Alisa Weilerstein's musical career began when she was a small child with chicken pox, and her grandmother made her a series of instruments out of cereal boxes. She was drawn to the "Rice Krispies cello" and then began playing the real thing at age four. Today she's the cello superstar of her generation. Experience her extraordinary artistry and intensity in Lutoslawski's profoundly dramatic Cello Concerto. Written in four continuous movements, the piece is full of fascinating contrasts and is considered one of the Polish composer's greatest works.

French impressionism takes center stage for the rest of the concert. Une barque sur l' océan was originally written for piano as part of Ravel's suite Miroirs. Later vividly orchestrated by the composer, the work's swooping lines give a visceral sense of a boat bobbing on the ocean's currents.

Debussy's ballet Jeux concerns a boy and two girls searching for a tennis ball and then eventually turning to more amorous pursuits. Debussy originally rejected the offer to compose the work for the Ballet Russes, writing 'Subject ballet Jeux idiotic, not interested', but a doubling of the fee (and the suspension of Nijinsky's idea for a plane crash near the end) changed his mind. Pierre Boulez described Jeux as "The Afternoon of a Faun in sports clothes," suggesting a comparison with Debussy's early work and Nijinsky's choreography which was reminiscent of echoes of nymphs chasing the faun.

Ravel's iconic and hypnotic Bolero also began as a ballet score. A raucous crowd in a Spanish tavern watches a woman leap onto a table and dance the traditional bolero, she becomes increasingly animated. Eventually the men threaten violence and the episode ends with a crash. At the first performance, there was a near-riot. Bolero has since become the nemesis of snare drummers everywhere, who have to play the same rhythm for 15 minutes non-stop. It's ironic that a work that Ravel considered a trifle, an experiment, and a work consisting entirely of “orchestral tissue without music” has become his most popular.

A sensuous Sunday afternoon awaits you with this vibrant lineup!