UM Performance Inspires Poet

Nationally acclaimed poet Jane Hirshfield recently had a new poem entitled “French Horn” published in the February 9, 2009 issue of The New Yorker. Hirshfield reported that this poem was inspired in part by the University Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Mahler’s 5th Symphony at Carnegie Hall last February 2008. Hirshfield had performed with the USO earlier that evening when she recited one of her poems used in U-M composition faculty member Evan Chambers’ new work The Old Burying Ground. Both The Old Burying Ground and Mahler’s 5th were performed by the University Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Kenneth Kiesler.

Please click here to read the poem.