Schumann's Third Symphony is filled with his joyful appreciation of the Rhine River and the inspiring cathedral on its banks in Cologne, Germany. A Sphinx Virtuosi commission, Delights and Dances by Michael Abels is an infectious and witty blend of jazz and blues. The world premiere of a BPO-commissioned Oboe Concerto by Randall Svane rounds out the program.

"A musical portrait of Stalin," has described Shostakovich's primarily oppressive and sinister Tenth Symphony, his first in five years after a Soviet denouncement of his music. Composer Daron Hagen touts the performance of electric guitarist D.J. Sparr on his Electric Guitar Concerto as a "joyous, celebratory romp." Desert Transport portrays experiencing the sound sensations of a helicopter in flight.