From the Abyss to the Stars

Two major international opera stars will join Yannick Nézet-Séguin in a sublime search for light. Soprano Janai Brugger delivers a consistently stunning performance of Gloria, the French composer Poulenc’s masterpiece. Mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill will explore profound human suffering to find glimmers of hope in her performance of Psalm 130, “Out of the Depths.” Listen closely to the parallels between these two choral works and discover how Poulenc was inspired by Lili Boulanger’s musical writings.

The first successful American female composer drew on her Irish roots to compose the Gaelic Symphony. She paints a masterful portrait of the resilient migrants who, despite all their challenges, manage to keep the flame of their culture alive through folklore.