Professor and Musician Dr. Eric McIntyre dives deep into the historical and cultural context behind the music you'll hear at Discover Freedom, presented by the Des Moines Symphony. Grammy-nominated pianist Joyce Yang returns to Des Moines in a brilliant showcase of Grieg’s famous and distinctly Norwegian Piano Concerto.

The program begins with Glinka’s heroic and exuberant Ruslan & Lyudmila Overture, followed by Florence Price’s heartfelt Andante moderato. Shostakovich’s tragicomic Symphony No. 9, a cynical critique of the political and artistic oppression he experienced in Stalinist Soviet Russia, closes the concert.

Intro/outro music:

Moonrise by Steve Heitzeg

Performed by The Des Moines Symphony