Knighted in 2022, Sir Stephen Hough is a composer and author in addition to being one of the world’s finest pianists. For this concert, he will perform two solo piano pieces (including one he wrote) before joining with Festival Musicians for Antonin Dvořák’s Piano Quintet No. 2. Dvořák fills his Quintet with Bohemian song and dance elements that he wrote himself in the traditional style. It’s a happy piece that was instantly popular and still is, and it’s easy to hear why: a variety of alternative motifs, ranging in emotional quality, but always returning to graceful and joyful melodies.

Edvard Grieg wrote his Piano Concerto in A minor at the young age of 24, and it’s no wonder it’s his only one–it’s about as close to perfection as a concerto can get. From the thunderous opening, to the many lyrical melodies in the first movement, the heartbreakingly beautiful second movement, and the joyful and thrilling third, it’s a tour de force from start to finish. The program opens with Gabriela Ortiz’s Antrópolis, a piece inspired by the music of Mexico’s nightlife, rich with rhythms and melodies from bars, nightclubs, and dance halls.