Orpheus stands up for justice and freedom in this homage to courageous voices. Beethoven, an unyielding critic of despots, channeled his ardor and rage into music for Goethe’s historical drama about a local hero defying foreign occupiers. Featuring a new translation by Philip Boehm and the voice of Karen Slack, Orpheus illuminates the eternal truths of Egmont. In Valerie Coleman’s Phenomenal Women, soloists within the orchestra weave inspiring portraits of real-life heroines.