Name: Classical Series Concert #5
Start: 2025-01-17T20:00:00-06:00
End: 2025-01-17T22:00:00-06:00
Location: Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Matthias Pintscher, music director and conductor
Emmanuel Pahud, flute
Jan Kraybill, organ

CLAUDE DEBUSSY Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
JACQUES IBERT Concerto for Flute and Orchestra
MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS Notturno for Flute, Harp, and Strings
CAMILLE SAINT-SAËNS Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, “Organ Symphony”

Shimmering flute sounds will predominate as Berlin Philharmonic Principal Flute Emmanuel Pahud returns to Kansas City to perform Jacques Ibert’s Flute Concerto. With its appealing combination of lyricism and athleticism, Ibert’s concerto is truly a hidden gem. A special treat is the chance to hear Michael Tilson Thomas’ Notturno for Flute, Harp and Strings, his musings on the bygone world of Italian arias and salon pieces. Savor the wonder and charm of this genre, expertly played by one of the world’s great flutists.

The Symphony’s own Principal Flute Michael Gordon will share his suave and entrancing sound in Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. This landmark piece is the epitome of musical Impressionism, evoking Stéphane Mallarmé’s text with luminous tone colors and languid phrases.

With its many flute stops, the Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant organ in Helzberg Hall is a magnificent instrument. Paired with the orchestra in Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Organ Symphony,” it’s an unbeatable combination. Enjoy moments of quiet intimacy and then revel in the stupendous rumble of the organ’s 32-foot pipes with a full symphony orchestra as you take in this magnum opus.