Ryan Bancroft & Joshua Bell at Davies Symphony Hall

The elements inspire and sustain, connecting our bodies to the earth—and even to points beyond. Violinist Joshua Bell commissioned Kevin Puts’ Earth, which celebrates the enduring resilience of soil and the awe-inspiring beauty of our planet. Water is represented by Claude Debussy’s richly textured marine triptych, which heaves and rolls, glitters and engulfs. Unsuk Chin’s Alaraph ‘Ritus des Herzschlags’—an SF Symphony commission and U.S. premiere—depicts a so-called “heartbeat star,” so named because of the regular pulsation of its light.