{"id":5820,"date":"2026-05-07T08:46:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T12:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/?page_id=5820"},"modified":"2026-05-07T08:53:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T12:53:50","slug":"whenitblooms","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/whenitblooms\/","title":{"rendered":"When it Blooms, by Daixuan AI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">FOR ORCHESTRA; AN INTRODUCTION TO BEETHOVEN&#8217;S 9TH SYMPHONY<br>Commissioned by the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Program notes by the composer, <a href=\"https:\/\/daixcompose.com\/\">Daixuan Ai<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In elementary school, my music teacher taught us to sing Sakura, Sakura (&#8220;Cherry blossoms,<br>cherry blossoms&#8221;), a traditional Japanese folk song celebrating the arrival of spring. I learned that the cherry blossom holds a special place in Japanese culture precisely because of its brevity: blossoming for only a few weeks each year, its fleeting beauty becomes a quiet meditation on the transience of life &#8211; and a reminder to cherish each moment while it lasts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was a cherry blossom tree in front of our family home. I spent countless afternoons at the living room window, watching pink petals drift in the breeze, not yet knowing that quiet scene would become one of my most treasured memories. I haven&#8217;t been back in fifteen years. But when I close my eyes, I can still see it clearly &#8211; like the face of a dear old friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That image has stayed with me. Now I try to find the &#8220;cherry blossom tree&#8221; in every situation and every person I meet &#8211; even if it blooms only briefly, even if I have to leave it behind. The memory still brings a smile to my face, and for that alone, I am grateful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is an Okinawan proverb: Though we meet but once, even by chance, we ore friends for life. Beethoven&#8217;s Ninth was built on a radical idea &#8211; that all people are equal, and worthy of joy. Perhaps in 2026, we can hold onto another: that everyone we meet, however briefly our paths have crossed, is already a friend for life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1431\" height=\"1199\" data-attachment-id=\"5822\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/whenitblooms\/image-16\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image.png?fit=1431%2C1199&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1431,1199\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image.png?fit=1024%2C858&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image.png?fit=640%2C536&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5822\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image.png?w=1431&amp;ssl=1 1431w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image.png?resize=300%2C251&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image.png?resize=1024%2C858&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image.png?resize=768%2C643&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hear this piece, along with Beethoven&#8217;s 9th Symphony, on May 16, 2026, 7pm, at the IU Muscial Arts Center.  <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/am.ticketmaster.com\/iumac\/buy\/ism\/TTI2MDUxNg==\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Get your tickets here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FOR ORCHESTRA; AN INTRODUCTION TO BEETHOVEN&#8217;S 9TH SYMPHONYCommissioned by the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra, 2026 Program notes by the composer, Daixuan Ai: In elementary school, my music teacher taught us to&hellip;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5820","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P9cNEX-1vS","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4356,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/donate\/","url_meta":{"origin":5820,"position":0},"title":"Individual Contributions","author":"Kira Gartell","date":"July 17, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Why support the BSO \u00a0 We are your co-workers and your kids\u2019 teachers. 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His conducting journey began at age eighteen when he founded the PianoForte Symphony Orchestra, resulting\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-_MG_1591-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-_MG_1591-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-_MG_1591-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-_MG_1591-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-_MG_1591-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-_MG_1591-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":976,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/about-us\/music-director\/","url_meta":{"origin":5820,"position":3},"title":"Music Director\u00a0","author":"Kira Gartell","date":"November 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Michael Patterson Michael Patterson, a Puerto Rican conductor and pianist, is known for his energetic leadership, positive rehearsal culture, and his commitment to making classical music feel welcoming and meaningful to everyone in the room. His conducting journey began at age eighteen when he founded the PianoForte Symphony Orchestra, resulting\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-_MG_1591-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-_MG_1591-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-_MG_1591-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-_MG_1591-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-_MG_1591-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5-_MG_1591-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":97,"url":"https:\/\/www.bloomingtonsymphony.com\/staging\/6573\/support\/","url_meta":{"origin":5820,"position":4},"title":"Support the BSO","author":"Kira Gartell","date":"September 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Applause is lovely, but it doesn\u2019t pay the bills. 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