We can be Heroes, just for one day.
~David Bowie, Heroes

This has been a year of heroes. Nearly every aspect of our lives has been recast in new and challenging contexts, transforming everyday experiences and tasks from ordinary to extraordinary—and putting the spotlight on the heroes all around us.

Often, we romanticize heroes as charismatic adventurers, faultless and pure leaders, and larger-than-life characters. These heroes, these myths and legends, provide us with inspiration, comfort, and meaning by guiding us through societal mores and expectations. They help to frame our beliefs and guide our consciences, offering clear-cut examples of right and wrong, of true and false—of what it means to be a hero.

But reality is rarely so simple.

This year has shown us the importance not only of heroes, but of heroism. Heroism is complex, challenging, and messy. It isn’t one-dimensional, nor is it reserved only for mythological characters and historical figures. But with that challenge comes opportunity: the opportunity to be a hero, moment by moment, even just for one day.

In our final concert cycle of Myths & Legends, EYSO students explored this dirtier, messier idea of heroism through diverse and wide-ranging repertoire. They took the expert noticer approach to examine their music, and to peel back the superficial layers to discover—and create—deeper meaning.

Across EYSO, students grappled with thought-provoking questions. How is the glorious and majestic March of the Meistersingers complicated by the context of Richard Wagner’s legacy? Who are your personal heroes—and what makes them heroic? (The answer was never “a cape and superpowers.”) What does the idea of heroism mean to you as a person, and to us as a society, and how can you live as a hero, as David Bowie sang, “for ever and ever…or just for one day?”

As we turn the page on our 45th season Myths & Legends, we are fortunate to be in the presence of heroes each and every Sunday: heroes like our students who overcame tremendous challenges to show up week after week and study, perform, learn, grow, and laugh together. And heroes like you, our supporters, who have kept the fires of curiosity burning brightly all year long. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us—and we can’t wait to see you for another incredible year of music and learning next season..

Matthew Sheppard
Artistic Director

P.S. Curious to learn more about next season? Flip to the back of the program book.