Moving from intensity through hope to light-hearted charm, this concert embodies the resilience of the human spirit and the power of music to express the multitude of human emotion. Dedicated to a flute player killed in 1973 the Yom Kippur War, Leonard Bernstein’s Halil is a commentary on war, loss, and hop, and is ostensibly a concerto featuring our own principal flute, Lance Suzuki. Benjamin Britten’s Canticle II for mezzo and tenor recounts the story of Abraham and Isasac and the spirit of a savior angel with beautiful soul and healing musical moments. Dvořák’s American Quintet (for 2 violins, 2 violas, and cello) is a partner to his more well-known American Quartet. It encapsulates his extended time in the United States, embodying his longing for his homeland, his excitement for his adopted home, and the sounds of the people who welcomed him so fully.