The DePaul Symphony Orchestra will present the world premiere of "Density of Memory," a commissioned work for clarinet trio and orchestra by composer and DePaul faculty member George Flynn, at 8 p.m. on April 16 at the orchestra's annual spring concert in Orchestra Hall, 220 S. Michigan Ave.

Larry Combs, principal clarinet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), Julie DeRoche, DePaul coordinator of woodwinds, and John Bruce Yeh, assistant principal and E-flat clarinet for the CSO--all faculty members at DePaul's School of Music--will join the orchestra to perform the debut composition. The orchestra will also present Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92, at the concert.

DePaul Symphony conductor Cindy Egolf-ShamRao commissioned Flynn's work for the concert. "I think it's important to present pieces that no one has heard before and to support the creative imaginations of the people around you," she said. Egolf-ShamRao described Flynn's composition as "very lyrical and elegant, powerful, yet subtle."

Flynn, chair of musicianship studies and composition at DePaul, said inspiration for "Density of Memory" came from several sources which discussed the power of memory.

One source was Flynn's recent reading of the Duino Elegies by lyrical German-Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, in which Rilke wrote: "Don't think of fate as more than the density of childhood." Another was an observation made by Flynn's friend and music patron Kenneth Derus that "almost all present experience is memory experience."

"The piece itself recalls some music of the past, and recalls itself over and over," Flynn said, adding that some passages are reminiscent of the styles of composers Igor Stravinsky and Charles Ives. "Certain themes pervade the piece like a good memory."

Flynn, who recently celebrated his 60th birthday, has written more that 100 works, many as commissions and requests from various performers and ensembles. His music is performed internationally and has appeared on six recordings. He directs the School of Music's contemporary music series, New Music DePaul. As a pianist, he has promoted new music for many years in the United States and Europe.

Egolf-ShamRao is in her fourth season with the DePaul Symphony Orchestra. She has performed and conducted music in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. She divides her time between DePaul and her position as conductor and music director of the 70-year-old Terre Haute, Ind., Symphony.

Tickets to the concert are $6, $12, and $50. For tickets, call 312/294-3000.