The Washington Chorus joins the National Symphony Orchestra for the world premiere of Lera Auerbach’s Arctica. A co-commission by the NSO and The National Geographic Society, Arctica was inspired by Auerbach’s travel to the Arctic and her conversations with Enric Sala, a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence. This concert is part of the Kennedy Center’s Direct Current Festival, which began last season with a mission to present contemporary, cutting-edge performers and repertoire.
The prolific Auerbach, a Russian-American composer-pianist, has written operas, ballet scores, concertos, symphonic and choral works, and half a dozen books, including poetry, prose, and criticism. The concert also features Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence Mason Bates’ Sea-Blue Circuitry, Sibelius’ The Oceanides, and Dvořák’s In Nature’s Realm. Teddy Abrams will conduct the NSO.