Michael returns to the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra as concertmaster in its final season.

The familiar and exhilarating Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila opens our first program and leads directly to Stravinsky’s dynamic Petrushka. This is one of the twentieth century’s greatest ballets and a seminal work in the history of music. The story of the lovelorn puppet is wistful, dramatic, sad and funny—sometimes all of those things at the same time—and Stravinsky’s music, ironic one moment, utterly gorgeous the next, is an enthralling experience from first note to last.

To conclude, Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony. A great favorite with audiences and known to just about everybody. But Mr. Zander’s take on the piece is bracing and fresh. He has performed it many times, in many parts of the world, and always audiences are stirred by the experience of having the familiar made new again.