Borealis ...

Commissioned by the Wichita Symphony Orchestra to celebrate its 50th anniversary, this 9-minute opus was given its world premiere October 8, 1993, under its director Zuohuang Chen. Observed Rhonda Holman in the Wichita Eagle, "And the world premiere-well, that was simply one of the most stirring moments in recent Wichita history. That's not because the 9-minute piece is a lush, noisy crowd-pleaser. It rises, restlessly out of a timpani roll with Lees' characteristic austerity until its final upward bound. The work's tiny shooting figurations were well-defined by the various sections and one might wish for even more fire in the final fireworks. Out in the hall, an audience largely unaccustomed to new music greeted the premiere with what felt like sincere, if surprised enthusiasm."

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