09/28/2026
Join the ICO on October 17th for a night of romance, wit, and enchantment with Shakespeare & Love, featuring pianist Adam Golka.
Learn more about featured composers Felix Mendelssohn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
A Midsummer Night's Dream was composed in 1826 when Mendelssohn was only 17 years old, making it a remarkable example of youthful genius. Inspired by Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, the piece vividly evokes the play’s magical world through sparkling string passages, playful fairy music, noble themes for the lovers, and braying motifs that suggest the comic character Bottom. Mendelssohn’s brilliant orchestration and imaginative storytelling create a work of extraordinary charm and sophistication, establishing it as one of the most enduring orchestral overtures of the Romantic era.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466, was written in 1785 and premiered the day after it was completed with himself as the soloist. One of only two pieces Mozart wrote in a minor key, the three-movement work is full of intense drama, rage, and tragedy, which caused it to become a favorite of Ludwig Van Beethoven, who performed it in concert and wrote out cadenzas. This piece features American Piano Association Max Allen Fellow - Adam Golka.
