{"id":2376278,"date":"2026-04-16T17:03:28","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T17:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2376278"},"modified":"2026-04-16T17:03:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T17:03:28","slug":"wpr-music-new-album-of-the-week-kip-wingers-symphony-of-the-returning-light","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wpr-music-new-album-of-the-week-kip-wingers-symphony-of-the-returning-light\/","title":{"rendered":"WPR Music new album of the week: Kip Winger&#8217;s &#8216;Symphony of the Returning Light&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Contemporary American <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kipwinger.com\/\">composer Kip Winger<\/a> recently released a recording with a symphony \u2014his first \u2014 entitled \u201cSymphony of the Returning Light,\u201d and a violin concerto \u2014 also his first \u2014 subtitled \u201cIn the Language of Flowers.\u201d The music synthesizes modern classical compositional techniques with his own unique language of the heart in a deeply skillful and appealing way.<\/p>\n<p>Winger\u2019s new album is out on the Naxos label, featuring performances by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero with violinist Peter Otto. The NSO commissioned both works with Guerrero, their longtime music director, suggesting Winger write a symphony. The idea took root.<\/p>\n<p>Winger joined me from Europe for an interview via Zoom; he currently splits his time between Europe and Nashville.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wpr-injected-form wp-block-wpr-theme-gravity-form\">\n<div class=\"gf_browser_unknown gform_wrapper gravity-theme gform-theme--no-framework\" data-form-theme=\"gravity-theme\" data-form-index=\"0\" id=\"gform_wrapper_2\">\n<div class=\"gform_heading\">\n<h2 class=\"gform_title\">Understanding Wisconsin, Together.<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gform_description\">WPR\u2019s \u201cWisconsin Today\u201d newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"WPR interview with Kip Winger\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-1KSeeIxvzI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Winger is certainly a very successful songwriter and rock musician: He is the founder, bassist and frontman for his <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wingertheband.com\/\">eponymous band Winger<\/a>, whose albums reached platinum status in the late 1980s and early 1990s.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Winger is also a master craftsman in the classical realm. His ballet, \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kipwinger.com\/music\/c-f-kip-winger\/conversations-with-nijinsky\">Conversations with Nijinsky<\/a>,\u201d was nominated for a 2017 Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition and rose to No. 1 on the Billboard traditional classical chart. His sensibility as a contemporary composer has been honed over decades studying with some of the leading composers and pedagogues of the day: Richard Danielpour, Michael Kurek and Steven Mackey among them.<\/p>\n<p>As for the process of creating his first symphony, \u201cI was going through a very difficult time when I started writing it, and I felt quite lost from myself,\u201d Winger admitted.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He recounted something of a mystical experience: \u201cYou\u2019re searching, searching, searching \u2014 all this introspection. I felt like I was being contacted by something, I don\u2019t know what, and I thought, what if your own lost soul was trying to reach you? . . . What if a person receives morse code messages of atonement from his own soul?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The idea became the framework for the symphony, both in structure and in emotional content. He selected four conceptual titles, one for each movement: S.O.S, Eleos (mercy), Metamorphosis and Metanoia (deep transformation.) Using the rhythms of the corresponding morse code, Winger deftly cycles the themes through the orchestra in many different guises.<\/p>\n<p>Another structural element in the symphony is the \u201cbrick wall chord\u201d placed in each movement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a very dissonant chord depending on how you voice it throughout the orchestra, and the idea is that the protagonist of the story keeps coming up against the brick wall chord and is not able to break through to enlightenment,\u201d Winger said. \u201cFinally, in the 186<sup>th<\/sup> bar of the piece, he breaks through, and I use this giant major chord with some major seconds.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a rich and satisfying conclusion to an intensive journey from crisis to transformation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Final Movement: Symphony of the Returning Light by Kip Winger\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/playlist\/1H50TIPBxkhY7UbjkjV10i?si=q8Jx8A6wR2iMLkAydrAGvA&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI wanted to write about the relationship I was in; the excitement of falling in love.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><cite>Kip Winger, on the \u201cViolin Concerto: The Language of Flowers\u201d<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The other work on the album is a substantial violin concerto subtitled \u201cIn the Language of Flowers,\u201d performed spectacularly by the German-born soloist Peter Otto, who\u2019s now based in the U.S. and is currently the concertmaster of the NSO. <\/p>\n<p>I asked Winger if he\u2019d had exposure to classical strings or had studied the acoustic version of his primary instrument as a young person. He said his parents played in a jazz trio, so he fiddled around on a variety of instruments.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But in terms of writing for a virtuoso performer, Winger already possessed a certain comfort level.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kip Winger and Reb Beach at a club in Helsinki in 2006. <em>Lumijaguaari\/Wikimedia Commons<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve worked with [Winger lead guitarist] Reb Beach my whole life, and Reb\u2019s a virtuoso electric guitar player. He\u2019s a freak of nature,\u201d Winger said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Winger collaborated with Beach on some of the dazzling solos that have transfixed audiences around the world. So, in thinking about writing for a violinist, \u201cI\u2019m going to do what I\u2019ve been doing, going to really put that voice out there and do some shredding,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd Peter was up for it. I learned a lot from Peter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Otto\u2019s performance displays power and authority while also providing a sense of warmth and radiance. The concerto is brimming with solo cadenzas \u2014 they provide something of a throughline for the piece, and Otto plays brilliantly, with lightning-fast execution, a deliciously delicate touch, and a terrific sense of storytelling.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe really worked hard at that piece, and I thank him so much for that. He represented it so well,\u201d praised Winger.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And there\u2019s Otto\u2019s intonation. Perfect, as Winger pointed out, specifically mentioning a passage at the very end of the concerto\u2019s third movement, where the soloist gently ascends into a heavenly stratosphere.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"412\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/peterotto.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a black suit holds a violin and smiles at the camera in a concert hall with blurred seating and stage in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-430082\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Violinist Peter Otto.<em> Source: Nashville Symphony Orchestra website<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Like the symphony, the concerto also has a narrative arc.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted to write about the relationship I was in; the excitement of falling in love,\u201d said Winger.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He described going to a small park in Nashville with flower beds and wondering about the life of the flowers. He delved into floriography \u2014 the language and emotional meaning attributed to flowers. The violin concerto coalesces around that concept. It\u2019s structured in four movements, each named for a flower: \u201cForsythia,\u201d \u201cViscaria,\u201d \u201cAmbrosia\u201d and \u201cWisteria.\u201d The music expresses their characteristics that which correspond to a journey through a deep and meaningful romantic relationship.<\/p>\n<p>The piece came into being with a melody that became the basis for the third movement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe melody was way better than I was. I was so afraid of that melody,\u201d said Winger. \u201cThere\u2019s no music that I\u2019ve ever written that brings my soul forth as much as that third movement . . . It was a magical experience.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The movement, \u201cAmbrosia,\u201d depicts deep, reciprocal love.<\/p>\n<p>The first movement, \u201cForsythia,\u201d was appended after Winger had completed the other three. His mentor, Richard Danielpour, recommended a fourth movement, and Winger went back to music he\u2019d worked on but had jettisoned, finding it was ideal to express the excitement of new beginnings.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The violin is flirty and seductive in the second movement, \u201cViscaria,\u201d which is the symbol for attraction and invitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is like a tango, but not. I was hearing Piazzolla,\u201d Winger said.<\/p>\n<p>The finale, \u201cWisteria,\u201d expresses devotion, depth, trust and longevity.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was able to write that movement better than the other ones,\u201d he said. \u201cI was on top of it. I heard it very clearly, which kind of plays into the stability and devotion.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Winger also talked about purposefully giving his violin concerto a big ending, recapitulating the themes and bestowing a powerful final statement on both the violin and the orchestra.<\/p>\n<p>The orchestra is just great, and Winger has provided lots of opportunities for each section, and players within the sections, to shine under Guerrero\u2019s baton. There is a lot of attention to detail on the recording itself, and the balance between the violinist and the orchestra is ideal. Winger has given the violin an enormous range of emotion, all captured with every nuance on the recording.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>And he made a point to mention the Grammy-winning producer on the album, Tim Handley, and how grateful he was to work with him: \u201cI just love the way he made this sound.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Both compositions were inspired, fed and nurtured by Winger\u2019s emotional life.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP727120089446-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Two musicians perform on stage, one playing a black bass guitar and the other playing an electric guitar, both wearing dark clothing with stage lights in the background.\" class=\"wp-image-430183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP727120089446-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP727120089446-scaled.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=891&amp;fit=bounds 1200w, https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP727120089446-scaled.jpg?width=768&amp;height=570&amp;fit=bounds 768w, https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP727120089446-scaled.jpg?width=1536&amp;height=1140&amp;fit=bounds 1536w, https:\/\/www.wpr.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP727120089446-scaled.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=1520&amp;fit=bounds 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kip Winger and Reb Beach of the rock band Winger perform in concert during the M3 Rock Fest at Merriweather Post Pavilion on Friday, April 25, 2014, in Columbia, Md. <em>Photo by Owen Sweeney\/Invision\/AP<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very drawn to music where I feel the pain. I need the emotional connection; to feel the human condition enough to draw me into it,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s how I compose, and that will always be where I\u2019m coming from.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Winger is a kindred spirit to many of the Romantic and post-Romantic classical composers in that way. His music reflects an undeniable understanding and experience of the human condition from the depths to the heights. Winger is utterly in his element as a contemporary classical composer when he shares that experience through the medium of orchestral music.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Kip WInger: Symphony &amp; Violin Concerto\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/playlist\/0apBVPHwBj01juBaNm9Eck?si=tXiC9lmrRSG7YeRpnqGzww&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.wpr.org \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Contemporary American composer Kip Winger recently released a recording with a symphony \u2014his first \u2014 entitled \u201cSymphony of the Returning Light,\u201d and a violin concerto \u2014 also his first \u2014 subtitled \u201cIn the Language of Flowers.\u201d The music synthesizes modern classical compositional techniques with his own unique language of the heart in a deeply skillful [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2376279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2376278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WPR-Music-new-album-of-the-week-Kip-Wingers-Symphony.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2376278"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2376280,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2376278\/revisions\/2376280"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2376279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2376278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2376278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2376278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}