Experience the extraordinary sounds of chamber music in the beautiful and vibrant setting of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, under the artistic direction of HSO Concertmaster Leonid Sigal and featuring Hartford Symphony Orchestra musicians. Concerts are presented in collaboration with the Wadsworth Atheneum’s special exhibitions and permanent collections.

EPSG:4326

Vibrant Visions

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Join us for an unforgettable journey through musical landscapes with "Masterworks V: Echoes of Exploration" presented by the Quad City Symphony Orchestra (QCSO). This captivating concert will take place on March 2, 2025, at 2:00 pm CST at the prestigious Adler Theatre, located at 136 E 3rd St, Davenport, IA.

"Masterworks V: Echoes of Exploration" promises an auditory voyage from the sun-drenched Italian Riviera to the ancient dynasties of China, then back to the whimsical streets of Italy, and finally to the vibrant culture of Spain. This exploration of musical terrains is designed to inspire and transport audiences to different corners of the world through the universal language of music.

The program features an impressive lineup of compositions by renowned composers:
- Edward Elgar's "In the South, op.50 Alassio"
- Bright Sheng's "Of Time and Love: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra"
- Hugo Wolf's "Italian Serenade"
- Maurice Ravel's "Rapsodie espagnole"

Under the baton of Mark Russell Smith, with the talented Roberto Díaz on viola, this concert is set to be a highlight of the QCSO's season.

Tickets are currently available as part of a Subscription Only. Single tickets will be available for purchase starting May 15, 2024, at 9:00 am. Take advantage of the savings offered by our Pick-3 or Full Masterworks Subscription to experience the full breadth of our season's offerings.

Enhance your concert experience with our enriching pre-event activities:
- **Inside the Music**: Join QCSO Music Director Mark Russell Smith for an insightful exploration of the Masterworks programs on the Thursday evening preceding the concert. Admission is free, with a cash bar available.
- **Concert Conversations**: Attend our informational pre-concert conversations one hour prior to the performance to learn more about the works being performed. These sessions are also available via video on all QCSO social media platforms.
- **Afterglow**: Post-concert, mingle with Maestro Mark Russell Smith, guest artists, and QCSO members in the lobby of the Hotel Blackhawk. Enjoy free admission and a cash bar.

Don't miss this extraordinary musical journey. Mark your calendars for March 2, 2025, and prepare to be transported by the power of music with "Masterworks V: Echoes of Exploration." For more information, visit the Adler Theatre website or call 563-326-8500.

Masterworks V: Echoes of Exploration

Adler Theatre

This performance is free and open for general seating.


Faculty Recital “Belonging” – Dr. Jamie Clark, cello

Western Illinois University

Further Shores: Symphonic Music of Asia and the Asian Diaspora

MassBay Community College

Andreas Delfs conducts Berlioz’s only symphony, the Fantastique, which was described by Leonard Bernstein as “the first musical expedition into psychedelia because of its hallucinatory and dream-like nature.” And, Benjamin Beilman, whom The New York Times described as “muscular with a glint of violence,” gives a passionate performance of Britten’s Violin Concerto, one of his most beautiful and emotionally complex works. Bright Sheng’s Tibetan Love Song and Swing, a work that evokes both the beauty and savageness of a Tibetan mountain dance opens the concert.

Fantastic Symphony

Eastman Theatre

Xiaochen Dong, Viola – Doctoral Lecture Recital

Piano virtuoso Yefim Bronfman returns to open this Golden Anniversary Season performing Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2, the last work that the great composer added to his repertoire as a pianist and one that is filled with technical challenges for the performer and rich rewards for the audience. The opulent splendor evoking Vienna’s Golden Age found in Richard Strauss’ Suite from Der Rosenkavalier gives the program a fitting start for this milestone season. The program begins with the world premiere of a composition by Bright Sheng which was commissioned by Professor and Mrs. Paul du Quenoy, and The Common Sense Society, with support of the Palm Beach Freedom Institute.

Yefim Bronfman, Piano

The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts

A Love That Tears A Dynasty Apart The noble Jia family may have finally found the solution to its age-old debt: She’s young, she’s beautiful, and, most importantly, she’s wealthy. There’s only one problem. She’s not the woman of Bao Yu’s dreams. Adapted from a classic of world literature, Dream of the Red Chamber is an opulent exploration of love, lust, and political intrigue in imperial China by composer Bright Sheng and Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang.

Dream of the Red Chamber

War Memorial Opera House

Following their thrilling initial collaboration in 2024, ESO Music Director Jean-Marie Zeitouni and award-winning Canadian pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko reunite to perform Johannes Brahms’ towering Second Piano Concerto alongside Bright Sheng's entrancing orchestral works Prelude and The Black Swan in honour of the Lunar New Year.

Jean-Marie & Martini

Winspear Centre

This concert offers a culturally rich and exhilarating evening that you won’t want to miss! The international Mongolian morin khuur soloist, Monkho will perform a concerto featuring that ancient national instrument. Colin McPhee’s composition was inspired by melodies played on the Balinese gamelan. We will remain in the Far East as Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka tells us the magical story of three puppets that come to life in a Russian street fair.

Celebrating Coexistence

Isaac Harris Cary Memorial Building

Celebrate Lunar New Year with a vibrant fusion of music and dance during this special collaboration between the Portland Chamber Orchestra and White Lotus Foundation. Lion & Lotus: A Festival of Music and Dance brings together modern and traditional art forms in a joyful celebration of creativity and community.

Experience powerful works by acclaimed composers including Oswald Huỳnh, a Portland-native and Rome Prize winner whose music weaves a distinctive Vietnamese-American voice, and Bright Sheng, a Pulitzer Prize finalist known for his evocative Chinese-American compositions. 

The evening also features the mesmerizing ancient art form of lion dance—a popular cultural performance used to scare away evil spirits, as well as to bring joy, prosperity, and good fortune for the new year—performed by the White Lotus Foundation Lion Dancers, which is the largest lion dance team in Oregon.

Bright Sheng

Events

Upcoming events

Feb 13, 2026

Jean-Marie & Martini · Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

Feb 14, 2026

Celebrating Coexistence · Lexington Symphony

Mar 3, 2026

Lion & Lotus: A Festival of Music and Dance · Portland Chamber Orchestra

Past events

May 4, 2025

Vibrant Visions · Hartford Symphony Orchestra

1 - 2 Mar, 2025

Masterworks V: Echoes of Exploration · Quad City Symphony Orchestra

About

Bright Sheng hasn't added a bio