Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony contains one of the most famous passages of music ever composed: the Ode to Joy. But what is a giant choir doing in the middle of a symphony? Isn’t a symphony just for instruments? What’s with the singing?!
Come and explore the winding path that ultimately led to this groundbreaking stroke of genius. With conductor Russell Ger as your tour guide, you will come to understand what really makes this extraordinary work so beloved the world over.
Russell Ger is an Australian conductor based in the USA. Winner of the prestigious Brian Stacey Memorial Trust Award for Emerging Australian Conductors, the Special Orchestra Prize in the Makris International Conducting Competition in Serbia, and finalist in the Sir Georg Solti Chicago Symphony Orchestra Conducting Competition, Russell Ger is one of the foremost Australian conductors of his generation. Mr. Ger’s broad repertoire spans orchestral, operatic, and choral music, which he has conducted across North America, Europe, and his home country.