Conductor Emeritus of the Toronto Symphony and frequent NWS guest Peter Oundjian explores the power of friendship and unity alongside NWS Fellows. Elgar pays homage to those he knew and loved in his Enigma Variations, a heartwarming and heartbreaking array of tributes—including the famous Nimrod—that Elgar felt accurately revealed his “friends pictured within.” Fueled by the social and political unrest of 2020, Joel Thompson creates a provocative meditation for symphony and narrator using words by James Baldwin. Instruments pairs go toe-to-toe in Joan Tower’s Duets, while Primous Fountain—longtime friend and collaborator of MTT—“takes off where Stravinsky finished” (Buffalo Courier-Express).