Helena Symphony to Perform Holst's The Planets, Grammy-Winning Harp Concerto in March

The Helena Symphony will bring two major orchestral works to the Helena Civic Center on Saturday, March 21, when the ensemble performs Gustav Holst's monumental suite The Planets alongside Jennifer Higdon's Grammy-winning Harp Concerto at 7:30 p.m.

The Higdon concerto will feature HSO Principal Harpist Tess Flammond as soloist. Flammond's role anchors what the Helena Symphony has described as a major concert event, pairing one of the most recognized suites in the orchestral repertoire with a contemporary American work that carries Grammy recognition.

Holst's The Planets, composed between 1914 and 1917, is a seven-movement suite depicting the astrological characters of the solar system's planets. It remains one of the most programmed large-scale orchestral works in the concert hall, known for its sweeping dynamic range and its influence on film and television scores that followed. Higdon's Harp Concerto represents a different era of American classical music; Higdon is one of the most frequently performed living composers in the United States, and the concerto's Grammy credential signals its standing within the contemporary repertoire.

The Helena Civic Center, located on Neill Avenue in downtown Helena, has served as the symphony's primary performance venue and seats a general audience without the acoustical formality of a dedicated concert hall, making it an accessible entry point for first-time symphony attendees.

Tickets and additional program details were not available at the time of publication. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. on March 21.