Strings Of Hope

This program showcases the rich, expressive sound of The Syracuse Orchestra string section. Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis weaves a centuries-old melody into glowing, layered textures that feel spacious and uplifting. The concert concludes with Arthur Honegger’s Symphony No. 2, written during World War II, whose dark intensity gradually gives way to a powerful sense of hope.

Program:
- Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
- Anna Clyne: Shorthand
- Honegger: Symphony No. 2, H. 153

Featured artists:

Ho-Yin Kwok, conductor

Hong Kong-born conductor Ho-Yin Kwok is a three-time winner of The American Prize and was recently appointed Director of Orchestral Activities at Ithaca College. He also serves as Artistic Director and Conductor of the Mississippi Valley Orchestra in Minneapolis–St. Paul. Kwok has guest conducted ensembles including the New World Symphony, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, and Eastern Festival Orchestra. He is an avid music educator and is known for his work promoting underrepresented composers and diversifying orchestral repertoire.

Heidi Hoffman, cello

Cellist Heidi Hoffman is originally from Bainbridge Island, Washington. She became a member of the Syracuse Symphony cello section in 1996 and was recently appointed principal cellist of Symphoria. She teaches at Ithaca College and performs with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra. When she is not playing or teaching cello, she rides, trains, and teaches dressage at If Only Farm Equestrian Center in Freeville. She lives in Freeville with her husband Rick and their dog Ziggy.