NORTHAMPTON—With the support of a stiff north wind outside, the Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra (PVSO) caught air inside John M. Greene Hall Friday night in a program of flying-related works, launching its 68th season.

Themed “Flights of Fancy,” the PVSO lifted off with a warm-up of the overture from Richard Wagner’s career-shifting opera “The Flying Dutchman.” The brief work seemed to settle the ensemble into a comfortable cruising speed as it worked into a crisp execution of an evocative mix of melodies.

Pulitzer and Grammy award-winning composer William Bolcom then offered an introduction to “Inventing Flight,” his piece first performed in 2003 as a tribute to the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in 1903.

The piece’s three movements might be called paintings, as Bolcom creates musical images with broad brushstrokes reflecting his thematic material. The first piece, “Daedalus and Icarus,” illustrates the classic myth in which Icarus becomes too enamored of flight at the instruction of the wise Daedalus, only to soar too high toward the sun and tumble to earth with melted wings.

Even without Bolcom’s detailed introduction, his piece delivers delightful moments of interplay among the cellos and brass. Playing the role of Daedalus, principle cellist Philip Helzer bowed the patient admonishments against the brash impatience of his charge, depicted in bursting trumpet fanfares until the ill-fated flight toward the sun.

The second movement, “Leonardo,” is an astute and mathematical picture of Da Vinci, who tampered his entire life with drawings of flying machines. The piece, ending with a major tonic chord juxtaposed with its dissonant cousins, sadly reflects Da Vinci’s feelings of failure at never achieving his dream of flight.

The final movement, “Wilbur and Orville,” clamored quickly through an Americana, midwestern theme of fast-motion whimsy, yet opened space for an undertone of historical endeavor in the strings and woodwinds before storming to a 16-second triumph, the exact duration of the Wright Brothers’ first flight, the first ever.

The concert’s second half departed momentarily from the flight theme with a succession of cabaret songs by Bolcom and other American songwriters, sung and acted by his wife, mezzo-soprano Joan Morris. The PVSO provided relaxed accompaniment for a delightful set of songs, such as “Song of Black Max” and “George,” hilariously entertaining vignettes by Bolcom, as well as the Rodgers and Hart tune “I Didn’t Know What Time it Was,” and in keeping with the evening’s theme, “Flying Down to Rio,” by Jerome Kern and Vince Newman.

The PVSO peaked in its performance toward the finale, the Suite from “The Firebird,” the historic ballet by Igor Stravinsky. With Director Paul Phillips’ disciplined, no-nonsense style at the podium, the ensemble massaged the sublimely melancholic melodies in the piece’s Introduction, Variations, and the exquisite Berceuse. Performances by oboeist Zeke Hecker, flutist Jan Puchalski and bassoonist Diane Lipartito stood out in a strong overall execution of the work.

The PVSO continues its season on December 16 with its “Holiday Pops” program. See the complete schedule at www.pvso.org.