DeKalb Symphony Orchestra Season 61 Finale: Respighi, Thompson, Elgar

The DeKalb Symphony Orchestra closes its 61st season with a program that feels both timeless and urgently of the moment. It is a finale performance designed to stir the senses and linger in the soul.

Ottorino Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances opens the evening with elegance and charm, reimagining Renaissance melodies through a lush orchestral lens. Graceful yet vibrant, the music shimmers with courtly refinement while revealing surprising emotional depth beneath its antique surface.

From there, the spotlight turns to contemporary brilliance with To Awaken the Sleeper by Atlanta-based composer Joel Thompson. This powerful and evocative work pulses with rhythmic energy and expressive intensity, inviting listeners into a sound world that feels at once intimate and expansive. Thompson’s voice is bold, thoughtful, and unmistakably modern, creating a striking bridge between past and present.

The evening culminates in Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations, a beloved masterpiece that weaves mystery, humor, and heartfelt tribute into a series of vivid musical portraits. Each variation reveals a different character, building toward the noble and deeply moving “Nimrod,” before concluding in a triumphant and resplendent finale.

Together, these works form a rich tapestry of sound, celebrating history, embracing innovation, and honoring the enduring power of orchestral music. The Season 61 Finale promises not just a concert, but an experience: one that awakens, enchants, and ultimately leaves audiences inspired.

Program:

RESPIGHI, Ancient Airs and Dances

THOMPSON, To Awaken The Sleeper

ELGAR, Enigma Variations, Op. 36 (Variations on an Original Theme)

Artists:

Paul Bhasin, Music Director and Conductor