Behzod Abduraimov takes a break from international touring to perform Sergei Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto with your Kansas City Symphony. An artist-in-residence at Park University, Abduraimov brings an amazing intensity to every performance.  You’ll feel an adrenaline rush at hearing Prokofiev’s spiky score with its combination of ardor, angularity, and rampant virtuosity.
Guest conductor Aziz Shokhakimov is equally at home in operatic or orchestral repertoire and he opens this concert with the sparkling overture to Bedřich Smetana’s opera The Bartered Bride. This high-energy romp will leave you breathless — but eager for more music! Fellow Bohemian composer Antonín Dvořák had an incredible gift for melodies and his Symphony No. 8 is a shining example. From trumpet fanfare to wistful reminiscence followed by glorious exultation, this symphony is like a walk in the Czech countryside teeming with life.