On October 15, Music Director Alex Prior and the Eugene Symphony open their 2026–27 season at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts with a vibrant, expansive program.
The concert opens with British-American composer Anna Clyne’s Color Field, a vivid auditory journey inspired by the luminous canvases of abstract painter Mark Rothko that unfolds in radiant waves of sonic texture. Prior and the orchestra then perform Igor Stravinsky’s blazing The Firebird Suite, followed by Antonín Dvořák’s beloved Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, “From the New World”, whose sweeping melodic beauty and expansive American folk-inflected spirit have made it an enduring cornerstone of the orchestral repertoire.
The performance marks the launch of Prior’s second season as Music Director, following a triumphant 2025–26 inaugural season that drew critical acclaim and warm audience support. The Eugene Scene highlighted Prior’s “respectful and pleasurable working relationship with the orchestra,” praising the musicians’ responsive, impassioned playing that delivered “with grace and energy.”
Patrons are invited to kick off the new season with an opening-night red carpet celebration at the Silva Concert Hall, followed by the concert performance at 7:30 p.m.
