Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle del Hudson
La Voz invites you: Enjoy Symphonic Music This Spring in the Hudson Valley
Por Cristina Ramírez
April 2026If you tend to skip events because they can be expensive—or because they’re in English—La Voz brings you options. Symphonic music breaks language barriers because its main language is simply sound: a universal language that allows everyone to share the same experience. Read to the end to find out how to get free tickets just for La Voz readers.
In this month’s concerts, most of the program is purely instrumental. At times, there will be singing, but don’t worry—since they are in Latin, German, and English, the audience is invited to connect with the deeper meaning of the music beyond words.
Here are four symphonic concerts taking place in the Hudson Valley this April (plus a little bonus for May). The programs range from great classical masterpieces to contemporary works that reflect on current issues such as the environment.
This concert is the culminating project of the conducting program, where each student chooses a piece to conduct, resulting in a bold and compelling program. Annabella Capaccio, Reid Shriver, Junting Yi, and Lauren Flaten will showcase their ability to shape the orchestra’s sound through movement and gesture.
The repertoire includes works by composers such as Elizabeth Maconchy and Sarah Kirkland Snider, as well as iconic pieces from the symphonic repertoire by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Béla Bartók, Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Jean Sibelius, and Johannes Brahms. If you’ve never heard of them, you might wonder what makes them so iconic—attending the concert is the perfect opportunity to find out.
An excerpt from Mass for the Endangered by Snider promises to be one of the most compelling moments of the program. This contemporary choral work with chamber orchestra uses an original text by musician, writer, and visual artist Nathaniel Bellows to express a prayer for endangered animals and the loss of biodiversity. Rehearsals are already underway, and Viviana Ramos, a Puerto Rican member of the choir, shares that it is a very special project, as the conductors have also been fellow singers in the ensemble during their training: “You can see the dedication and effort they are putting into this concert. The Mass is also interesting because it blends different languages and carries a political message.”
The concert also features vividly orchestrated works such as Intermezzo interrotto from Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra and the famous first movement of Scheherazade, one of the most storytelling pieces in the symphonic repertoire.
With this range, the concert offers a true sonic kaleidoscope of styles, periods, sounds and textures. For more information, visit: tinyurl.com/ReflectionsAndRefractions
The program will be presented in English and conducted by Maestro André Raphel. Raphel explains that the concert “aims to help the audience experience what it’s like to go to the circus through music.” With that in mind, the program brings together short, lively pieces by a variety of composers.
You’ll hear exciting and playful works such as Dance of the Comedians by Smetana, known for its speed and vivid orchestral colors, as well as the humorous and whimsical Circus Polka: For a Young Elephant by Stravinsky.
One of the most interactive moments will be Circus Parade by Swiss composer Matthias Bamert, described by Raphel as “fascinating.” The audience will have the chance to experience what it’s like to “compose” music that represents each circus character. And you—what do you think a juggler sounds like?
You can get a 20% discount on their website using the code LAVOZFAMILIA: tinyurl.com/HVSOFamilia
The program opens with Hymne à la justice by French composer Albéric Magnard, a brief but powerful work that reflects ideals of justice and freedom inspired by the political climate of late 19th-century France. This will be followed by The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas, a piece that became widely popular after being featured in Disney’s Fantasia, and that takes audiences back to the world of classic animated films.
The evening concludes with one of the most beloved symphonies in the orchestral repertoire: Symphony No. 1 in D major by Gustav Mahler, also known as Titan. This work is full of contrasts, moving between lyrical moments, ironic marches, and bursts of orchestral energy.
For more information, visit: tinyurl.com/ConservatoryOrchestra
The concert will bring together the Bard Conservatory Orchestra, The Orchestra Now, and the Bard Conservatory Choir.
The highlight of the program is An Alpine Symphony, one of the most monumental works in the orchestral repertoire. Strauss calls for a massive orchestra—including unusual instruments such as the heckelphone, wind machines, and metal sheets to simulate thunder—to musically portray a journey ascending and descending a mountain in the Alps.
And if the program already sounds exciting, get ready—it also includes Burleske for Piano and Orchestra, featuring pianist Blair McMillen, praised by The New York Times as “prodigiously accomplished and exciting.” You’ll also hear the choral work Die Tageszeiten (Times of the Day), based on German poems about different moments of the day—a true literary and orchestral gem in which the composer transforms orchestral sound into his vision of “the morning”, “afternoon rest”, “evening”, and “night”.
This concert will serve as a preview of the program that The Orchestra Now will present at Carnegie Hall on May 12, making it a great opportunity to experience the music of major concert halls without leaving the Hudson Valley.
For more information: tinyurl.com/SinfoniaAlpina
Deadlines to request tickets for each concert:
COPYRIGHT 2026
La Voz, Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson
Here are four symphonic concerts taking place in the Hudson Valley this April (plus a little bonus for May). The programs range from great classical masterpieces to contemporary works that reflect on current issues such as the environment.
Reflections and Refractions: A Sonic Kaleidoscope
On April 11 at 8:00 pm, the Sosnoff Theater at the Fisher Center at Bard College will bring together four graduate students from the Bard Conservatory’s conducting program for their final recital, in collaboration with The Orchestra Now and the Bard Chamber Singers.This concert is the culminating project of the conducting program, where each student chooses a piece to conduct, resulting in a bold and compelling program. Annabella Capaccio, Reid Shriver, Junting Yi, and Lauren Flaten will showcase their ability to shape the orchestra’s sound through movement and gesture.
The repertoire includes works by composers such as Elizabeth Maconchy and Sarah Kirkland Snider, as well as iconic pieces from the symphonic repertoire by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Béla Bartók, Maurice Ravel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Jean Sibelius, and Johannes Brahms. If you’ve never heard of them, you might wonder what makes them so iconic—attending the concert is the perfect opportunity to find out.
An excerpt from Mass for the Endangered by Snider promises to be one of the most compelling moments of the program. This contemporary choral work with chamber orchestra uses an original text by musician, writer, and visual artist Nathaniel Bellows to express a prayer for endangered animals and the loss of biodiversity. Rehearsals are already underway, and Viviana Ramos, a Puerto Rican member of the choir, shares that it is a very special project, as the conductors have also been fellow singers in the ensemble during their training: “You can see the dedication and effort they are putting into this concert. The Mass is also interesting because it blends different languages and carries a political message.”
The concert also features vividly orchestrated works such as Intermezzo interrotto from Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra and the famous first movement of Scheherazade, one of the most storytelling pieces in the symphonic repertoire.
With this range, the concert offers a true sonic kaleidoscope of styles, periods, sounds and textures. For more information, visit: tinyurl.com/ReflectionsAndRefractions
A Trip to the Circus with the Hudson Valley Symphony
On April 16 at 5:30 pm, at the Family Partnership Center (29 N. Hamilton St, Poughkeepsie), the Hudson Valley Symphony Orchestra presents a concert especially for children and families. Thanks to support from the Ann and Abe Effron Fund at the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, this interactive musical experience is ideal for those who have never attended a symphonic concert.The program will be presented in English and conducted by Maestro André Raphel. Raphel explains that the concert “aims to help the audience experience what it’s like to go to the circus through music.” With that in mind, the program brings together short, lively pieces by a variety of composers.
You’ll hear exciting and playful works such as Dance of the Comedians by Smetana, known for its speed and vivid orchestral colors, as well as the humorous and whimsical Circus Polka: For a Young Elephant by Stravinsky.
One of the most interactive moments will be Circus Parade by Swiss composer Matthias Bamert, described by Raphel as “fascinating.” The audience will have the chance to experience what it’s like to “compose” music that represents each circus character. And you—what do you think a juggler sounds like?
You can get a 20% discount on their website using the code LAVOZFAMILIA: tinyurl.com/HVSOFamilia
Bard Conservatory Orchestra
The Bard Conservatory Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Leon Botstein, presents a program that combines well-known works with a piece of strong symbolic meaning. The concert will take place on April 25 at 7:00 pm at the Sosnoff Theater in the Fisher Center at Bard College.The program opens with Hymne à la justice by French composer Albéric Magnard, a brief but powerful work that reflects ideals of justice and freedom inspired by the political climate of late 19th-century France. This will be followed by The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas, a piece that became widely popular after being featured in Disney’s Fantasia, and that takes audiences back to the world of classic animated films.
The evening concludes with one of the most beloved symphonies in the orchestral repertoire: Symphony No. 1 in D major by Gustav Mahler, also known as Titan. This work is full of contrasts, moving between lyrical moments, ironic marches, and bursts of orchestral energy.
For more information, visit: tinyurl.com/ConservatoryOrchestra
Bonus: Strauss’s Alpine Symphony
On May 9 at 7:00 pm and May 10 at 3:00 pm, the Fisher Center at Bard College will host a spectacular program dedicated to German composer Richard Strauss, a key figure of late Romanticism in Germany whose work has had a profound influence on the development of 20th-century symphonic music.The concert will bring together the Bard Conservatory Orchestra, The Orchestra Now, and the Bard Conservatory Choir.
The highlight of the program is An Alpine Symphony, one of the most monumental works in the orchestral repertoire. Strauss calls for a massive orchestra—including unusual instruments such as the heckelphone, wind machines, and metal sheets to simulate thunder—to musically portray a journey ascending and descending a mountain in the Alps.
And if the program already sounds exciting, get ready—it also includes Burleske for Piano and Orchestra, featuring pianist Blair McMillen, praised by The New York Times as “prodigiously accomplished and exciting.” You’ll also hear the choral work Die Tageszeiten (Times of the Day), based on German poems about different moments of the day—a true literary and orchestral gem in which the composer transforms orchestral sound into his vision of “the morning”, “afternoon rest”, “evening”, and “night”.
This concert will serve as a preview of the program that The Orchestra Now will present at Carnegie Hall on May 12, making it a great opportunity to experience the music of major concert halls without leaving the Hudson Valley.
For more information: tinyurl.com/SinfoniaAlpina
Free Tickets for La Voz Readers
We have 20 complimentary tickets available for each event for the first readers who email at: [email protected] with the subject line: Spring Symphony. In your message, please include the concert you would like to attend, how many tickets you need, your name, and the names of your guests (if applicable).Deadlines to request tickets for each concert:
- A Trip to the Circus: email us by April 10
- Bard Conservatory Orchestra: email us by April 21
- An Alpine Symphony: email us by May 4
COPYRIGHT 2026
La Voz, Cultura y noticias hispanas del Valle de Hudson
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