Our season will start in a perhaps unexpected way. We have never featured Prokofiev’s Peter and The Wolf and the Prokofiev No. 5 in the same concert. These two pieces, plus the Classical Symphony are probably the three most beloved and well-known pieces by Prokofiev, yet one rarely will find Peter and the Wolf on a major concert, but why not?! It’s a piece people love. We hope it brings back warm memories. We anticipate our narrator for the piece will be Rev. Dr. Shelley Best, Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Hartford Arts Council and Pastor of The Redeemer’s A.M.E. Zion Church.

One of the best things about the HSO is highlighting our musicians, and this year will be Jarek Lis’ 30th year with us. We can’t think of a better way to start the season than to pair Jarek with Concertmaster Lenny Sigal for Sarasate’s Navarra, one of the most famous romantic duos for two violins. We can’t wait!