Symphony of Freedom

Performers:

• Oksana Hretchyn, violin
• Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra
• John Moon, conductor (USA)

Program:

• Gioachino Rossini – Overture to the opera “William Tell”

• Samuel Barber – Violin Concerto, Op. 14
• Antonín Dvořák – Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70

Freedom, identity, the ability to speak out and to make an impact — values that today urgently demand protection.
On July 4, under the baton of American conductor John Moon, the Lviv National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will reinterpret classic masterpieces through the lens of liberty.

The brilliant overture to Gioachino Rossini’s final opera William Tell is now better known as an independent symphonic poem. Poetic, lyrical, and dramatically picturesque episodes — such as storm scenes — alternate with pastoral Alpine sketches. The overture also features the famous galloping finale, widely quoted across contemporary culture. Notably, the music is tightly interwoven with the opera’s storyline, in which early 14th-century Swiss people rise against Austrian oppression to defend their independence. It remains one of the most frequently performed overtures of all time.

Antonín Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony was deeply inspired by the Czech national revival. The composer himself noted that the main theme came to him as he witnessed anti-Habsburg demonstrators disembarking at Prague’s train station. The symphony’s grand orchestral writing and integration of folk elements — the third movement is based on the furiant, a Bohemian dance — continue to stir strong patriotic emotions in listeners.

Romantic expressiveness and dazzling virtuosity will define the performance of Samuel Barber’s iconic Violin Concerto, especially with the interpretation of Ukrainian soloist Oksana Hretchyn. Her masterful artistry promises to bring Barber’s emotional and technically demanding score vividly to life.