Imagine if silence had a sound. That鈥檚 what the young Gustav Mahler tried to evoke in the massive stillness that opens his First Symphony 鈥� a whole world emerging into life, and a young artist walking out to find triumph, tragedy and (of course) love. But youth is a state of mind: expect surprises (and sounds) like you鈥檝e never heard when the revered Franco-American composer Betsy Jolas riffs on the 21st-century listening culture of playlists and downloads in her inventive new concerto for pianist Nicolas Hodges. Karina Canellakis (hailed by The Times for her 鈥榝reshly minted鈥� interpretations) conducts the 成人快手 Symphony Orchestra 鈥� and few living conductors are better equipped to channel fire from the gods in Beethoven鈥檚 Olympian overture.

Image: Karina Canellakis 漏 Mathias Bothor