Berkeley Symphony To Present ‘Spring’s Awakening’ Concert

BERKELEY, CA — Berkeley Symphony continues its 2024–25 Symphonic Series with Spring’s Awakening, a program celebrating the natural world through music, on Sunday, March 16, at 4 p.m. at First Congregational Church of Berkeley.

Led by Music Director Joseph Young, the concert will feature works that capture the beauty, urgency, and renewal of nature.

The program includes Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus, a groundbreaking composition incorporating recorded sounds of Arctic birds, alongside Huang Ruo’s Tipping Point, an evocative and introspective piece. The concert concludes with Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 1, “Spring”, a jubilant and energetic celebration of seasonal renewal.

“So many artists, including myself, find inspiration in nature, particularly in spring,” said Music Director Joseph Young. “This program captures the excitement, urgency, and sheer awe of our natural world through powerful and evocative soundscapes.”

The Symphonic Series will conclude on June 1, with Triumph, a program highlighting resilience and hope. It will feature Gity Razaz’s Methuselah (In Chains of Time), Astor Piazzolla’s Aconcagua—with bandoneon soloist Hanzhi Wang—and Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5.

Tickets and subscriptions are available at berkeleysymphony.org or by calling 510-841-2800.