A Valentine’s Day Journey to Scotland

The Asheville Symphony presents “Masterworks 4: Scottish” on Saturday, February 14, 2026, with performances at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Asheville, offering audiences a distinctive Valentine’s Day concert inspired by the landscapes, folklore, and musical traditions of Scotland.

Led by guest conductor James Lowe, the program brings together three composers who each translate Scotland’s atmosphere into sound, from a contemporary Scottish voice to two Romantic-era perspectives shaped by travel and imagination. The concert features Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3, Scottish, alongside Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy for violin and orchestra, performed by Geneva Lewis, and Glisk by Scottish composer Aileen Sweeney.

Mendelssohn’s Scottish symphony anchors the program. Inspired by the composer’s visit to Scotland in 1829, the symphony evokes misty ruins, rugged coastlines, and sweeping landscapes through a continuous four-movement structure. Though Mendelssohn avoided explicit narrative labels, the work is widely regarded as one of his most atmospheric and emotionally resonant orchestral compositions.

The program also highlights Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy, a virtuosic work for violin and orchestra that draws on traditional Scottish folk melodies. The piece blends lyrical warmth with spirited dance rhythms, showcasing the expressive range of solo violin. Lewis, an internationally recognized violinist known for her musical clarity and depth, brings Bruch’s colorful score to life in one of the program’s most celebrated works.

Opening the concert is Glisk by Aileen Sweeney, a contemporary work inspired by fleeting moments of light in the Scottish landscape. The title comes from an old Scots word meaning a sudden glimmer or flicker.

“Masterworks 4: Scottish” will feature Kiwi/American violinist Geneva Lewis. Lewis has forged a reputation as a musician of consummate artistry whose performances speak from and to the heart. Lauded for “remarkable mastery of her instrument” (CVNC) and hailed as “clearly one to watch” (Musical America), Geneva is the recipient of a 2022 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant and Grand Prize winner of the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Competition.

Guest conductor James Lowe brings a personal connection to the program, having spent much of his life in Scotland. “I spent much of my life in Scotland, so I feel extremely close to Mendelssohn’s evocative work as I’ve visited or lived in the places that inspired him,” Lowe said. “I’m also delighted to be performing Glisk by young Scottish composer Aileen Sweeney, a beautiful quicksilver work that captures the ever-changing Scottish light.”

“Masterworks 4: Scottish” offers an atmospheric and thoughtfully curated Valentine’s Day concert, pairing sweeping Romantic masterworks with a contemporary Scottish voice for an evening that is both reflective and richly expressive.

“Masterworks 4: Scottish” was made possible by Concert Sponsor Penley Produce Vacation Homes and by Guest Artist Sponsors Dr. Rachel E. Raab and Dr. Francois Archambault.

Tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit ashevillesymphony.org or call the box office at (828) 254-7046.