Omaha Symphony’s ‘The Planets’ Concert Promises a Celestial Experience

March 21st, 2025

Music lovers will be transported beyond the stars this weekend as the Omaha Symphony presents The Planets, a program designed to take audiences on a celestial journey. Featuring Gustav Holst’s iconic tone poem, the concert will also include works by American composers Aaron Jay Kernis and Kevin Puts, offering a rich blend of classical and contemporary orchestration.

The program opens with Kernis’ Musica Celestis, an ethereal piece inspired by 11th-century medieval chants and the idea of angels singing in the heavens. According to Music Director Ankush Kumar Bahl, its shimmering textures make it an ideal companion to Holst’s sweeping planetary suite.

Following Kernis’ composition, the orchestra will perform Puts’ Concerto for Orchestra, a dynamic and intricate work based on the Baroque Concerto Grosso model, where a small group of instruments takes on a solo-like role within the full orchestra. Bahl describes the piece as an engaging and powerful showcase of orchestral virtuosity.

The second half of the concert is dedicated to Holst’s The Planets, a seven-movement work inspired by astrology and the distinct character of each celestial body. Written before Pluto’s discovery, the piece concludes with Neptune, the Mystic, featuring a haunting, wordless choral passage performed by Omaha’s vocal ensemble, Resonance.

Bahl notes that modern astronomy will also play a role in the performance, enhancing the cosmic atmosphere of the concert. “It’s a musical experience that blends the mystery of space with the power of orchestral storytelling,” he said.

The Omaha Symphony’s The Planets concert will take place [insert dates and venue details], offering an immersive musical experience that bridges history, mythology, and the wonders of the universe.

By Coleen Cook.