I’ve often thought that presenting longer symphonic works – longer than about an hour –with other genres of art might provide an interesting and engaging perspective on the music. In November 2000, the KSO presented Mahler's Symphony No. 6 in a program dubbed “In Living Color”. It featured a small exhibition of visual art inspired by the symphony, as well as two painters working live in Greaves Concert Hall as the KSO performed.

This time I thought about what might a poet say, and so I reached out to current and past U.S. and Kentucky poets laureate. While many thought the project was interesting, only two up the challenge. Below are their Mahler 9-inspired writings.

– James Cassidy