After studying piano and composition with Florence Price in Chicago, Margaret Bonds composed her variations in the wake of the 1963 firebombing of Birmingham, Alabama’s 16th Street Baptist Church. She describes them as “a group of freestyle variations based on the Negro Spiritual theme; I want Jesus to Walk with Me. The treatment suggests the manner in which Bach constructed his partitas – a bold statement of the theme, followed by variations of the theme.” A profound lyricist and yearning optimist, Austrian composer Joseph Marx considered himself a musical poet of happiness.  HSO Music Director Johannes Müller Stosch describes his 1919 Romantic Piano Concerto as “the Austrian counterpart of Rachmaninoff’s second piano concerto, with lush romantic melodies, harmonies, and plenty of technical fireworks for the soloist.”  The piece was resurrected and made popular by famed pianist Jorge Bolet, is a rarely performed gem melding orchestra with piano in a duet of energy and radiant lyricism.

Classics IV: Romantic Connections

West Ottawa High School Performing Arts Center

Molly Snodgrass, soprano

Northwestern Bienen School of Music

Feel the pulse of Ravel’s hypnotic Boléro, alongside the graceful beauty of Mozart’s final piano concerto, and two works that conjure starry skies—Marx’s lush Symphonic Night Music and Canadian composer Samy Moussa’s atmospheric Nocturne.

EPSG:4326

Boléro

David Pecaut Square

Lawrence Brownlee is a leading figure in opera, both as a singer on the world's top stages, and as a voice for activism and diversity in the industry. Captivating audiences and critics around the globe, he has been hailed as “an international star in the bel canto operatic repertory” (The New York Times), “one of the world’s leading bel canto stars” (The Guardian), and “one of the most in-demand opera singers in the world today” (NPR).

Great Artists Series '25: Lawrence Brownlee, tenor

560 Music Center

This recital is given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music. Catherine Creed is a student of Nova Thomas. 

Catherine Creed, Soprano

Alice Pratt Brown Hall

A rising star in the soprano firmament, the multi-award winning Russian-American artist brings together songs from diverse traditions, including Dvořák's seven songs composed for the German tenor Gustav Walter and Britten's cycle on Pushkin's poems composed for Russian soprano Galina Vishnevskaya.

Erika Baikoff soprano; James Baillieu pian

Wigmore Hall

Join us for a mesmerizing evening as the Holland Symphony Orchestra presents "An American in Paris" on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. This captivating concert will take place at the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, Hope College, under the baton of Music Director and Conductor Johannes Müller Stosch, featuring the talented Huw Lewis on the organ.

The evening's program promises a journey through musical landscapes with the US Premiere of Joseph Marx's "Idylle," followed by Samuel Barber's "Toccata Festiva for Organ and Orchestra, Op. 36," with Huw Lewis as the organ soloist. The program will also include Florence Price's "Dances in the Canebrakes," capturing the essence of Nimble Feet, Tropical Noon, and Silk Hat and Walking Cane, culminating in the iconic "An American in Paris" by George Gershwin.

Tickets are priced at $29 for adults and $10 for students through college, making it accessible for all to enjoy this unforgettable experience. 

In addition to the concert, attendees are invited to enrich their experience through our Classical Chats at Freedom Village and Pre-Concert Talks. These sessions, led by Johannes Müller-Stosch and Amanda Dykhouse, offer insightful discussions on the music and composers featured in the concert. Classical Chats will be held at 3:00 pm on the Thursday before the concert at Freedom Village, 6th Floor Auditorium, 145 Columbia Ave. Pre-Concert Talks are available online under the Pre-Concert Talk Tab.

The concert is dedicated in memory of Floyd Farmer, celebrating his life and contributions. Don't miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty of classical music and the vibrant energy of "An American in Paris."

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the Holland Symphony Orchestra's website or contact them at 616-796-6780. Parking is available at the Miller Center, with Lot 40 reserved for handicapped parking and faculty parking lots available after 5 pm. Join us for an evening of exquisite music and community spirit at the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, 221 Columbia Ave., Holland, MI 49423.

An American in Paris

Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts

Wanyi Cui (M.M. '23) presents a voice recital.

Student Recital: Wanyi Cui, Voice

Boston Conservatory at Berklee

The final concert of the 22-23 season will feature German and Austrian romantic masterpieces with their full range of emotional expression. The concert will open with two movements from Marx’s Old Vienna Serenades. Baritone David Grogan will join the HSO for Mahler's Songs of a Wayfarer. The concert will conclude with Brahms’s Symphony No 4 in E minor.

Romantic Masterpieces

Emma Shelton (M.M. '23) presents a voice recital.

Joseph Marx

Events

Past events

Apr 25, 2026

Classics IV: Romantic Connections · Holland Symphony Orchestra

Apr 25, 2026

Molly Snodgrass, soprano · Northwestern Bienen School of Music

About

Joseph Marx hasn't added a bio