Make American History Great Again? Endangered Dreams is the title that the African American composer Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson, who lives in Biel, has given his new ensemble piece. He says he is responding to “the present situation in America, where there is a battle of American identity and history taking place right now. There are factions in America who want to re-write American history and to delete the unpleasant parts of that history — and to sanitize the American Dream of its blemishes. Which means essentially to turn this dream into a one-sided lie.” Just how multifaceted America sounds becomes clear in the rest of the program: Steve Reich, one of the pioneers of Minimalism, fuses two marimbas and two vibraphones into an ecstatically pulsing rhythm machine in his Mallet Quartet. Elliott Carter’s music, by contrast, is deeply rooted in both American and European modernism.

EPSG:4326

Ensemble of the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra (LFCO) | Participants in the Contemporary-Conducting Program | Doreen Ketchens

KKL Luzern Concert Hall

The Verona Quartet returns to the Spanish Courtyard with Inflection Points, a program focusing on societal changes every 100 years through the lens of music.  As the 2017–18 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence, the ensemble has a long-standing history with the Caramoor, including a highly praised 2021 performance of Ligeti and Dvořák that showcased their "cohesive and thoughtful" approach.

Verona Quartet

The Rosen House at Caramoor

Jonathan Biss Plays Schumann’s Piano Concerto

Shepherd of The Valley Lutheran Church

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Rising stars shine alongside timeless masterworks as we present an afternoon of musical contrasts. Enjoy the radiant soundscapes of August Reed Thomas’ contemporary masterpiece Of Paradise and Light and then watch our brilliant student concerto winners take center stage. The grand finale? Brahms’s mighty Fourth Symphony sweeps you away in waves of passion and power.

Triumph & Light

Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts

MSM Camerata Nova

Manhattan School of Music

Join us for a concert celebrating the sesquicentennial of Maurice Ravel's birth! Violinist Gabriel Richard and cellist Jesús Castro-Balbi present an inventive program that traces his far-reaching influence on chamber music from the early 20th century to today. At its heart is Ravel's Sonata for Violin and Cello, a work of radical clarity and contrapuntal innovation, composed in memory of Claude Debussy.

Violinist Gabriel Richard and cellist Jesús Castro-Balbi pair Ravel's masterwork with music by Béla Bartók, Jean Martinon, Augusta Read Thomas, and Alice Hong, each reflecting a different facet of the evolving modernist and postmodern chamber idiom.

Gabriel Richard and Jesús Castro-Balbi: “Tribute to Ravel” Recital

Duke University

A Schumann-inspired program with David Kaplan.

Featuring works by Aldo Clementi, Augusta Read Thomas, Caroline Shaw, Marcos Balter, Michael Gandolfi, and Tristan Murail.

Schumann's Dilemmas: New Voices, New Answers

The DiMenna Center for Classical Music

The Grossman Ensemble, celebrated for their precision and dynamic prowess, will be performing under the baton of David Fulmer, presenting four world premieres. This event will feature compositions by Erin Gee, Kari Watson, Ryan Garvey, and David Fulmer himself. Erin Gee, recognized for her unique contributions to contemporary music, and Kari Watson, recently highlighted as a composer to watch, will bring their innovative works to the stage. Ryan Garvey, known for his ability to surprise and challenge listeners, and David Fulmer, acclaimed as one of the most important figures in contemporary music, will also unveil their latest compositions. This performance promises to immerse the audience in a diverse sonic tapestry, showcasing the cutting-edge of contemporary composition. Presented by the Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition, this event underscores the ensemble's commitment to premiering new and captivating works.

Grossman Ensemble - World Premieres II

Logan Center

Enjoy an evening of music featuring faculty from across the School of Music! UMWO is joined by Associate Professor of Flute Sarah Frisof, Oboe Lecturer Emily Tsai, Professor of Clarinet Robert Dilutis and Bassoon Lecturer Joey Grimmer for a performance of Heitor Villa-Lobos’ stunning Concerto Grosso for Woodwind Quartet and Wind Orchestra. Assistant Professor of voice Teri Bickham D.M.A. ‘19 takes the stage to perform Augusta Read Thomas’ A Plea for Peace, a meditative work representing an impassioned cry for peace.

Faculty on Stage: UMD Wind Orchestra

University of Maryland

Online

Celebrated as an ‘eloquent trumpet soloist’ by The Times, Matilda Lloyd enthrals audiences with her exceptional artistry and communication. Her début album, Casta Diva, earned BBC Music Magazine’s Recording of the Month in June 2023, praised for its ‘intense expression and immense warmth’. She will be a European Concert Hall Organisation (ECHO) Rising Star for the 2024/25 season, performing on some of Europe’s most prestigious stages, and we’re delighted to welcome her to join forces with our Wind Orchestra.

RNCM Wind Orchestra: Dancing Galaxies

RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music)

Beethoven’s Ninth

Lucas Theatre For the Arts

Experience the extraordinary range and vitality of Academy alumna Augusta Read Thomas, one of the most performed composers of her generation. Described by the American Academy of Arts and Letters as ‘one of the most recognisable and widely loved figures in American music’, she is celebrated across these two concerts.

Composer In Residence: Augusta Read Thomas with the Academy Manson Ensemble

Royal Academy of Music

Composer In Residence: Augusta Read Thomas

Head of Composition Philip Cashian talks to Academy alumna Augusta Read Thomas about her busy career as a composer, curator and educator.

Composer In Residence: AUGUSTA READ THOMAS in Conversation

Ken-David Masur conducts this program curated by NY Phil Musicians, featuring Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis, which bursts with energy from the first bar. “You may hear a parade go by, or a funeral, or you may recognize the passage of those who are making Civil Rights demands,” Duke Ellington said of his Harlem. Works by Mahler and Richard Strauss showcase their respective early styles, and a World Premiere by Augusta Read Thomas rounds out the program.

Bach, Mahler & Symphonic Metamorphosis

David Geffen Hall

AMFS artist-faculty, all top musicians from renowned orchestras, opera companies, and conservatories, come together to play their favorite chamber music works. Always a joyful and creative 75 minutes of music-making.

Chamber Music 2024 Concert 8

Aspen Meadows Resort

This time, we welcome alumni of the Festival String Fellowship to play a variety of works for string orchestra, including the popular Dvořák Serenade for Strings and Bartók's zesty Romanianian Folk Dances. Fellowship alum Kyle Dickson, who's gone on to conduct orchestras across the United States, leads the ensemble in this happy reunion. In addition, this concert features several vocal soloists from the Festival's Vocal Fellowship program.

Dvořák Serenade for Strings

Millennium Park

South Shore Cultural Center

For the occasion of her 60th birthday, composer Augusta Read Thomas’ new concerto for saxophone will be performed by the Avery Fisher Career Grant winner Steven Banks. Bookending this work is Bach’s exquisite Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 and Tchaikovsky’s sumptuous Serenade for Strings.

Sejong Here & Now Festival

Carnegie Hall

Musica Nova

University of Rochester

With a special afternoon matinee show time set for this youth-centered program, IPO will world premiere a co-commission with Anima-Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus" class="css-u850">Anima-Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus by Pulitzer Prize finalist Augusta Read Thomas utilizing poems from Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks’ Bronzeville Boys and Girls and featuring vocals by Anima-Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus and ChiArts. Paired with this performance will be Vaughn Williams’ The Lark Ascending and Debussy’s Suite bergamasque. IPO Assistant Concertmaster Elizabeth Huffman steps into the solo spotlight for this afternoon performance.

Debussy, V. Williams & Thomas

Trinity Christian College

CYSO’s Symphony Orchestra present their Fall Concert at Orchestra Hall.

Symphony Orchestra Fall Concert at Orchestra Hall

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

CYSO’s Symphony Orchestra presents a free run-out concert at Carl Sandburg High School.

Symphony Orchestra Fall Community Concert

Carl Sandburg High School

Take your preconceived notions of ‘noise’ and toss them out the window. Equal parts “fiendishly good and fiendishly goofy” (Chicago Tribune), ~Nois is a Chicago-based saxophone quartet dedicated to connecting with diverse audiences through the creation of new work. Since its founding in 2016, “~Nois continues to legitimize the saxophone quartet as a premiere ensemble formation for classical music” (Brutal New Music) through commissioning repertoire that is thought-provoking, engaging, and honestly just really good, by some of today's most inspiring compositional voices. 

Nois Saxophone Quartet Performance with Electronics

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

The Quest: Epic Journeys

### Illinois Wind Symphony Performance at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

**Event:** Illinois Wind Symphony  
**Date:** Wednesday, October 30, 2024  
**Time:** 7:30 PM CT  
**Venue:** Foellinger Great Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign  
**Presented by:** University of Illinois School of Music  

#### Event Details:
Join us for an enchanting evening with the Illinois Wind Symphony, a premier ensemble from the University of Illinois School of Music. The performance will take place in the prestigious Foellinger Great Hall, known for its exceptional acoustics and elegant ambiance.

**Program Information:** Details about the program will be announced soon. Stay tuned for updates on the repertoire and featured soloists.

**Tickets:** Tickets are not yet available. Please check back closer to the event date for purchasing information.

**Intermission:** There will be an intermission during the performance.  
**Event Length:** The total length of the event will be approximately announced soon.

#### Additional Information:
- **COVID-19 Safety Protocols:** Please review the Krannert Center's COVID-19 safety protocols before attending the event.
- **Visitor Code of Conduct:** Ensure a pleasant experience for all by adhering to the visitor code of conduct.
- **Parking and Directions:** Information on parking and directions to the Krannert Center can be found on their website.
- **Accessibility:** The venue is accessible to all guests. For specific accessibility needs, please contact the Krannert Center.

For more details and updates, visit the [University of Illinois School of Music](#) and the [Krannert Center for the Performing Arts](#) websites.

**Share This Event:** Spread the word and invite friends to experience a night of exceptional wind symphony music.

Mark your calendars and prepare for an unforgettable musical journey with the Illinois Wind Symphony!

Illinois Wind Symphony

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

A night of virtuosic fireworks from different musical and cultural traditions. The sounds of the far East in Dai Fujikura’s Shamisen Concerto are tempered by “a cadenza-like solo of dizzying rapidity that evokes prog-rock guitar as much as Paganini” (New York Times), while Tania León’s Rítmicas is based on “a rainbow of polyrhythmic inventions emerging from the Son and Guaguancó clave” of Cuba. The micropolyphonic textures of the oldest piece in tonight’s programme, György Ligeti’s Chamber Concerto, still sound as new as at its premiere in 1970.

Fireworks

Southbank Centre

Musicians from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra come together for an afternoon of woodwind quintets performed on the UChicago campus. UChicago Presents is excited to host a chamber music concert that brings a chamber music ensemble from the orchestra to campus for the first time. This concert will feature works by W. A. Mozart, Carl Nielsen, and Max Raimi alongside a piece by UChicago’s own Augusta Read Thomas (a former CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence).

CSO Chamber Music at the University of Chicago

The University of Chicago

Classical music is ever evolving with new sound worlds and ambitious, experimental composers. This evening is a collection of cutting-edge contemporary classical works including a world premiere by celebrated composer August Read Thomas, performed by the acclaimed Amernet String Quartet and guest soprano, Rachel Calloway.

XXVI New Music Miami Festival: Augusta Read Thomas, Amernet & Calloway

Florida International University

Imani Winds brings color, virtuosity, and storytelling to a program inspired by flight and freedom. While Beethoven does not appear directly on this program, his spirit of exploration and expansion lives on in music that breaks boundaries and celebrates individuality. From Mendelssohn’s shimmering ethereality to Stravinsky’s fire and Charlie Parker’s swing, Imani Winds connects classical tradition with global and contemporary voices. Known for their technical brilliance and expressive range, the ensemble invites listeners into a world of richly textured sound that complements the season’s Beethoven focus, showing his legacy of innovation across genres and generations.

Augusta Read Thomas

Events

Upcoming events

Apr 4, 2027

Imani Winds · Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Past events

Aug 30, 2026

Ensemble of the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra (LFCO) | Participants in the Contemporary-Conducting Program | Doreen Ketchens · Lucerne Festival

Jul 24, 2026

Verona Quartet · Caramoor

About

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