Acclaimed French conductor Stéphane Denève leads a program teeming with the vivacity, imagination, and romance synonymous with his homeland. A spirited and tuneful ballet suite by Francis Poulenc and a journey through a supernatural dream city by Guillaume Connesson paint colourful sonic pictures rich in melody and texture. George Gershwin’s An American in Paris is a Jazz Age travelogue that continues to electrify the senses with its joie de vivre. And Toronto Symphony Orchestra Spotlight Artist James Ehnes returns for his second appearance of the season with Serenade, one of Leonard Bernstein’s most lyrical orchestral works—a musical interpretation of the Greek philosopher Plato’s dialogue on the multi-faceted forms love can take.