Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 2

Sat May 11, 2024 - 6 p.m.

Orchestra Hall

~1 Hour

Stop by Orchestra Hall to immerse yourself in an hour of sensational sounds. You will experience Ukrainian folk songs played by a full orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s Second Symphony and be inspired by how composer Unsuk Chin creatively mixes contrasting sounds in subito con forza. Including an onstage reception with musicians, it’s a perfect fit for a casual—but unforgettable—Saturday evening.

Save up to 15% when you create your own ticket package of three or more concerts.

Things to know

Enjoy a one-hour concert with $6 Happy Hour and a post-concert onstage reception with musicians.
“She’s one of her generation’s really bright lights,” said Chad Smith, the president and chief executive of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, who in a previous role at the Los Angeles Philharmonic helped to hire conductor Elim Chan as a conducting fellow there. Read the The New York Times’ article (March 2024) about Chan.

Buy Tickets Subscribe

Date & Time

CHIN

subito con forza
1 min note

One Minute Note

To mark Beethoven’s 250th birthday in 2020, Unsuk Chin composed subito con forza (“Suddenly, with force”), inspired by the conversation books that helped Beethoven communicate in person as his hearing diminished. Brief, visceral and powerful, it includes hidden and overt references to Beethoven’s music.
TCHAIKOVSKY

Symphony No. 2, Little Russian
1 min note

One Minute Note

A solo horn sings the opening melody of Tchaikovsky’s Second Symphony, which—in typical Tchaikovsky fashion—quotes a variety of Eastern European folk tunes. Traditional melodies from Ukraine, or “Little Russia,” as it was then called, inspired both the musical ideas and the nickname for this work. Sadly, the music and title take on a new context due to the present Russia-Ukraine war.