The March concert will be an expedition between worlds, featuring guest marimbist Ji Su Jung, who will bring to life Kevin Puts’ Marimba Concerto, taking our ears and minds on a trek to somewhere ethereal. The performance opens with Korngold’s Theme and Variations that offers notes of simplicity and shyness. It begins with a swift tempo that evolves into a slow and sweet variation. For Puts’ Marimba Concerto, the WSO will welcome guest artist, Ji Su Jung and her distinctive musical voice known for its depth and lyricism. Jung has studied marimba since the age of three and has since performed numerous concertos with leading orchestras and conductors, earning her the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2022. The evening ends on a diaphanous note with Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite (1945) which tells the story of Prince Ivan who defeats the evil Kastchei with the help of the Firebird, who offers Prince Ivan one of her enchanted feathers after he spares her life while hunting in the forest.