Emanuel Ax brings his unsurpassed taste and disarming flair to one of Mozart’s most charming and most operatic piano concertos. Sir Andrew Davis leads a lavishly orchestrated Strauss tone poem that takes you on a vivid, picturesque journey to the summit of the Alps.

On May 12 at 1:15pm, join Rick Phillips for a relaxed and enlightening discussion about the performance, with a Pre-Concert Chat in the lobby.

Strauss' Alpine Symphony is his homage to the Alps, which were literally at the composer's doorstep from his home in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Not featured in this work, but part of the man-made soundscape of the Alps is the Alpenhorn, a large wooden horn which was used as signal instrument in village communities throughout the Alps.

Before the May 11 and 12 concerts, Alpenhornist Eva Hajda will perform and demonstrate this special instrument.