Vermont Philharmonic Orchestra Winter Concert 2025

Vermont Philharmonic Presents Winter-Themed Classical Concerts

Featuring Brahms, Beethoven, and more

Conducted by Music Director Lou Kosma

Our program begins with Johannes Brahms’s Academic Festival Overture, a lively piece inspired by German fraternity drinking songs. The Philharmonic will also perform Vermont legend David Gunn’s contemporary composition Heliolydium, a piece that blends modern harmonies with dynamic rhythms to evoke the energy of the sun. 

Following Heliolydium, the 2025 Jon Borowicz Memorial Scholarship Competition winner Sophia Lu will perform Carl Maria von Weber’s Konzertstück for Piano and Orchestra in F minor. Lu is a rising star in the classical music world, known for her expressive technique and exceptional musicality as well as her exciting potential. 

The program is anchored with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, otherwise known as the Pastoral Symphony. Completed in 1808, this is one of Beethoven's few explicitly programmatic works, evoking a peaceful countryside landscape. It was first premiered in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien and has been widely recognized in popular culture, including its use in Disney's iconic 1940 film Fantasia.

Now in its 66th season, the Vermont Philharmonic continues its proud tradition as Vermont's oldest community orchestra, bringing exceptional classical music to the region for more than six decades.