Classical Arizona PBS celebrates The Phoenix Symphony with a concert led by Alex Amsel airing on Wednesday, October 14th. He served two seasons as Associate Conductor of The Phoenix Symphony, and returned to conduct the October 17-19, 2025 concerts. They were joined by rising star soprano Liv Redpath as the guest soloist.
One of The Phoenix Symphony’s core values is to share its belief in the transformative power and joy of music. And Amsel, who passionately shares that belief, said of this program, “It’s not just a concert – it’s a chance to pause, reflect, and be lifted together with your community.”
To set the tone, they began with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s brilliant sacred motet, EXSULTATE, JUBILATE (Exult, rejoice), K. 165. A precocious 16-year-old Mozart composed it in 1773 in Milan with a specific virtuoso performer in mind: the Italian castrato Venanzio Rauzzini. It’s a fervent expression of spiritual joy, as well as a show of great vocal agility and range, as soloist Liv Redpath displayed.
The Phoenix Symphony continued with their first ever performance of a rousing orchestral work by Carlos Simon called AMEN! Coming from a multi-generational family of Pentecostal ministers and worshippers, Simon recreated the spirit of their worship services — the joyous dancing, spontaneous shouting, and soulful singing that foster a genuine spiritual experience for the congregation.
And the culmination of the concert program was Gustav Mahler’s Symphony #4 in G major. It all began in 1892, when Mahler wrote a song that was originally called Der Himmel hängt voller Geigen (Heaven/The Sky is filled with violins). The title was later changed to Das himmlische Leben (Life in Heaven), and it illustrates an innocent childlike view of heaven. Over time, Mahler incorporated the song into his Symphony, resulting in a sunny and joyful work composed between 1899-1901.
