Ankush Kumar Bahl, conductor
Thomas Kluge, viola 

IVES: Symphony No. 3, “The Camp Meeting”
JENNIFER HIGDON: Viola Concerto
MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 5, “Reformation” 

Principal Viola Thomas Kluge gives the Omaha premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s Viola Concerto, a work that shines a spotlight on the instrument’s expressive sensitivity and star-power quality that carries it far beyond the middle of the string section. Higdon’s Concerto, which was commissioned by several renowned institutions including the Nashville Symphony, the Aspen Music Festival and School, and the Curtis Institute carries an undeniable character of Americana. Ives’ Symphony No. 3 reflects this spirit of playful reminiscence, his “Camp Meeting” portraying childhood memories of gatherings in the Connecticut countryside. Finally, the Maestro leads the Orchestra in a performance of the Fifth Symphony of a composer whose music he feels especially close to, Felix Mendelssohn.