Northern Lights

About This Show

Edvard Grieg
Peer Gynt Suite

Grazyna Bacewicz
Piano Concerto

Featuring Andy Armstrong, piano

Jean Sibelius
Symphony No. 5 in Eb Major, op. 82   

ABOUT
We’re bringing you the biggest January yet in our orchesrta’s history with the Andy Armstrong Festival! Northern Lights marks the first of three concert events featuring the celebrated director of the Andy & Friends Chamber Series. 

Under the shimmering banner of Northern Lights, prepare for a night of elemental passion and soaring melodies! We begin our journey with Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite, whose windswept dance will transport you to misty fjords and moonlit mountain passes. Next, spotlight soloist Andy Armstrong as he unleashes the fiery brilliance of Grazyna Bacewicz’s Piano Concerto—its driving rhythms, folk‑inspired bursts, and radiant lyricism showcasing Armstrong’s dazzling technique and deep musical soul. Finally, Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony unfolds like dawn breaking over a frozen landscape: noble horn calls, sweeping string arches, and a triumphant finale that will leave you breathless. Join us for Northern Lights—an electrifying evening of Nordic wonder and virtuosic brilliance all on a southern winter night!

YOUR BRAIN ON ART
Listening to classical music during the winter months may help reduce seasonal anxiety and symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) by lowering cortisol levels and boosting dopamine production, which can improve mood and relaxation (Maratos, Gold, Wang, & Crawford, 2008). Additionally, research from the British Journal of Psychiatry suggests that music therapy, including classical music, can enhance emotional well-being and alleviate depressive symptoms associated with colder, darker seasons (Erkkilä et al., 2011).