Our 75th Season Finale

Our May 5 season finale celebrates the WSO’s 75th anniversary, showcasing

music inspired by woodprints and paintings. This concert features xylophone soloist Casey Voss and two blockbuster works.

Alan Hovhaness' Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints was written for xylophone and orchestra. The Fantasy is varied and colorful, drawing upon techniques borrowed from Japanese music while incorporating the composer's Armenian influences.

Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition depicts an exhibition of works by architect and painter Viktor Hartmann with each movement of the suite based on an individual work. Written for piano, this work has become a staple of piano and orchestra repertoire and frequently adapted by musicians of many genres -- from Emerson, Lake & Palmer to the synthesized version by Tomita, and many others. We'll perform the orchestration by Maurice Ravel. 

Inspired by the altarpiece of the Church of St. Anthony at Isenheim, Paul Hindemith created the opera Mathis Der Maler (Matthias the Painter) in the early 1930s. The opera portrays Matthias's struggle for artistic freedom of expression in the repressive climate of his day, mirroring Hindemith's own struggle as the Nazis attained power and repressed dissent. Hindemith wasn't able to perform the opera but did create this symphony, which became his most famous work, and one of the most impressive orchestral showpieces ever.

To enhance your enjoyment of this marvelous composition that was inspired by Matthais Grünewald's incredible 12-panel Isenheim Altarpiece, we have invited Frederick Ilchman, Chair of European Art at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts to help us understand the connections between Grünewald's exquisitely detailed paintings and Hindemith's evocative music.  

We invite you and your family to experience this music with us. Our ticketing system operates on a “pay what you can” basis, and parking is both plentiful and free. Please join us at our reception after the concert.

We're looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, May 5 at 3:00 pm.

To make sure everybody in our community can access this concert, we are offering a pay-what-you-can-system. You select the price you would like to pay for your tickets.

We recommend $30 per ticket.

The MassBay auditorium is at 50 Oakland Street, Wellesley Hills, just off Rt 9, two miles west of Rt 95 -- directions can be found here.

Our staff and volunteers can help you purchase tickets, check in, and show you to your seat when you arrive at MassBay. The Wellesley Symphony and MassBay Community College have lifted COVID-19 vaccination and masking requirements as of June 2023. Please find MassBay's latest guidance here.

We are excited to have you join us as we explore the wonderful world of classical music together!