“Even though A Far Cry has decisively established itself as a mainstay of the Boston musical community, something about it feels perpetually fresh with every performance.” —The Boston Globe

A Far Cry has risen to the top of Billboard’s Traditional Classical Chart and was named Boston’s best classical ensemble by The Improper Bostonian. In 2023, in a testament to the group’s stellar collaborative nature, all three albums the group was involved with were nominated for a GRAMMY Award. For their Groton Hill appearance, “For” Seasons – A Far Cry’s take on Vivaldi’s iconic Four Seasons – will explore the work through a lens of nostalgia with a call to action on climate change. Along with Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, the program includes works by Thorvaldsdottir, Sufjan Stevens, Quinn Mason, and Caroline Shaw.

Ravel, Maurice – La Valse
Ravel, Maurice – Kaddish, from “Deux Mélodies Hébraiques”
Ullman, Viktor – Slavonic Rhapsody
Hailstork, Adolphus – Survive (Symphony No. 4)

Special guest:
Kenneth Radnofsky, alto saxophone

This concert’s composers all have different stories to tell, and our orchestra is grateful for the opportunity to perform these deep, meaningful, and introspective meditations. For example, Maurice Ravel’s moving work Kaddish includes a prayer for universal peace. Czech / Austrian composer Viktor Ullmann met his death in Auschwitz, but wrote in his journals, “By no means did we sit weeping on the banks of the waters of Babylon. Our endeavour with respect to arts was commensurate with our will to live.” His melodious Slavonic Rhapsody (1940), featuring guest soloist Kenneth Radnofsky on alto saxophone, is a testament to endurance in a turbulent time. And, in our closing work, Adolphus Hailstork’s recently completed Fourth Symphony, the composer asks us to consider the roots of American music and the evolution of civil rights.

Spring Pops!

Commemorating Concord 250 with North Bridge Portrait by Stephen Bulla (2001 commission). Introducing an exciting program inspired by video games and comics, including Epic Gaming Themes, Guardians of the Galaxy, Video Games Live and more!

The youngest cellist to win a Gold Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, 24-year-old Zlatomir Fung enjoys a busy and varied international career. His appearances with renowned orchestras have showcased canon works and new commissions, demonstrating the breadth of his technique and musical insight.

Fung, a passionate film fan, has chosen works that conjure iconic moments from opera and screen, including a new fantasia on Bizet’s Carmen, written for him by Marshall Estrin.

Program Details:
Johannes Brahms | Violin Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 108, arr. for cello and piano
Justin Dello Joio | Due Per Due for cello and piano
Bernard Herrmann | “Scène d’amour” from Vertigo, arr. Zlatomir Fung
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | “Lensky’s Aria” from Eugene Onegin, arr. Mikhail Bukinik
Marshall Estrin | Fantasia Carmen, for cello and piano