Vocalessence presents Heitzeg’s Nobel Symphony

You don’t hear about many orchestral works that incorporate a tribute to economics, but Emmy-winning St. Paul composer Steve Heitzeg’s massive symphony honoring the Nobel Prize does that and more. It’s an ambitious mix of choral music, unusual instruments like olive branches and artificial limbs, and words from the writings of sixteen Nobel laureates—an extended meditation on peace, justice, and the betterment of the human race. Vocalessence tackles the work with its full hundred-voice choir and guests from Minnesota Boychoir and Gustavus Adolphus, plus a new multimedia complement that translates the symphony’s themes into visual art. 1111 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; (612) 371-5656; www.minnesotaorchestra.org