Jan Kraybill

[from the KC Symphony website:]

Michael Stern, conductor Josh Jones, percussion

IMAN HABIBI: Jeder Baum Spricht (Every Tree Speaks) ADAM SCHOENBERG Losing Earth, Percussion Concerto RICHARD STRAUSS An Alpine Symphony

Iranian-Canadian composer Iman Habibi wrote Jeder Baum Spricht (Every Tree Speaks) as a reflection on Beethoven’s Fifth and Sixth symphonies, encapsulating reverence for nature and worries about — and hope for — our environment. Adam Schoenberg’s percussion concerto, Losing Earth, embodies the cyclical timelines of humanity and Earth, and the crisis presented by climate change. The music drives forward relentlessly but not without offering a sense of hope and optimism. Superbly skilled KC Symphony Principal Percussionist Josh Jones is featured in this kaleidoscopic concerto. Richard Strauss’ vivid depiction of summiting an Alpine peak is an exquisite expression of nature. An Alpine Symphony illustrates woods, meadows, a stream, a pasture, sunrise and a storm — while also conveying the human emotions they evoke.

I'm pleased to be at the Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant pipe organ for the Alpine Symphony.