful and brilliant realization of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. This tour de force showcases the genius of both composers, transforming the original piano suite into a dazzling sonic tapestry. Listeners will be guided through musical portraits of romantic and grotesque characters, solemn promenades, delightful and humorous entertainments, and folkloric fantasies, all culminating in the glorious, impressive and affirming majesty of “The Great Gate of Kiev.”

Please join the USO for this evening of musical magic in Hill Auditorium!