Kip Winger - Symphony of the Returning Light | Violin Concerto "In the Language of Flowers"

Peter Otto, Violin; Nashville Symphony, Giancarlo Guerrero (Naxos American Classics, 2025)

Cover: Intermezzo Blue XL.2 (2016) Peter Nottrott (b. 1962)

Wait! What?

Kip Winger?

Kip “Headed for a Heartbreak?” Winger?

Yep! That Kip Winger. In the 1980s, Winger performed with Alice Cooper, and then his own bands, Sahara, and then Winger, with whom Winger released seven albums between 1988 and 2023. Classically trained as a child (his parents were jazz musicians), Winger was never very far from his classical roots. Seemingly out of nowhere, in 2009, the San Francisco Ballet commissioned an orchestral piece eventually entitled Ghosts. In 2017, the Nashville Symphony under Giancarlo Guerrero performed the score, eventually leading to Winger being commissioned to provide the present symphony and violin concerto. The San Francisco Ballet Orchestra later recorded Conversations with Nijinsky (VBI Classical Recording, 2022), under the baton of Martin West, earning a Grammy Award nomination that next year.

The Violin Concerto “In the Language of Flowers” is a four-movement affair, with each movement named for a flower. Comprising four movements, the work integrates lyricism and dance rhythms with a virtuosic solo part developed in collaboration with Nashville concertmaster and dedicatee Peter Otto. Winger identifies the slow movement, “Ambrosia,” as his finest melodic achievement; evocative of the Barber concerto, the movement is notably beautiful.

Symphony of the Returning Light features dramatic, luminous orchestration and effective use of Morse code-based themes, despite an ambiguous connection to its title. The four-movement structure is well-paced, with each movement limited to under eight minutes to maintain a high level of inspiration. Recorded live, these pieces breathe fresh air, presenting Winger as a serious composer in the mold of Hector Berlioz, with his emphasis on autobiographic program music.

The soloist and orchestra are exceptionally well-matched. In his solo recording debut, Otto shows impressive virtuosity and musicality. Symphony of the Returning Light uses effective Morse code rhythms throughout its four well-contrasted movements. Winger’s orchestral writing is colorful and skilled, maintaining inspiration through concise movements that rarely exceed eight minutes.

This recording is a pleasant surprise, prompting this writer to anticipate Winger’s next release with no small amount of excitement.