The season finale opens with a piece by Gabriela Ortiz exploring the Kauyamari, or “blue deer,” from Mexican folklore, a spiritual guide transformed through an extended pilgrimage. The concert follows with the epic Carmina Burana, a thrilling cantata by Carl Orff based on medieval poems celebrating the joys of life, love, and fortune. With its famous opening, O Fortuna, this dynamic work combines chorus, soloists, and full orchestra in a dramatic journey from fate’s cruelty to the pleasures of spring, tavern revelry, and courtly romance. Whether grand and ominous or tender and playful, Carmina Burana is an unforgettable musical spectacle—visceral, vivid, and emotionally charged. This performance promises an electrifying experience that showcases the full force of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in one of the most iconic and beloved works of the 20th century. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and is preceded at 6:30 p.m. by Musically Speaking, a free pre-concert discussion that provides entertaining insight into the evening’s program. Conducted by VSO Music Director Andrew Crust, with soloists Goitsemang Lehoybe (soprano), Brian Giebler (tenor), and Troy Cook (baritone).