If sunrise had a favourite song, Also sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss would be it. You’ve heard it before depicting the dawn of time in 2001: A Space Odyssey and, more recently, depicting the dawn of Barbie in 2023. But that part you know well? It’s only the beginning. Also sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spake Zarathustra) is an odyssey all its own—powerful, unforgettable, and best experienced live.

Our guest artist, Ottawa’s own international violin sensation Kerson Leong, is one of the most exciting soloists at work in the world today. Kerson stirs the burning embers of Max Bruch’s romantic Violin Concerto, one of the most loved violin concertos ever.

But to start the night, the world premiere of 1Q84: Sinfonettia Metamoderna, written for NACO by Métis composer Ian Cusson. Japanese sci-fi meets magical realism meets philosophy and mythology in this provocative new work based on the Orwellian novel 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami.