Pétrouchka, plus Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto

One of America’s most unique voices, Joan Tower has always followed her muse. Tambor, the Spanish word for drum, features the members of the KC Symphony percussion section – their rhythmic vitality will certainly get your heart pumping.

Mozart’s final year was miraculously inspired, and among the many works he completed just months before he died was his only concerto for the clarinet. Our own Principal Clarinetist Raymond Santos brings his artistry to this achingly wistful and singing masterpiece as he makes his solo debut on the Classical Subscription series in Helzberg Hall.

Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Pétrouchka draws on Russian folklore, spinning a fantastical tale of three puppets, Pétrouchka, the Ballerina, and the Moor, brought to life at a street festival. The love triangle ends tragically, with the irony that the lifeless puppet is animated and then destroyed by love. Guest Conductor Christian Reif leads this colorful program.