Searching for an uplifting musical experience? Look no further. When Nicholas McGegan takes the podium, joy and energy are the order of the day.

Starting things off is Beethoven’s King Stephen Overture, commissioned to celebrate the opening of a magnificent theater in the Hungarian city of Pest on the banks of the Danube. Listen for a foreshadowing of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy,” composed a decade later, and echoes of Handel’s “Hallelujah” chorus. Next, renowned Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos performs Mozart’s Fourth Violin Concerto—one of five written in a single year when he was only 19. The fourth is full of sunshine, lyricism, and a delightful dance-like finale.

Elgar once said, “My idea is that music is in the air, music is all around us, the world is full of it, and you simply take as much as you require.” He embodied this worldview in his Introduction and Allegro with lush melodies and complex counterpoint, creating a soundscape that seems both ancient and timeless.

Handel’s festive and celebratory Music for the Royal Fireworks tops off this winning program!