JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Nikki Chooi, violin
Hailey Clark, soprano
Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus

DUKAS  The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
SCHMITT  Memorial for the Tomb of Paul Dukas
IMAN HABIBI  Violin Concerto (World Premiere)
RAVEL  Mother Goose Suite
POULENC  Gloria

Enter a world where music becomes story. JoAnn Falletta leads Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, where orchestral color does the storytelling and the momentum never lets go. The program also brings a remarkable rediscovery: Florent Schmitt’s orchestral tribute to his friend Dukas, performed publicly for the first time since its 1938 Paris premiere. Violinist Nikki Chooi performs the world premiere of a Violin Concerto written for him by his friend, Iman Habibi, bringing a contemporary voice into the heart of the program, followed by the delicate imagination of Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite. The evening culminates in Poulenc’s Gloria, with soprano Hailey Clark, the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, and the full orchestra in music that is luminous, bold, and soaring. It is a concert of wonder, transformation, and uplift.