The eight-day 2007 Kansas residency of the National Symphony Orchestra has been one of the most remarkable cultural events ever to have graced the Sunflower State. Sponsored by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in partnership with Koch Industries, the NSO will have engaged Kansans in some 100 concerts, clinics and master classes before heading back home to the nation’s capital Friday afternoon.

For Lawrencians, one of the highlights of the NSO’s visit came on Wednesday night, when the 100-strong ensemble lifted the Lied Center with a thrilling performance that kept the large audience mesmerized.

Under the capable baton of Associate Conductor Emil de Cou, the evening began with a stirring rendition of the national anthem that patriots of all political views could appreciate. It also was an effective preview of the NSO’s rich assets.

In William Walton’s “Partita for Orchestra” (1958), the ensemble was simply brilliant. In the opening movement, a modern reworking of the classical toccata, the NSO’s string, woodwind, brass and percussion sections played off one another with virtuosic aplomb. The “Andante comodo” and “Allegro gioviale” were likewise effective.

For Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” (1945; based on Copland’s for the 1944 Martha Graham ballet), the NSO’s broad palette added nuance to this benchmark of musical nationalism. From its luminescent opening with its suggestions of new life to its celebratory country airs and magisterial conclusion, Copland’s shimmering panorama proved anew why it is one of American music’s most poignant national expressions.

Following intermission, the NSO commenced with a stirring reading of Franz Schubert’s “Symphony No. 8 in B minor” (1822), the so-called “Unfinished Symphony.” Extending Beethoven’s high classicism into the onset of the Romantic era, Schubert’s masterwork, with its perfectly contrasting “Allegro moderato” and “Andante con moto” movements, allowed the NSO’s superb string section to soar.

The wonderfully balanced program concluded with Maurice Ravel’s dazzling “Suite No. 2” from the ballet “Daphnis et Chloe” (1912). Although incorporating elements of Debussy’s Impressionism, Ravel was his own man whose extravagant sense of the theatrical has made his work a continuing source of inspiration for film composers everywhere. With de Cou’s inspired direction, the NSO brought Ravel’s vibrant score – with its breathtaking swells, glissandi and plush textures – to full and radiant life.

At concert’s end, an appreciative audience rose for a heartfelt standing ovation to which de Cou and the NSO responded with an excerpt for strings from William Walton’s score for Lawrence Olivier’s film version of “Henry V” (1944), followed by a rousing version of John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever” which became, with de Cou’s encouragement, a spirited audience “clap-along.”

Coda: Maestro de Cou deserves plaudits for his welcoming demeanor to those unfamiliar with the world of classical music. When some audience members violated the convention of not applauding between movements, de Cou, in contrast to virtually all other orchestral conductors confronting this situation, turned to acknowledge the applause with a smile and nod. It was a grace noteworthy of the NSO’s national outreach mission.