Composer


Celebration Overture
Celebration Overture is exactly that, a celebration! Enjoy a big and splashy program to open the 75th season with guest musician, Courtney Hershey Bress on the harp. Professional and Principal Harpist, Bress is an international soloist who has been heard around the world from the Grand Teton Music Festival to the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia in Bogotá, Colombia. During Celebration Overture, guests will witness her incredible talent.

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Celebration Overture

Natrona County High School

Join us for a monumental milestone as the Amarillo Symphony celebrates its 100th Anniversary with a spectacular Celebration Concert. This grand event is set to take place on October 11 and 12, 2024, at the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, located at 500 S Buchanan St, Amarillo, TX 79101, United States. Each evening, the concert will commence at 7:30 PM, offering attendees a chance to be part of history.

The 100th Celebration Concert promises an unforgettable lineup featuring the Grammy-winning ensemble, Time For Three, and a showcase of new music commemorating the 50th anniversary of the iconic Cadillac Ranch. The concert will also highlight Aaron Copland’s masterpiece, Appalachian Spring, among other significant works by Michael Daugherty and Kevin Puts, including the world premiere of Daugherty's Cadillac Ranch and Puts' Contact.

Under the baton of conductor George Jackson, and with the special participation of Time for Three, this event is not just a concert but a celebration of a century's worth of musical excellence and community engagement. The Amarillo Symphony, a cornerstone of the cultural landscape, invites you to be part of this historic occasion.

Tickets for the 100th Celebration Concert will be available closer to the event date. For more information on ticketing, please contact the Amarillo Symphony at 806-376-8782, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Don't miss this opportunity to celebrate a century of musical brilliance with the Amarillo Symphony.

100th Celebration Concert

Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts

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

Join us for an unforgettable musical journey at the Bear Valley Music Festival with the special concert event "From Oklahoma to California" on Thursday, August 1, 2024, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This unique performance, featuring Marat Gabdullin on electric violin, is curated by Maestro Mickelthwate, who annually travels from Oklahoma to California to partake in our festival. 

This concert promises to take you on a musical road trip, starting with the theme from the iconic musical "Oklahoma" and cruising along Michael Daugherty’s "Route 66." The journey continues to the west coast with "Dharma at Big Sur," John Adams’ mesmerizing electric violin concerto, before diving into the Hollywood scene with Phillip Glass’s movie music to "The Hours." The evening will conclude with Lee Johnson’s "Dead Symphony No. 6," an orchestral tribute to The Grateful Dead, ensuring a diverse and thrilling musical experience that celebrates the spirit of America from the heartlands to the shores of California.

Don't miss this extraordinary blend of classical music and modern storytelling, set against the backdrop of the beautiful Bear Valley. It's a musical expedition that promises to be as vibrant and diverse as the landscapes between Oklahoma and California.

From Oklahoma to California

The Big White Tent at Bear Valley Music Festival

The season culminates with the return of Michael Daugherty’s ode to Pittsburgh icon, Andy Warhol, in his piece, Fifteen. Hear how each movement transforms Warhol’s colorful creations into symphonic masterpieces, featuring the artist’s Portrait of Elizabeth Taylor (1964), Big Electric Chair (1967) and more.

Fifteen & Firebird: The Season Finale

Heinz Hall

The program begins with the sounds of New York’s “frenetic energy and multicultural aural palette” in Jessie Montgomery’s Coincident Dances. Principal Oboe, Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida, and Principal Horn, William Caballero, then join to premiere a double concerto by Michael Daugherty.

Darkness to Light: Manfred & Mahler 5

Organist, Paul Jacobs performs with the Las Vegas Philharmonic.

Saint-Saëns Thundering “Organ” Symphony

The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

Las Vegas Philharmonic Presents Saint-Saëns Thundering "Organ" Symphony

The Boston Conservatory Wind Ensemble performs music by Anahita Abbasi and Michael Daugherty.

Boston Conservatory Wind Ensemble: The Music of Anahita Abbasi and Michael Daugherty

Boston Conservatory at Berklee

Experience Respighi’s masterpieces, Pines and Fountains of Rome. These stunning works reveal Respighi’s brilliant brushstrokes in painting scenes of the majesty of nature and dancing water. The program opens with two giants among today’s living composers: Hailstork’s powerful homage to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders, followed by Michael Daugherty’s American Gothic, a work of irrepressible fun that brings the iconic art of Grant Wood to life.

The Pines & Fountains of Rome

Jacoby Symphony Hall

It gives me great pleasure to welcome the UW–Madison Wind Ensemble and their conductor, Scott Teeple, to our organ series in what I hope is one of many future collaborations. Pairing the forces of our Klais with the full band will blow you away in this electrifying program. With large ensemble works such as Grainger’s Irish Tune from County Derry (“Danny Boy”), as well as intimate works like Morricone’s Gabriel’s Oboe arranged for organ and saxophone featuring a soloist from the ensemble, I cannot think of a more powerful way to close out the 23/24 season! – Greg Zelek

Greg Zelek with the UW–Madison Wind Ensemble

Overture Center for the Arts

The Reno Phil fans the flame of creative genius. Join us to celebrate the 125th birthday of legendary American composer, George Gershwin! Hear the new critical editions of his beloved works Strike Up the Band and An American in Paris. Our very own Reno Phil English Horn player, Jordan Pyle, will have the spotlight for Daughtery’s Spaghetti Western. You’ll be transported to a land of gunfights, bank robberies, saloon brawls, train heists, ghostly stagecoaches, quests for gold, and revenge and retribution. Ravel’s Bolero, an audience favorite and known from the film Paradise Road, closes the concert with a brief spotlight on every instrument on stage.

Gershwin Celebration

Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts

The program includes Selections from the Danserye (arr. Patrick Dunnigan) by Tielman Susato, Spanish Dances (Book 1) by Luis Serrano Alarcón, Red Cape Tango by Michael Daugherty, and Wedding Dance (transcr. Herbert N. Johnston) by Jacques Press. David Thornton, conductor.

Symphony Band

Wharton Center for Performing Arts

University Of Illinois Wind Orchestra And Hindsley Band

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

Eastman Wind Ensemble

Eastman Theatre

Audrey Marx, oboe and English horn

Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall

American Shades

Jackson Theater, Sonoma Country Day School

Dreamachine delves into humankind’s fascination with machines and their inventors. “Dreamachine is my playground,” says Lovette, a space where creativity knows no bounds and imagination launches into its own universe. Set to Michael Daugherty’s mesmerizing percussion suit, with set & costumes by Santo Loquasto and lighting by Jennifer Tipton, this triptych of fantastical worlds fits beautifully in the Taylor universe.

Lovette + Taylor

Lincoln Center

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini

Duke Energy Center for the Arts

“Shoot for the Stars” Opening Night features “The Planets” by Gustav Holst, a seven-movement orchestral suite. Each movement is named after a planet with its own unique astrological character. The night begins with John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine”, catching your attention with his unique use of minimalist tonal language and rhythmic dissonance, followed by Michael Daugherty’s new Harp Concerto, “Harp of Ages” which shows us the diversity of one of the oldest instruments while bringing in elements of 20th century pop culture—the blues and Irish rhythmic excitement.

LSO Opening Night: Shoot for the Stars

Vance Brand Civic Auditorium

Concertmaster's Choice

Brazosport College

While our Festival Artists are among the world’s great chamber ensemble musicians, they can also dazzle as soloists!  All ages are invited to the hour-long performance, where adults and children can learn about the possibilities and range of each of these instruments in the hands of these virtuosos!

Second Saturday

Saint Michael's College

This concert will be the recording premiere of Michael Daugherty’s Blue Electra. This will be the Albany Symphony’s 3rd recording of Daugherty’s work, joining the ranks with Dreammachine and This Land Sings!

Beethoven's Ninth | Matinee

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

Beethoven's Ninth

It’s an artistic extravaganza! The JSO presents works inspired by the visual arts including the famous Pictures at an Exhibition. You won’t want to miss our performance that opens with speed painter Evan Struck on stage with the JSO. Violinist Ida Kavafian performs Michael Daugherty’s violin concerto Fire and Blood inspired by Detroit murals by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The JSO also welcomes back Jeremy Crosmer for a world premiere inspired by the work of Jackson-born artist Philip Campbell Curtis. The surrealist painter’s work will be on display at the Potter Center through March. We close the concert with animation synced to our performance of Pictures at an Exhibition. You won’t want to miss a single moment of this performance packed with visual art!

Pictures at an Exhibition

Jackson College

One of Stanton Welch’s hallmark ballets, Clear showcases the depth of talent of Houston Ballet’s male dancers, featuring seven men and one woman. Sleek, stripped-down costumes emphasize the sheer magnitude of emotion in choreography set to music by Johann Sebastian Bach. The Company brings back one of George Balanchine’s greatest masterpieces for the first time since 1977. Concerto Barocco uses the music of Bach's Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins to spotlight the balletic relationship between dance and music. Houston Ballet also premieres Cathy Marston's Summer and Smoke, a co-production with American Ballet Theatre set to a commissioned score by Michael Daugherty. Inspired by Tennessee Williams' eponymous play, Summer and Smoke brings Marston’s unique perspective on storytelling, often inspired by works of literature, to Houston audiences for the first time. 

Summer And Smoke

Wortham Theater Center

The Wind Symphony presents a diverse and eclectic program of works that reimagine musical ideas through culture, time, and tradition. New Illinois Assistant Professor of Violin Salley Koo is soloist in Kristin Kuster’s distinctive concerto for violin and band, Two Jades.

Illinois Wind Symphony And O'fallon Wind Ensemble

Six-time Grammy winner Michael Daugherty’s Valley of the Moon highlights our beautiful and ecologically diverse county. Piercing beauty rises from the violin of Finnish virtuoso Elina Vähälä, like birds soaring to the treetops or a butterfly softly lighting in Korngold's romantic Violin Concerto, with delightful nods to his exquisite film scores. Strauss' irresistible Overture to Die Fledermaus and Debussy's pastoral Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun perfectly complement this tender and triumphant season finale.

Valley of the Moon

Green Music Center

Join the Gulf Coast Symphony for a unique and captivating evening featuring two dynamic works: Stravinsky’s “A Soldier’s Tale” and Michael Daugherty’s “Dead Elvis.” “A Soldier’s Tale” is a dramatic piece that combines music, narration, and dance to tell the compelling story of a soldier who makes a deal with the devil. In contrast, “Dead Elvis” offers a whimsical and modern twist, featuring a bassoon soloist in a playful homage to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. This eclectic concert promises an engaging blend of theatrical storytelling and innovative music, offering a memorable experience for all.

A Soldier’s Tale & Dead Elvis

Music & Arts Community Center - Gulf Coast Symphony

Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet

Tulsa Performing Arts Center

Performances of pianist Tatiana Roitman Mann have been recognized by the BBC as “formidable…both accurate and with rarely seen joy.” Tatiana has appeared as a soloist and recitalist across North America and Europe.

A Flair for the Dramatic

Perot Theatre

Guest conductor Thomas Wilkins leads the orchestra in this captivating program. Copland’s sparkling Appalachian Spring is considered one of his finest works. Michael Daugherty’s Letters from Lincoln, written in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth,features baritone soloist Yazid Gray. Dvořák’s poetic eighth symphony is full of charm, inspired by the composer’s reflections on nature and life.

Appalachian Spring

Ohio Theatre

Experience an evening of stories sonically told by the UMD Wind Orchestra! Björk’s Overture to “Dancer in the Dark,” arranged by Vince Mendoza, chronicles the story of Selma Jezkova, a Czech immigrant to the United States who is going blind due to illness. Michael Gilbertson’s Lands End takes listeners to the windy, wooded cliffs of Lands End overlook, a shoreline in San Francisco peppered with shipwrecks and ruins, while Michael Daugherty recalls the life and legacy of an American track and field hero in The Adventures of Jesse Owens.

Symphonic Stories: UMD Wind Orchestra

University of Maryland

Online

Join your Youngstown Symphony Orchestra for an exhilarating evening as we celebrate the symphonic sounds of our favorite superheroes. From Bernstein’s The Magnificent Seven to the fantastical realms of the video game The Legend of Zelda, each piece tells a heroic story of captivating adventures. The night also features Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries and Daugherty’s dynamic Red Cape Tango, culminating in a season finale that promises to be both heroic and unforgettable.

Your Youngstown Symphony Presents Symphonic Superheroes

Stambaugh Auditorium

March 15th at 7:30pm, Join CSO and Maestro Intriligator to enjoy works by Adams, Copland, Tate & Daugherty, featuring special guest harpist, Courtney Hershey Bress. Sponsored by Halladay Motors.  Guest Artists Underwritten by Bill Runyan and The Kenneth & Myra Monfort Charitable Foundation.

American Escapades

Cheyenne Civic Center

James Lowe, conductor Zuill Bailey, cello In our final Masterworks of the season, we embrace vivid stories from around the world. Respighi vividly portrays scenes of Rome, from the serene beauty of pine trees in the Villa Borghese to the triumphant march of the Appian Way, and we welcome back Zuill Bailey in the ...

Michael Daugherty

Composer

Events

Upcoming events

11 - 12 Jan, 2025

A Soldier’s Tale & Dead Elvis · Gulf Coast Symphony

Feb 1, 2025

Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet · Tulsa Symphony Orchestra

Feb 8, 2025

A Flair for the Dramatic · Texarkana Symphony Orchestra

Feb 28 - Mar 1, 2025

Appalachian Spring · Columbus Symphony

Mar 2, 2025

Symphonic Stories: UMD Wind Orchestra · University of Maryland School of Music

Past events

Oct 12, 2024

Celebration Overture · Wyoming Symphony Orchestra

11 - 12 Oct, 2024

100th Celebration Concert · The Amarillo Symphony

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