Mozart, Glass & Smetana

Chamber works by Mozart, Philip Glass and Smetana anchor a New World Symphony program that moves from intimate instrumental color to personal musical storytelling. The concert takes place Sunday, February 7 at New World Center as part of New World Symphony’s 2026-2027 season. Performed by Fellows of the New World Symphony, the program highlights smaller ensembles within the orchestra’s training and performance model. Mozart’s Quintet in E-flat major for Horn and Strings places the horn in a prominent role, balancing lyrical writing with fanfare-like brilliance. Smetana’s String Quartet No. 1, “From My Life,” offers a more autobiographical frame, tracing the composer’s memories, youthful dance rhythms, romantic life and later struggles through four expressive movements. The program also includes Hans Werner Henze’s Ein kleines Potpourri from Boulevard Solitude, Camille Pépin’s Avant les clartés de l’aurore and Philip Glass’ early Brass Sextet. Together, the selections span classical, modern and contemporary chamber music, offering a compact survey of how composers use small ensembles to create vivid musical worlds.