Composer

UC Berkeley Wind Ensemble II

UC Berkeley Department of Music

It’s a fusion of reggae, classical, jazz and blues! Come for the unexpected and whimsical in casual, club-like quarters as MSO explores time-honored and unconventional instruments in cutting-edge works. Viet Cuong’s fascinating percussion quartet concerto Re(new)al brilliantly opens an evening that tucks into Thomas Adés’ intriguing arrangements of François Couperin’s Les Barricades Mistérieuses and Madness’ stress-test hit Cardiac Arrest. Brace yourself for the fab finish of DBR’s Voodoo Violin!

Quad Fusion

Duling Hall Live Music & Events

Shostakovich’s shining Festive Overture, filled with triumphant brass fanfares and woodwind virtuosity, opens the season. Eighth Blackbird, America’s groundbreaking sextet, explores the rhythmic vitality and color of Viet Cuong’s Vital Sines. Tchaikovsky’s lush and expressive Symphony No. 5, with its unforgettable “fate” motif, brings the Season Debut to a triumphant close.

EPSG:4326

Season Debut: Triumph – Tchaikovsky 5

Des Moines Civic Center

American Dream – Nostalgia III

Church of St. Nicolas

The saxophone can do more than many people believe and know! Today it can be found in jazz and pop, but it was actually invented in the middle of the 19th century as a classical concert instrument: The Frenchman Adolphe Sax wanted to create a bridge between the supple sound of the clarinet and the piercing, nasal sound of the oboe. The Signum Saxophone Quartet features the four most common sizes, from soprano to baritone saxophone. Each instrument is unique, and four of them form a quartet that sometimes sounds like an entire orchestra. In its program for young audiences, whose works the ensemble has arranged for itself, the Signum Saxophone Quartet shows what it takes for instruments and musicians to come together.

sheet metal laboratory

Rococo Theater

That's unfortunate: If you blow into a saxophone, it immediately sounds like jazz. In 1840, Adolphe Sax actually only wanted to use his glittering reed instrument in the orchestra to close the tonal gap between the oboe and the clarinet. Today, many saxophonists are working hard on their return to classical music - in the case of the Signum Saxophone Quartet, primarily with the help of their own arrangements. Since the four saxophonists repeatedly emphasize how much they have learned from the strings of the Artemis Quartet, we can look forward to their blown version of Dvořák's American string quartet. Erwin Schulhoff, who felt close to Dada, Communism and jazz, was very fond of the saxophone, and so the arrangement of his string pieces op. 14 is just as fitting as the tonal re-dedication of Ástor Piazzolla's Suite del Ángel . After all, Piazzolla is about angels dancing tango. And about an angel who dies (in the final movement, La Muerte del Ángel) – after a fugue, of all things…

Signum Saxophone Quartet

That's unfortunate: If you blow into a saxophone, it immediately sounds like jazz. But in 1840 Adolphe Sax actually only wanted to close the tonal gap between the oboe and the clarinet in the orchestra with his glittering reed instrument. Today, many saxophonists are working hard on their return to classical music - in the case of the Signum Saxophone Quartet, primarily with the help of their own arrangements. Since the four saxophonists repeatedly emphasize how much they have learned from the strings of the Artemis Quartet, we can look forward to their blown version of Dvořák's American string quartet. Erwin Schulhoff, who felt close to Dada, Communism and jazz, was very fond of the saxophone, and so the arrangement of his string pieces op. 14 is just as fitting as the tonal re-dedication of Ástor Piazzolla's Suite del Ángel . After all, Piazzolla is about angels dancing tango. And about an angel who dies (in the final movement, La Muerte del Ángel) – after a fugue, of all things…

Poulenc Trio

Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute

WindSync embraces classics from across centuries of music writing, using their vibrant “fourth wall”-breaking approach to performance to make standard repertoire a fresh experience. Whether originally written for wind quintet instruments or specially arranged for them, WindSync combines familiar favorites and folk music songbooks and traditions with an actively growing body of freshly inked works, threading it all together to tell compelling stories about music history and human selves. On the heels of All Worlds, All Times, their debut album that “will make you want to get up and dance” (The WholeNote), the quintet hit number-one on the Billboard Classical chart with the works of Miguel Del Aguila, recorded in the famed Studio Two at Abbey Road.

WindSync

Ravinia Festival

### Event Description: Michelle Cann & Imani Winds - Curtis Institute of Music

**Date and Time:** April 23, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.  
**Location:** Curtis Institute of Music, Field Concert Hall

Join us for an extraordinary evening of music as the Curtis Institute of Music presents a special concert featuring the acclaimed pianist Michelle Cann and the 2024 GRAMMY-winning ensemble, Imani Winds. This event is part of the Curtis 100 centennial celebration, promising a night of breathtaking performances and unparalleled artistry.

**Artists:**
- **Michelle Cann, Piano:** Lauded as "exquisite" by the Philadelphia Inquirer and a "pianist of sterling artistry" by Gramophone, Michelle Cann is one of the most sought-after pianists of her generation. She holds the Eleanor Sokoloff Chair in Piano Studies at Curtis and has performed with prominent orchestras such as the Atlanta and Cincinnati symphony orchestras, The Cleveland Orchestra, and The Philadelphia Orchestra.
- **Imani Winds, Wind Quintet:** Celebrating over a quarter-century of music-making, Imani Winds is known for their dynamic playing and adventurous programming. The ensemble includes Brandon Patrick George (flute), Toyin Spellman-Diaz (oboe), Mark Dover (clarinet), Kevin Newton (horn), and Monica Ellis (bassoon).

**Program:**
- **PAQUITO D'RIVERA:** A Little Cuban Waltz
- **VIET CUONG ’19:** Sextet for Wind Quintet and Piano
- **POULENC:** Trio for oboe, bassoon, and piano
- **VALERIE COLEMAN:** Portraits of Langston for flute, clarinet, piano & narrator
- **POULENC:** Sextet for Piano and Winds (Philadelphia premiere)

**Tickets:**  
Subscribe now to the 2024-25 season to get the best seats at the best prices. Don't miss this opportunity to witness music-making at its highest level and the energy and excitement of extraordinary young talent.

**Special Thanks:**  
This event is made possible through the support of Derek and Sissela Bok, the Mary Louise Curtis Bok Foundation, Deborah M. Fretz, Charles C. Freyer and Judith Durkin Freyer, Lisa and Gie Liem, Mark and Robin Rubenstein, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Curtis Institute of Music also received funding from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Experience an unforgettable night of music with Michelle Cann and Imani Winds at the Curtis Institute of Music. Secure your tickets now and be part of this centennial celebration!

Michelle Cann & Imani Winds

Curtis Institute of Music

Colin Eng performs a recital of works by Cuong, Day, Eng and Mackey.

Student Degree Recital: Colin Eng B.M. saxophone senior recital

University of Maryland

Sonic Spectrum III

Samuel B. & David Rose Building

Experience an unforgettable evening of music that bridges the past and present at the MainStage Live event featuring Les Délices with Nicholas Phan. This remarkable concert is scheduled for February 24, 2025, at 7:30 PM, taking place at the prestigious PNC Theatre located at 350 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

This unique performance will showcase an exquisite blend of Baroque-era masterpieces and contemporary compositions, challenging and expanding the boundaries of early music. The evening will feature works by Michel Pignolet de Montéclair, Marin Marais, François Couperin, and the Pittsburgh debut of "A Moment’s Oblivion" by Vietnamese-American composer Viet Cuong. This world premiere, commissioned by Les Délices, draws inspiration from a traditional Chinese Confucian myth, exploring themes of illness, memory loss, healing, and acceptance through the lens of experimental treatments.

Grammy-nominated tenor Nicholas Phan, celebrated for his captivating stage presence and exceptional musicianship, will join forces with the early music ensemble Les Délices. Together, they will weave a narrative that connects Baroque traditions with modern sensibilities, highlighted by the performance of period instruments.

Les Délices, known for their innovative programming and world-class performances, features a talented lineup including Shelby Yamin on violin, Mark Edwards on harpsichord, Debra Nagy on baroque oboe, and Rebecca Landell on baroque cello and viola da gamba.

Don't miss this first installment of Les Délices’ ambitious Mythology Project, a groundbreaking concert series that redefines early music by integrating new commissioned works performed on period instruments. This event promises to be a journey of musical discovery, delighting and inspiring audiences with a fresh perspective on music from the Baroque era and beyond.

Les Délices With Nicholas Phan

PPU Pittsburgh Playhouse

Experience the majestic "Pines of Rome" with the Pacific Symphony, under the baton of Maestro Carl St.Clair, featuring pianist Jeffrey Biegel. This enchanting series of concerts will take place from Thursday, February 6, through Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Each evening promises an unforgettable journey starting at 8:00 pm, with a special preview talk by KUSC's midday host Alan Chapman at 7:00 pm.

The program opens with Bernstein's electrifying "Slava!", followed by the world premiere of Adolphus Hailstork's Piano Concerto, showcasing the virtuosic talents of Jeffrey Biegel. The evening continues with another world premiere by Pacific Symphony’s Composer-in-Residence, Viet Cuong, before culminating in Respighi's awe-inspiring "Pines of Rome", a musical depiction of the Eternal City's grandeur, complete with the sounds of an actual Italian nightingale.

Enhance your concert experience with Image Magnification (IMAG) on the big screen, offering a closer look at the guest artist, conductor, and orchestra musicians. This series is graciously sponsored by The Michelle F. Rohé Fund, ensuring an evening of powerful music that celebrates nature, new horizons, and the vibrant spirit of contemporary and classical compositions. Don't miss this spectacular blend of music and nature's beauty, a testament to the Pacific Symphony's commitment to excellence and innovation in the world of classical music.

Pines of Rome

Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall

NOCCO’s 10th Anniversary Season continues with music from around the globe, spanning nearly 350 years! Opening with Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber’s Battalia à 10, the orchestra will paint a vivid and innovative depiction of a 17th-century battle that will captivate with its imaginative techniques and lively rhythms. Following is Viet Cuong’s Extra(ordinarily) Fancy, a contemporary piece featuring two oboe soloists. NOCCO’s very own Janet Putnam will delight you with this piece’s playful energy, intricate textures, and unexpected twists. Australian composer Peggy Glanville-Hicks’ Sinfonia da Pacifica provides a serene and reflective contrast, drawing inspiration from the Pacific region and enveloping the audience in its exotic and tranquil melodies. Finally, Mozart’s Symphony No. 35 in D major, K.385 ‘Haffner’, a work known for its brisk and joyful character brings the concert to a triumphant close.

Eccentricities

Town Hall Seattle

NOCCO’s 10th Anniversary Season continues with music from around the globe, spanning nearly 350 years! Opening with Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber's Battalia à 10, the orchestra will paint a vivid and innovative depiction of a 17th-century battle that will captivate with its imaginative techniques and lively rhythms. Following is Viet Cuong's Extra(ordinarily) Fancy, a contemporary piece featuring two oboe soloists. Oboists, Janet Putnam and Bhavani Kotha will delight you with this piece’s playful energy, intricate textures, and unexpected twists. Australian composer Peggy Glanville-Hicks' Sinfonia da Pacifica provides a serene and reflective contrast, drawing inspiration from the Pacific region and enveloping the audience in its exotic and tranquil melodies. Finally, Mozart's Symphony No. 35 in D major, K.385 'Haffner', a work known for its brisk and joyful character brings the concert to a triumphant close.

Mount Baker Community Club

Holst’s Second Suite is among the most beloved of the classic wind band repertory and if it weren’t for the folk tunes they were based on, they may as well be music for a British royal. Other material presented on this program creates distinct moods, from the hustle and bustle of Lisa DeSpain’s Bicycle Shop to the calm playfulness of Samuel Coleridge Taylor’s Children’s Intermezzo.

UC Davis Concert Band and the Roseville Community Band

Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

Tickets for this performance go on sale in mid-July, but you can reserve your seats today by becoming a New World Symphony subscriber. New World Symphony subscribers play a vital role in launching the careers of the world’s best young musicians and enjoy the lowest ticket prices on the best seats in the house. Learn more at nws.edu/subscribe.

Chamber Music: Haydn + Borodin

New World Center

Celebrate the legendary George Gershwin and his extraordinary impact on American music. This thrilling evening will feature a dollop of jazz, blues, and dance rhythms. Hear how Gershwin's influence echoes through the years in this enticing program showcasing Kevin Cole, widely considered the finest Gershwin pianist in the country

Gershwin’s American Dream

Sarasota Opera House

The program opens with Viet Cuong’s Deciduous, a piece written after the passing of Cuong’s father that reflects the cyclical nature of loss and healing. Alan Hovhaness’s Symphony No. 4 is a fusion of inspirations ranging from seventh-century Armenian religious music to the orchestral music of China’s Tang Dynasty. In his fourth symphony, Arthur Meulemans sought to maintain the individual sounds of the sections of the orchestra, creating a rich and colorful mosaic. The program concludes with Leonard Bernstein’s symphonic suite from the Academy Award-winning 1954 film “On the Waterfront,” which juxtaposes moments of tenderness with elements of cold savagery as depicted in the movie.

Fourths on the Fourth: Symphonies for Wind: UMD Wind Orchestra

Online

Remarkable

Miller Outdoor Theatre

The Church of St. John the Divine

Flutist and program curator Catherine Gregory, percussionist Ian Rosenbaum, and soprano Ariadne Greif, explore the relationship of sound, breath, and life through a collection of newly written miniatures by a diverse array of composers. The human voice and percussion join the flute to fashion a trio of the world’s oldest instruments in this theatrically conceived program, Just Breath(e).

Works by Timo Andres, Clarice Assad, Kinan Azmeh, Juhi Bansal, Viet Cuong, Ellis Ludwig-Leone, Diane Monroe and Matthew Evan Taylor are intertwined with specially arranged works by Raven Chacon, Chris Cerrone, and Kevin Puts that play on the same theme.

Music Hike II: Just Breath(E)

Moab Wilderness

### Event Description: Benoliel Chamber Music Series: Appalachian Spring

**Event:** Benoliel Chamber Music Series: Appalachian Spring  
**Date:** Wednesday, July 17, 2024  
**Time:** 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM  
**Venue:** Walk Festival Hall, 3330 W. Cody Lane, Teton Village, WY 83025, United States  
**Organizer:** Grand Teton Music Festival  
**Contact:**  
- **Phone:** 307.733.1128  
- **Email:** ticketoffice@gtmf.org  

**Program:**
- **Viet Cuong:** Water, Wine, Brandy, Brine  
  - Performers: Riely Francis, Craig Hauschildt, John Kinzie, and Eric Hopkins (percussion)
- **Copland:** Appalachian Spring  
  - Performers: Tomoko Iguchi, Ami Campbell, Jessica Mathaes, and Barbara Scowcroft (violins), Allyson Goodman and Kayla Williams (violas), Thalia Moore and Charae Krueger (cellos), Joseph McFadden (bass), Julia Bogorad-Kogan (flute), Stephanie Key (clarinet), Rudi Heinrich (bassoon), Kimi Kawashima (piano), Benjamin Manis (conductor)
- **Bacewicz:** Piano Quintet No. 1  
  - Performers: Jeffrey Dyrda and Ling Ling Huang (violins), Chiara Kingsley Dieguez (viola), Grace An (cello), Kimi Kawashima (piano)

**Additional Information:**
- The performance will be approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes long and will be presented without intermission.
- A reception with GTMF musicians will follow the concert at the Pavilion.
- **Tickets:** $30 for adults, $5 for children/students.
- **Note:** Please purchase tickets directly from the Grand Teton Music Festival website to avoid unauthorized resellers.

**Directions:**
- [Google Map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/3330+W.+Cody+Lane,+Teton+Village,+WY+83025)

**Social Media and Calendar Integration:**
- Add to calendar: [Google Calendar](#), [iCalendar](#), [Outlook 365](#), [Outlook Live](#)
- Share on: [Facebook](#), [Messenger](#), [LinkedIn](#), [Email](#)

**Disclaimer:** Programs and guest artists are subject to change.

Benoliel Chamber Music Series: Appalachian Spring

Walk Festival Hall

Join us at the Music Academy of the West for an exhilarating evening at PercussionFest, a highlight of our Showcase Sampler Series. This unique event is set to take place on June 15th at 7:30 pm in the acoustically superb Hahn Hall, celebrating the diverse and dynamic world of percussion music.

PercussionFest shines a spotlight on the unsung heroes of the classical music world, featuring an array of instruments from the thunderous drums to the delicate sounds of the cymbal, tambourine, and triangle. Experience how the art of percussion transcends mere rhythm to create beautiful music through the most unexpected collisions of sound.

The program includes an exciting lineup of contemporary works:
- "Symbiotique" by Tyler Tolles
- "Ember II" by Alyssa Weinberg
- "Bell Patterns" by Victor Caccese
- "Sandbox" by Viet Cuong
- "SEESAW" by Ivan Trevino
- "Gutterflies" by JaRon Brown

Highlighting the event is Michael Werner, celebrated percussionist and orchestral studies expert, holding the prestigious Marilyn & Richard Mazess Chair in Percussion. With a distinguished career that includes principal positions with the Seattle Symphony and performances with world-renowned orchestras, Werner brings his unparalleled expertise and passion to the festival.

Tickets are available now, with community access pricing starting at FREE for ages 7-17 and regular tickets starting at $40. Don't miss this one-night-only event that promises to be a memorable part of the Music Academy's 2024 Summer Festival. Whether you're a percussion enthusiast or new to the world of classical music, PercussionFest offers something for everyone.

PercussionFest

Music Academy of the West

With repertoire spanning the canon to contemporary works, this beloved series is unparalleled in ambition and depth. Under the inspired curation of new Director of Chamber Music Paul Wiancko, globally renowned chamber musicians present 11 ingenious programs rich in revelry and fellowship. Paul’s inaugural season welcomes composer-in-residence Reena Esmail, along with an array of talented first-timers and Festival favorites ready to rock the Dock.

Bank of America Chamber Music

Dock Street Theatre

Join us for a lively and entertaining program featuring double concertos performed by outstanding soloists from the SSO.

Dynamic Duos

Shreveport Riverview Theatre

The nationally acclaimed Poulenc Trio returns with an extraordinary and unique chamber music program including an introduction to the works of William Grant Still and Viet Cuong. Kohl welcomes the debut of rising star soprano Shawnette Sulker performing songs by French mid-century composer, Francis Poulenc. And what better finale than the music of Rossini.

Poulenc Trio With Soprano Shawnette Sulker

Kohl Mansion

The EUSO will perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and premiere composer Viet Cuong’s Vital Sines for orchestra and featuring Grammy-Award Winning sextet, eighth blackbird (sponsored by the Schwartz Artist in Residence Program).

EUSO 2023-2024 Season Concert 3

Schwartz Center for Performing Arts

The Best of Boulder

University of Colorado Boulder

Sandbox Percussion and NOVUS NY present a third Renewal concert on December 3, at 4pm, in Trinity Church, featuring Viet Cuong’s Re(new)al and pieces inspired by Richard Powers’s powerful novel on activism, resistance, and the natural world— The Overstory: Jessica Meyer’s A Passage Between Earth and Sky and the collaborative eco-cantata by four composers and five authors, A Forest Unfolding. Free.

NOVUS NY Renewal: The Sound of a New World

Trinity Church

Ensemble Connect

The Juilliard School

Eight Blackbird and the University of Texas Wind Ensemble perform the consortium premier of composer Viet Cuong’s (BM ’11, MM ’12, Composition) “Vital Sines,” winner of the 2023 Frederick Fennell Prize, November 5, 4 pm CST, at the Bates Recital Hall on a program that also includes Rimsy-Korsakov, Schönberg, Missy Mazzoli, and Joseph Schwanter.

Alumni Event: Viet Cuong

The University of Texas at Austin

The table, and the stage, is set. The concert opens with Dvorak’s boisterous portrait of a street carnival before Gabriela Frank’s triumphant Escaramuza. The first half concludes when Sandbox Percussion, the second annual Fred & Charlotte Hubbell Visiting Artist In Residence, joins the Orchestra for Viet Cuong’s enthralling and magical Re(new)al, inspired by the power of nature. Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade evokes the tales of the legendary heroine and One Thousand and One Nights, bringing the concert to a dazzling close.

Discover Scheherazade

Sandbox Percussion opens the Classically Uncorked series with a dynamic program of new music and Bravo! Vail premieres, including works by Amy Beth Kirsten, David Crowell, Juri Seo, Viet Cuong, and Sandbox founder Victor Caccese.

Bravo! Vail’s Classically Uncorked returns with three bold chamber music programs cocurated and performed by Sandbox Percussion, a contemporary percussion quartet known for its visually and auditorily stunning presentations. Each Classically Uncorked program offers a unique chamber music experience with handcrafted wines and cabaret-style seating in the gorgeous Donovan Pavilion.

Classically Uncorked I: Sandbox Percussion

Donovan Pavilion

French composer Hector Berlioz spent a miserable two years in Italy as winner of the prestigious Prix de Rome, but it inspired some of this greatest music. Roman Carnival is nine minutes of jaunty music originally intended as an overture to an opera.
Viet Cuong, California Symphony’s “wildly inventive” (New York Times) and “irresistible” (San Francisco Chronicle) resident composer (2020-23) debuts his third and final composition for the orchestra.
British composer William Walton was the John Williams of the 1940s and ‘50s, composing music for movies including Sir Laurence Olivier’s iconic Henry V. His Symphony No. 1 is considered one of the greatest symphonies of the 20th century.

Fresh Inspirations

Lesher Center for the Arts

In accordance with Carnegie Mellon’s COVID-19 mitigation policies, all visitors to the university’s campus age 12 and older are required to be either fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or, if not fully vaccinated, must have received a negative COVID-19 test result within three days of the event.

Student Recital: Samantha Frei

Carnegie Mellon University

Viet Cuong is an Albany Symphony favorite, and for good reason! Since its premiere at the 2017 American Music Festival, Re(new)al has been performed by multiple orchestras across the country.

Bruckner & Cuong | Matinee

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale (L’Histoire du soldat) is regarded as one of the most important and influential chamber works of the early twentieth century. It is the story of a soldier, on leave from the army, who trades his old violin for a magic book that can tell the future and make him rich. He soon discovers, however, that he has made a deal with the devil and that money does not bring happiness.

Curtis on Tour: L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale)

Irvine Barclay Theatre

Bruckner & Cuong

A thrilling tale of trickery and magic, Igor Stravinsky’s famed L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale) comes to life through an ensemble of musicians from the Curtis Institute of Music.

“One of the world’s leading music academies” (BBC Culture), Curtis’s performers team up with beloved actor and narrator John de Lancie, who voices the characters; award-winning performer David Shifrin (Clarinet ’71); and prominent recitalist Soovin Kim (Violin ’99) to tell this story of a soldier who learns that greed leads to ruin.

Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale (L’Histoire du soldat) is regarded as one of the most important and influential chamber works of the early twentieth century. It is the story of a soldier, on leave from the army, who trades his old violin for a magic book that can tell the future and make him rich. He soon discovers, however, that he has made a deal with the devil and that money does not bring happiness.

Curtis on Tour is the Nina von Maltzahn Global Touring Initiative of the Curtis Institute of Music.

Curtis On Tour: L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale)

A thrilling tale of trickery and magic, Igor Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat comes to life through an ensemble of musicians from the Curtis Institute of Music. “One of the world’s leading music academies” (BBC Culture), Curtis’s performers team up with beloved actor and narrator John de Lancie, who voices the characters; award-winning performer David Shifrin (Clarinet ’71); and prominent soloist and chamber musician Soovin Kim (Violin ’99).

Curtis on Tour

The 92nd Street Y

Midwest Trust Center

Philadelphia Film Center

Musical Instrument Museum

Alberta Rose Theatre

Oklahoma State University

White Plains High School

California has been blessed with an abundance of great composers. The film industry has magnetized many European emigres to resettle in the Golden State. Composers Miklós Rósza (Hungary) and Alexandre Tansman (Poland) were both Jewish and escaped Europe as the Second World War was brewing. They both benefitted from work in Hollywood. John Williams and Danny Elfman are both prolific film composers. Los Angeles-born Viet Cuong, who now resides in Orange County, is Pacific Symphony’s composer-in-residence.
Enjoy delightful chamber music with host and pianist Orli Shaham and principal musicians of Pacific Symphony in the coffee-house atmosphere of the Samueli Theater.

California Connections

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

From Caroline Shaw to Duke Ellington, experience a program over the holiday weekend that highlights the wide range of sound and diversity of music from the United States in the 20th and 21st centuries. Sandbox composer-in-residence Viet Cuong will debut a new work in a celebratory culmination of his inaugural residency with the orchestra. An SPCO staple, Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, rounds out this eclectic program of music from the U.S

Barber’s Adagio for Strings

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

The Constantinides New Music Ensemble presents a program entitled "Perspectives // Narratives", featuring works by LSU student and faculty composers, as well as Viet Cuong.

Constantinides New Music Ensemble - "Perspectives // Narratives"

Louisiana State University

The New York Times praises her performances as “elegant and incisive.” On the heels of her performance with Scott Speck and WMS, Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Martinez will put The Block’s Steinway through its paces with an inspiring solo recital.

Gabriela Martinez Classical Piano

The Block

The LSU Symphonic Winds present a unique concert of pieces integrating other musical styles, borrowing melodies, and reimagining motives. Works performed include the musical I Spy, remixing music from the baroque, traditional folk songs, and modern interpretations of wind band classics, plus Viet Cuong’s new Tuba Concerto, performed by faculty soloist Charlie Goodman.

LSU Symphonic Winds – “Reimagined”

LSU Student Union Theater

It begins softly. A single snare drum. Then, a flute. Gradually, each instrument of Pacific Symphony joins in, one after the other, until Ravel’s Boléro reaches one of the greatest climaxes in all of music. Also, Orli Shaham, Dennis Kim and Warren Hagerty perform Beethoven’s too-rarely encountered tour-de-force, the Triple Concerto.  Carl St.Clair begins the season with Wagner’s stormy overture to The Flying Dutchman, and Re(new)al, a new work by the brilliant young composer, Viet Cuong.

Beethoven & Bolero

Francis Poulenc combined oboe, bassoon, and piano in his 1926 Trio. The Poulenc Trio was formed in 2003 to further explore this instrumentation. Since then, they have commissioned 20 works. The last time they played at the Athenaeum was in 2010, and they’ll bring some newly commissioned works along with their signature piece.

The Poulenc Trio

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library

Join us for Pacific Symphony’s annual festivities honoring the Lunar New Year! Celebrating the Year of the Tiger, this performance is sure to sell out once again as audiences from across our communities come together to feast on a colorful presentation of Eastern and Western music and dance.

Lunar New Year

The festival prize winners of the SIGNUM saxophone quartet prove that saxophones can also sound extremely festive when they invite the audience, together with musical friends, to the finale of the festival winter and send them off into the Christmas season in high spirits after a potpourri of Baroque, Romantic and even pop music.

SIGNUMs for the festival

Schloss und Gut Ulrichshusen

SADDLE UP, FOLKS, as we bring you a night of the tales from yesteryear and the trailblazing sounds of the new. We start with the old-timey in Aaron Copland’s Western ballad of Billy the Kid, and Debussy’s sensual Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Then, hang on to your hats with Boyer’s exciting Fanfare, Hymn, and Renewal and prepare to be amazed when Viet Cuong’s Re(new)al rides in with a bold, high-energy new piece performed by the fantastic Sandbox Percussion Ensemble.

Billy the Kid

Washburn University

The percussionists of the HSO take center stage in a spectacular new work for four players and numerous instruments (including wine glasses!). The program opens with Mozart’s delightful Haffner symphony and concludes with the great Louise Farrenc’s third symphony, a Romantic jewel from 1847.

Mozart and More

The Forum Auditorium

Imagine stepping into a forest where the trees hum and the earth pulses with rhythm. That’s where Viet Cuong’s The Wild Woods begins setting the stage for Peter and the Wolf. Coung’s piece is a prologue to Prokofiev’s classic story, set the night before the events of Peter and the Wolf and presents the scene from the grandfather’s perspective. This performance includes both works with contrasting musical themes.

The Wild Woods: Before Peter Met the Wolf

Madison Center for the Arts

The harpsichord shines in this program embracing the old and the new. Leading harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani performs a world premiere work by Julian Grant for solo harpsichord and orchestra. Viet Cuong’s Extra(ordinarily) Fancy cleverly reinterprets the baroque double oboe concerto. The PSO performs Igor Stravinsky’s neo-classical ballet Pulcinella in its full version featuring three vocal soloists.

The Harpsichord & Stravinsky’s Pulcinella

Princeton University

This evocative concert begins with the Grammy-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion’s performance of Viet Cuong’s Re(new)al—for percussion quartet and orchestra full of eclectic soundscapes that explore themes of transformation and resilience. Shostakovich’s Symphony No.8 is a powerful work reflecting on war as a force of destruction and suffering, while juxtaposing it with the endurance and resilience of the human spirit.

Shostakovich 8

Ohio Theatre

The Chamber Music Society of Salt Lake City presents SANDBOX PERCUSSION—known for their innovative performances and dynamic artistry—on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at Libby Gardner Concert Hall on the University of Utah campus. This performance concludes the Society’s 60th Anniversary Season.

Composer

Viet Cuong

Events

Upcoming events

Dec 14, 2025

SIGNUMs for the festival · Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Jan 24, 2026

Billy the Kid · Topeka Symphony Orchestra

14 - 15 Feb, 2026

Mozart and More · Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra

Feb 21, 2026

The Wild Woods: Before Peter Met the Wolf · Phoenix Symphony

7 - 8 Mar, 2026

The Harpsichord & Stravinsky’s Pulcinella · Princeton Symphony Orchestra

Past events

Nov 16, 2025

UC Berkeley Wind Ensemble II · UC Berkeley Department of Music

Oct 18, 2025

Quad Fusion · Mississippi Symphony Orchestra

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