Stravinsky’s Firebird

An Evening of Color and Imagination with The Phoenix Symphony

If you love music that tells stories and lights up the imagination, the next broadcast of The Phoenix Symphony is one you will not want to miss. On October 1, 2025, listeners will be treated to a program filled with color, rhythm, and emotion, led by guest conductor Paolo Bortolameolli. From the bold inventiveness of a Pulitzer Prize–winning composer to the languid charm of French Impressionism and the vivid drama of Russian folklore, this concert promises an unforgettable journey.

You can hear it Wednesday at 7 p.m. on KNAU Arizona Public Radio, in Dolby Digital Surround Sound on DTV 8.5, on Classical Arizona PBS, and on Classical 89.5 KBACH. Settle in wherever you enjoy your music most and let these performances transport you.

The evening begins with Kevin Puts’ Contact, written for the Grammy and Emmy-winning trio Time For Three. Puts is one of the most lyrical and engaging composers of his generation, celebrated for his ability to balance contemporary language with music that speaks directly to listeners. Winner of the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for his opera Silent Night, Puts has written four symphonies, more than a dozen concertos, and many smaller works. When Time For Three approached him about creating a concerto, he was inspired by the group’s versatility and sheer joy onstage. He imagined a piece that could showcase their personalities as well as their skill, weaving instrumental virtuosity with moments of song and improvisation.

Contact unfolds in four movements that trace an arc from curiosity to celebration. It opens with “The Call,” a gently unfolding refrain first sung by the trio before blossoming in the brass. “Codes” brims with syncopated energy, while “Contact” places the soloists against stark orchestral textures, like voices reaching across space. The finale draws on a Bulgarian dance tune, transformed into a lively fantasy that brings the piece to a radiant close. Puts’ concerto is a testament to communication, to the human desire to reach out, and to the exhilaration of connection through music.

The program continues with Claude Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, a work that changed the course of Western music. Written in 1894 and inspired by Stéphane Mallarmé’s poem of the same name, Debussy described it as a “very free illustration” of the faun’s drowsy adventures in a sunlit wood. The opening flute solo, rising and falling like a sigh, remains one of the most recognizable phrases in all of classical music. Around it, harps, woodwinds, and muted strings create a haze of sound that invites the listener to drift between waking and dreaming.

At its premiere, the Prelude surprised audiences with its sensuous harmonies and fluid form. It avoided the heavy rules of traditional harmony, instead bathing its melodies in whole-tone scales, chromatic slides, and gentle rhythmic freedom. Even without dancers, the music conjures a world of soft light, wandering thoughts, and quiet longing. More than a century later it still feels fresh, asking us to pause, breathe, and lose ourselves for a few minutes in Debussy’s shimmering landscape.

The centerpiece of the concert is Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite, a score that announced the arrival of one of the most important composers of the 20th century. In 1910, Serge Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes needed a new ballet based on Russian folklore, and after several better-known names declined, the impresario took a chance on the 27-year-old Stravinsky. The premiere in Paris on June 25, 1910, was an instant triumph, launching the composer on a path that would soon lead to Petrushka and The Rite of Spring.

The Firebird tells the story of Prince Ivan, who enters the enchanted garden of the sorcerer Kashchei the Deathless. There he meets the magical Firebird, whose brilliant feathers promise both danger and salvation. With her help, Ivan defeats the sorcerer, frees his captives, and ushers in a new dawn. Stravinsky’s music mirrors the tale’s mix of menace and wonder. Brooding low strings set the scene, then the Firebird flutters into view with quicksilver trills. A gentle round dance of princesses unfolds in lyrical woodwinds before giving way to the famous Infernal Dance, a thrilling burst of rhythm as Kashchei and his creatures are driven into a frantic spell. A rocking lullaby calms the scene, and from hushed tremors the noble horn theme rises, expanding into a blazing finale.

What makes The Firebird so remarkable is how it bridges worlds. Stravinsky draws on the brilliant orchestration he learned from his teacher Rimsky-Korsakov, while reaching forward to a new, sharper style that would shape modern music. Even in the streamlined 1919 suite, which trims the original ballet for the concert hall, the score dazzles with its variety of colors and its sense of unfolding drama. It is easy to understand why the work’s premiere was hailed as a revelation and why it remains a cornerstone of the orchestral repertoire.

At the podium for this concert is Paolo Bortolameolli, a Chilean-Italian conductor whose career spans the Americas, Europe, and Asia. He is Music Director of the Orquesta Sinfónica Azteca in Mexico, Principal Guest Conductor of the Filarmónica de Santiago in Chile, and Music Director of Chile’s National Youth Symphony Orchestra. A former Associate Conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Bortolameolli is admired for his command of both classic repertoire and new music. He has led ensembles from the New York Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra to the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and he continues to champion innovative projects that connect music with new audiences.

Joining The Phoenix Symphony for Contact is Time For Three, a trio whose artistry transcends labels. Violinists Nick Kendall and Charles Yang and bassist Ranaan Meyer formed the group while students at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. Blending classical training with Americana, pop, and original songs, they bring a sense of play and daring to everything they perform. Their work with contemporary composers has produced award-winning recordings, and their concerts have taken them from Carnegie Hall to small clubs, always with the same warmth and irresistible energy.

With this program, The Phoenix Symphony invites listeners to experience music as adventure, reflection, and celebration. From the inventive spark of Kevin Puts, to the dreamlike beauty of Debussy, to the sweeping drama of Stravinsky, every piece opens a window into a different world. Be sure to tune in on October 1 and enjoy an evening of performances that remind us why live music continues to inspire and surprise.