MIT Symphony Orchestra & MIT Concert Choir: A Child of Our Time

The MIT Symphony Orchestra and Concert Choir join forces for an evening of unforgettable musical artistry!
April 24, 2026 8:00pm | Kresge Auditorium

Watch the livestream here.

Repertoire

• Victor Yaneng Wang:The World Resonates, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
  • Victor Yaneng Wang, piano
  • Adam Boyles, conductor
• Tippett: A Child of Our Time
  • Nina Evelyn, soprano
  • Kay Maysek, mezzo-soprano
  • Robert Kleinertz, tenor
  • Stephen Salters, bass
  • MIT Concert Choir
  • Ryan Turner, conductor

About the Program

Born from the atrocities of Kristallnacht and the brink of WWII, Sir Michael Tippett’s A Child of Our Time is a powerful choral masterpiece, acting as a profound musical cry against oppression and inhumanity. Following the harrowing story of a young refugee driven to violence by persecution, this poignant oratorio blends the structure of Handel’s Messiah and Bach St Matthew Pasison with the raw emotion of African-American spirituals to create a universal plea for justice, peace, and reconciliation. Conducted by Ryan Turner in collaboration with MIT Concert Choir and MITSO.

PhD student Victor Yaneng Wang, pianist, composer and winner of the Concerto competition, premieres his newly composed work for piano and orchestra "The World Resonates," conducted by Adam Boyles.

About the MIT Symphony Orchestra
The central mission of the MIT Symphony Orchestra is the cultural enhancement of education at MIT by promoting music performance at the highest level of artistic excellence among MIT students, by nurturing new works and young artists, by developing and sustaining the widest possible audience. The orchestra’s repertoire consists of works from the entire symphonic canon, spanning works of the early Baroque era to contemporary compositions, and including music for film and theatre.

Compositions by MIT faculty are also part of MITSO’s repertoire. The orchestra recently recorded Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique, and has participated in masterclasses with Gustavo Dudamel, Sir Roger Norrington, and Nicholas McGegan. Frequent collaborations with other ensembles such as the MIT Concert Choir, the theater program, with members of the faculty and performances by MITSOlite, a chamber orchestra comprised of MITSO members, are also part of MITSO’s activities.

The students in the MIT Symphony Orchestra come from a variety of fields including: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Biology, Mathematics, Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Nuclear Science and Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Management, Architecture, and Materials Science & Engineering.