Colorado Springs Philharmonic will bring the music of Johannes Brahms and Ludwig van Beethoven to life this weekend at the Pikes Peak Center for Performing Arts.

The philharmonic will tackle Brahms’ “Schicksaslied” (“Song of Destiny”), Beethoven’s “Egmont” and Paul Moravec’s “Montserrat” concerto performed with a chorus and orchestra.

Leah Hansen, who will perform as the solo cellist in “Montserrat,” said the concert is not one to miss.

“It’s one of those concerts that is really important to hear live, rather than recording,” Hansen said. “When you hear it, you kind of get the sense of the power, or how big the sound can be.”

Hansen spoke with composer Moravec, who completed the piece in 2001. As the only living composer among those the philharmonic will be performing from, Hansen said it was a unique experience.

“It’s also been really special to be able to work on a piece where I was able to speak with the composer,” she said.

“Paul Moravec, who was extremely kind, took a lot of time to go through everything with me, so it kind of feels more personal.”

The philharmonic will perform Beethoven’s “Egmont” instead of just the overture, which most orchestras opt to do.

“It’s pretty exciting to be playing the entirety of the ‘Egmont,’” Hansen said. “Most of the time, it’s just the overture. I think most people would recognize it.

But at least for me, I haven’t seen it all that often to perform the entire thing.”

Hansen said the audience should expect a powerful performance.

“This is one of the best concertos that I’ve ever heard. It’s so beautiful. It’s so exciting,” she said. “They are three, like, extremely grandiose pieces.”

The performance likely will leave viewers with some new favorites, Hansen hopes.

Stop by an hour before the show to join in on the philharmonic’s pre-concert talk. There, conductors and guest artists will discuss the program and give an inside look at the score.