Are our life-journeys predetermined by the unstoppable forces of fate or can we shape our own destiny? Two of the most beloved pieces in all of orchestra music seem to provide two contrasting answers. The striking overture to Verdi’s La Forza del Destino (The Force of Destiny), portrays a dark account of human struggle against circumstances and fate. Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony tells a different story during a dramatic journey that overcomes its fate motive, culminating in a magnificent and uplifting anthem of human triumph. Hailed by the New York Times as “a brilliant soloist,” U-M faculty member Fabiola Kim, is featured in the world premiere of the Violin Concerto by Quinn Mason, the 7th commission of the Michigan Orchestra Repertoire for Equity (MORE) initiative, founded in 2020 by USO Music Director Kenneth Kiesler.

Kenneth Kiesler, conductor
Fabiola Kim, violin (Mason)

PROGRAM

Overture to La forza del destino
Giuseppe Verdi

Violin Concerto (world premiere)
Quinn Mason

Symphony No. 5
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Concert Duration: 1 hour and 40 minutes