Beethoven – da, da, da, dum

You know the opening. Four notes that changed music forever. But Beethoven’s Fifth is even more staggering in the room — the full force of a live orchestra driving those famous knocks from darkness into light. We open with the blazing energy of his Prometheus Overture, and then welcome back a musician who grew up on this stage: Kenichi Mizushima, returning for his third appearance as an SSO soloist. His first turn in the spotlight was at just sixteen years old, and his relationship with the orchestra has only deepened since. Now he brings that maturity, warmth, and precision to Haydn’s effervescent Cello Concerto. From the first bar to the last, this is the concert that reminds you why classical music became popular in the first place — and why our own players keep coming back to share something extraordinary. Program: • Beethoven – Prometheus Overture • Haydn – Concerto for Cello (Soloist: Kenichi Mizushima) • Beethoven – *Symphony No. 5