“This is a great concert, and the program fell so nicely together,” says Diane Wittry, Music Director and Conductor of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra (ASO).

“Chris Brubeck reached out last year about his new work, ‘Knox: Can(n)ons of Freedom.’

“We worked previously with fabulous pianist Joyce Yang and I wanted to bring her back. And Brahms is my favorite composer.”

Allentown Symphony Orchestra presents “Fire & Passion: Prokofiev & Brahms,” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10; 2 p.m. Oct 11, Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown.

“The concert opens with Brubeck’s ‘Knox: Can(n)ons of Freedom,’ which is a perfect America250 tribute,” says Wittry.

Composed in 2026, Brubeck’s work honors the historic 1776 journey when American General Henry Knox’s men dragged 60 tons of confiscated British cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston, a 300-mile journey through snow and frozen rivers using boats, ox-drawn sledges, horses and manpower.

“Pianist Joyce Yang is someone the ASO worked with in 2018 and I am looking forward to welcoming her back,” says Wittry.

Grammy-nominated guest pianist Joyce Yang performs “Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, Op. 26,” Sergei Prokofiev’s most famous and popular piano concerto.

Harold C. Schonberg, Pulitzer Prize-winning former chief music critic for The New York Times, described Prokofiev’s music as “composed within a traditional framework. It is music of a powerful personality and has many qualities that set it apart. Among those qualities are celerity, dash, confidence and an enormous athleticism” (Schonberg, 1997, p. 528).

After intermission, the concert closes with “Symphony No. 1, Op. 68 in C minor” (1876) by Johannes Brahms.

Says Wittry, “This piece takes us on a journey. Brahms tried to create something amazing, but he really struggled with this work.

“It took him 21 years to complete and you can hear the fate motive and the angst until the final movement, eliciting a beautiful feeling of gratitude and emotion.

“The program’s composers span over 200 years and to hear how music has progressed is itself an interesting journey,” Wittry says.

“Fire & Passion: Prokofiev & Brahms,” Allentown Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10; 2 p.m. Oct 11, Miller Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown. Free tickets for those 21 and under. Tickets: at the box office; 610-432-6715; https://millersymphonyhall.org

“One of the most important aspects of Gaon Soloists is that musicians with and without disabilities do not perform as separate groups,” says Ja Yeon Kang, Representative of Gaon Soloists, a South Korea-based chamber music ensemble.

“They rehearse, listen to one another and make music together as one ensemble.”

Chamber Music Lehigh Valley presents “Gaon Soloists: “Every Voice in the Room: A Gift of Nostalgic Melodies,” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8, Foy Concert Hall, Moravian University, Bethlehem.

“We selected music we hope can communicate warmth, comfort and a sense of shared memory,” says Kang.

“The purpose of the program is not simply to demonstrate musical technique, but to allow the audience to connect with the musicians themselves and with the emotions behind the music.”

The program includes works such as “Jig,” by Gustav Holst; “Danny Boy,” “Love Theme from Cinema Paradiso” and traditional Korean selections along with short introductory videos telling the stories of musicians.

“Our concert came about through our relationship with internationally-renowned violist Hsin-Yun Huang, Artistic Director of Chamber Music Lehigh Valley (CMLV) and faculty member of The Juilliard School,” says Kang, adding, “We are very grateful to be included in the CMLV season and to perform at Moravian University.”

“Gaon Soloists: Every Voice in the Room: A Gift of Nostalgic Melodies,” Chamber Music Lehigh Valley, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8, Foy Concert Hall, Moravian University, 342 Main St., Bethlehem. Free. Information: https://cmlv.org/every-voice-in-the-room/

“Classical View” is a column about classical music concerts, conductors and performers. To request coverage, email: Paul Willistein, Focus editor, pwillistein@tnonline.com