Dvořák’s cheerful and optimistic Symphony No. 8, written on the occasion of his admission to Prague Academy, showcases the rhythms and folk sounds of his native Bohemia. The concert also features Nicholas Hammel, winner of the 2022 Ann & Charles Eisemann International Young Artists Competition, performing Brahms’s lyrical and masterfully constructed Violin Concerto. Brahms wrote this work in a relaxed holiday mood as he savored the stunning natural beauties of Carinthia. The work ends with a spirited Hungarian-style finale.