Xian Zhang makes a long-awaited return to Orchestra Hall to conduct music of beauty and nostalgia. The concerts open with Qigang Chen’s L’eloignement for String Orchestra, a poignant work inspired by a Chinese proverb and the vital force of renewal and rebirth. Principal Flute Adam Kuenzel takes the solo spotlight in Carl Nielsen’s warm-hearted Flute Concerto. Returning to the theme of renewal, Aurora awakes from her slumber in Tchaikovsky’s Suite from The Sleeping Beauty.