Looking 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, Greek star violinist Leonidas Kavakos performs Mozart’s fourth violin concerto—one of five all 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.” His Introduction and Allegro embodies this worldview, with its 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!