Harlan Parker, conductor
Courtney Orlando, violin

Omar Thomas: Of Our New Day Begun
Brad Balliett: Migration Blindness
Ernst Toch: Spiel
Eric Whitacre: October
Vincent Persichetti: Symphony No. 6 for Band, Op. 69

Faculty artist Brad Balliett has followed the annual spring migration of birds along the northeastern United States for years, and over the past three years shot and edited video documenting birds as they appear along this corridor: hawks and ducks first, followed by songbirds and shorebirds, and then astonishing parades of wood warblers, followed by the nesting, breeding, and raising of young in early summer. Balliett’s new violin concerto, Migration Blindness, evokes the wonder, obsession, and desperation that comes with bearing witness to this marvel of nature, and his film accompanies the music. Conductor Harlan D. Parker leads the Peabody Wind Ensemble through the world premiere of Migration Blindness with guest artist Courtney Orlando, violin. The program includes Ernst Toch’s Spiel, Eric Whitacre’s October, Vincent Persichetti’s Symphony No. 6 for Band, Op. 69, and Omar Thomas’ Of Our New Day Begun, which will be led by current DMA conducting candidate Sam Broomell.