The orchestra welcomes back to the podium perennial favorite and masterful conductor Joel Smirnoff. Maestro Smirnoff leads a diverse program opening with the beautiful sound of CPO concertmaster David Perry’s violin in Hector Berlioz’s Rêverie and Caprice. The intense pathos and introspective Romanticism of Richard Strauss’ last orchestral work, Metamorphosen, ignite the flames of romance. Concluding this concert is Johannes Brahms’ Second Serenade for Orchestra. This unique chamber orchestra work focuses heavily on violas. Brahms relies on the darker timbre of the lower strings and winds, yet there still remains the unmistakable Romantic charm of the 19th century.