We are honored to welcome Jon Nakamatsu back to perform Beethoven’s Piano ConcertoNo.5. Whenever lists are made, it is a safe guess that the Emperor will win the spot reserved for “most important piano concerto ever written.” Filled with innovation, looking forward to 19th century pianos not yet conceived, it was to be Beethoven’s last. The concert opens in a mood of enchantment, with Ravel’s elegance, delicacy, shimmering colors and expressive melodies on full display. The mood shifts dramatically with Stravinsky’s brief, brilliant Symphony. Written just after WWII, it has the intensity of a newsreel.