STRAUSS AN ALPINE SYMPHONY
Matinee
All New matinee!
March 7, 2027 at 3 PM at Maryland Hall*
Tickets start at $25
Tan Dun Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds
Richard Strauss Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony), Op. 64
This program is approximately one hour in length with no intermission.
MUSIC PROGRAM
*Our brand new matinee performances are perfect for audience members who prefer a shorter music program and afternoon concert time. This Sunday 3pm concert is 60 minutes in length and includes only Tan Dun’s Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds and Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony. Due to the shortened program, we have priced the performance accordingly.
Tan Dun’s Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds is a modern marvel that transforms smartphones into instruments. The piece begins with recordings of bird songs performed on six ancient Chinese instruments — the guzheng, pipa, erhu, suona, dizi, and sheng — played back on the smartphones of musicians and audience members. Thus, the audience is led, along with the musicians, by conductor José-Luis Novo. By merging ancient Chinese musical heritage, the natural world, and contemporary sound, Tan Dun crafts a work that is as innovative as it is poetic — a transcendent encounter with the rhythms, colors, and secrets of the world around us.
The performance culminates with Richard Strauss’ An Alpine Symphony, a monumental tone poem for massive forces that paints an 11-hour ascent of a mountain—from nightfall through sunrise, storm, and triumphant summit. Scored for nearly 100 players, including wind and thunder machines, organ, cowbells, and offstage horns, Strauss creates a breathtaking, cinematic world that captures both nature’s grandeur and the human spirit.
*Our brand new matinee performances are perfect for audience members who prefer a shorter music program and afternoon concert time. This Sunday 3pm concert is just over one hour in length and includes Richard Strauss’ Alpine Symphony and Tan Dun’s Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds. Due to the shortened program, we have priced the performance accordingly. We are proud to work toward making our music more accessible for more people.
Photo credit “Tricolor Heron” by Emily Carter
TICKETING
Tickets start at $25. Check the online seating chart to select $25 seats.
Single tickets for this performance will be available for sale beginning August 1, 2026.
Student tickets to this performance are $15. Military, Law Enforcement, and First Responder ticket discounts are also available. Please call the Box Office at 410-263-0907 to redeem these discounts starting August 1, 2026.
THANK YOU
This performance is made possible in part with the support of the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC.org) and Arts Council of Anne Arundel County (ACAAC.org).