BY NATURE: Resilience and Triumph

Sara Davis Buechner,  Piano 

ONN presents a program that honors the powerful legacy of LGBTQ+ composers whose voices have shaped the classical music canon. Leonard Bernstein’s The Age of Anxiety, a symphony in name and a piano concerto in spirit, traces a soul’s search for meaning in a fractured world. Inspired by W.H. Auden’s Pulitzer prize-winning poem, the music journeys through introspection, disillusionment, and, ultimately, hope — with the solo piano as its restless, poetic voice. ONN welcomes the return of dazzling piano soloist Sara Davis Buechner in her fourth appearance with ONN. The orchestra is featured in the powerful Symphony No. 5 in E Minor of Piotr Tchaikovsky, a deeply emotional journey that weaves darkness and hope, struggle and triumph. Often interpreted as a reflection of Tchaikovsky’s inner turmoil and longing, the symphony builds to a triumphant finale — a powerful reminder of resilience through art. ONN celebrates these two remarkable composers, acknowledging their courage in living authentically in times when their identities were often marginalized.  

Program:

LEONARD BERNSTEIN                Symphony No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra, The Age of Anxiety 

PIOTR TCHAIKOVSKY                   Symphony No. 5

Sat. May 16, 2026, 7:30 p.m. | Mount Hood Community College, Gresham

Sun. May 17, 2026, 3:00 p.m. | The Reser, Beaverton
Ticketing for Sunday’s concert is being handled entirely by The Reser. Reser Box office: 971-501-7722. Boxoffice@theReser.org

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