Get ready to dive into the intense emotions of Robert Schumann’s Manfred Overture. Based on a poem by Lord Byron, you’ll feel the great suffering from supernatural forces that he detailed in his dramatic 1817 work.

Then, experience the resilience in Ruth Gipps’s Second Symphony, written during WWII. Reflecting its time, this symphony is like a musical journey from struggle to triumph that leaves you feeling hopeful and strong.

Valerie Coleman’s Tracing Visions is powerful and thought-provoking, addressing the ugliness of hatred of apathy and violence and means to reinforce the profound truth that we are all one people and should strive to create a safe and compassionate world.

Finally, Dmitri Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2, featuring young pianist Hansen Barrett, feels like a burst of sunshine with its cheerful melodies, like the light at the end of the tunnel after so much grief.

It is a program to inspire — to move and encourage us all to continue in our search for beauty and hope.