Season art by Damiano Perrella
Performers
Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra
Alex Wen, conductor
Ruth Stokes, cello
Program
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80
ROBERT SCHUMANN
Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op. 129
Ruth Stokes, cello
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68
About the Concert
The Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra closes its season with the exuberance of Brahms, the intimate poetry of Schumann, and a symphonic journey toward radiant triumph. Brahms's Academic Festival Overture begins the afternoon in a spirit of celebration. Schumann's Cello Concerto follows as a deeply lyrical conversation between soloist and orchestra. Conductor Alex Wen then leads Brahms's First Symphony, a work that travels from tension and uncertainty to an unforgettable, expansive conclusion.
Join us Sunday, June 13 at 2:00 PM at the Brooklyn Museum, or watch the livestream. Concert tickets include general admission to the Museum.
About the Conductor
Alex Wen is Artistic Director of the Jackson Heights Orchestra and works across cornerstone symphonic repertoire, opera, and contemporary music. His engagements include orchestras throughout New York and Lincoln Center's Summer for the City. Previously Principal Conductor of Golden Rose Opera and a professional violist, Wen has conducted productions including La Bohème, Carmen, and Madama Butterfly. He holds degrees from Queens College and Azusa Pacific University.
About the Soloist
Cellist Ruth Stokes is a New York City-based solo, chamber, and orchestral performer and teacher. She is drawn to creative programming, living composers, and projects that build connection through chamber music. Before moving to New York, Stokes performed with the Philharmonic Orchestra Project on Bad Bunny's Most Wanted Tour and completed her master's degree in cello performance at Penn State University, where she was a Graduate Teaching Assistant. She earned her bachelor's degree from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami and has held principal and co-principal orchestral roles, performed widely in chamber settings, and taught privately and in schools.