Composer

Diverse. Devoted. Determined. In honor of America 250, the 80th anniversary of the Nashville Symphony, and the 20th anniversary of the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, our opening program of the 2026/27 season celebrates the rich sonic kaleidoscope of American composers past and present.You’ll feel it all: from the boundless optimism of Joan Tower’s Made in America, a work for which the Nashville Symphony’s recording received our first GRAMMY® Award in 2008, to the solemn strains of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings marking the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001. 

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Opening Weekend: An American Celebration

Shermerhorn Symphony Center

This Labor Day weekend, your Nashville Symphony transforms Walk of Fame Park into a multimedia celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

Leading the evening alongside Music Director Leonard Slatkin is acclaimed actor, humanitarian, and fellow Lincoln Medal recipient Gary Sinise, who narrates American Mosaic: a bold new composition honoring the people, places, and spirit of the United States. Created by composer Peter Boyer and renowned photographer Joe Sohm, and co-commissioned by the Nashville Symphony, the work weaves sweeping orchestral music, Sinise's live narration, and stunning 4K video from all 50 states into an unforgettable journey through America’s diverse sonic and scenic identity.

Around this centerpiece, the orchestra performs some of our nation’s most beloved pieces, including Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man and Charles Ives' Variations on America.

American Mosaic: A Free Community Concert

Walk of Fame Park

Brass instruments have been around for thousands of years, featuring in military, religious and courtly ceremonies, marching bands, orchestra, chamber music and so much more.

Cocktail Hour with Brent Grapes

Sydney Opera House

BNY Classics showcases unforgettable performances by your Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, featuring timeless masterpieces, thrilling premieres, and renowned guest artists.

Lincoln Portrait

Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts

Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Giancarlo Guerrero opens the 2026 Festival season in style with Leonard Bernstein’s jazzy, Latin-inspired Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Joan Tower’s Made in America and Samuel Barber’s Symphony No. 1 in One Movement continue the celebration of American music in honor of the United States’ 250th.

Bernstein West Side Story

Millennium Park

With performances acclaimed for both “high-octane” excitement (The Strad) and “dusky lyricism” (New York Times), the Aeolus Quartet has been awarded prizes at nearly every major competition in the United States and performed across the globe with showings “worthy of a major-league quartet” (Dallas Morning News). Their program features works by Wolfgang Amadé Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn, Grażyna Bacewicz, and a newly revised version of Joan Tower’s Wild Summer.

Aeolus Quartet

Fisher Center at Bard

Celebrate creative ingenuity with conductor Robert Spano and renowned classical saxophonist Steven Banks. From Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite to Joan Tower’s new Saxophone Concerto, this program pulses with vitality. Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No. 5 brings lyrical warmth and a sense of peace.

Appalachian Spring

Hilbert Circle Theatre

The last of Joan Tower's Fanfares, which have marked the entire season of the Orchestre de Paris, resounds as a prelude to Dvořák's virtuoso Concerto, before Tchaikovsky, with his Symphony No.5, entrusts the orchestra with the secret book of an idealistic, anguished soul.

Orchestre de Paris / Han-na Chang

Philharmonie de Paris

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.

America 250

Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

IPO lowers the curtain on our 48thseason by celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This Semiquincentennial celebration features music by Joan Tower, Jessie Montgomery, John Philip Sousa and concludes with Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait.

AMERICAN TURNS 250: A Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of America in Music

Trinity Christian College

IPO lowers the curtain on our 48thseason by celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This Semiquincentennial celebration features music by Joan Tower, Jessie Montgomery, John Philip Sousa and concludes with Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait. The evening will begin at 6:30pm with a FREE pre-concert lecture. Hosted by IPO bassist Alison Gaines, the lecture will feature narrator LaRob K. Rafael, IPO Gibb Music Director Stilian Kirov, and violist Matthew Lipman.

AMERICA TURNS 250: A Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of America in Music

Journey with Toronto Symphony Orchestra Conductor Emeritus Peter Oundjian through the vivid imagery of Mussorgsky’s glorious Pictures at an Exhibition. “Set to dominate the piano world for a long time to come” (The Times of London), Simon Trpčeski tackles Rachmaninoff’s impressive First Piano Concerto, bursting with virtuosic passages. Joan Tower’s Concerto for Orchestra opens the evening showcasing the exceptional musicians of the VSO.

Pictures At An Exhibition

Orpheum

Orchestre de Paris / Bar Avni

This concert is in partnership with the Warren County Commission for the  250th Anniversary of the American Revolution

American Portraits

Glens Falls High School

Experience music of the late 20th and 21st centuries, including premieres, in the intimate setting of the Rose Studio at CMS.

Sonic Spectrum IV

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Cameron Leonardi, clarinet

Northwestern Bienen School of Music

A note from the Maestro: In paying tribute to the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, our programming was chosen to represent a wide berth of compositional contributions from various corners of the U.S. Pairing Joan Tower’s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman with Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man gives us a unique opportunity of reflection across the decades. Valerie Colman’s Umoja (Anthem of Unity) is now a staple in concert halls across the nation, and the New England Triptych by William Schuman takes us on a musical journey to a New England of the not-so-distant past. Our season finale concert culminates in a suite of much-beloved music from George Gershwin’s opera, “Porgy and Bess.”

Our American Story

University of Maine

Wind Symphony

Music Building and Recital Hall

Season Finale: American Stories

University of Kentucky

Making Herstory presents a powerful program that features music about women and written by women composers. The evening includes Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 6 by Joan Tower, curated movements from Montgomery Variations by Margaret Bonds, and Battle for the Ballot by Stacy Garrop, alongside a premiere by an MSU student composer—winner of the Jere Hutcheson Composition Competition. Conducted by Katherine Kilburn, joined by conductors Zongheng Zhang and Dan Jaggars.

Concert Orchestra, “Making Herstory”

Michigan State University

The 2025–26 Classic Series comes to a stirring finale with music of America. Maestro Gomez’s discovery of music by Robert Mucyznski, the late head of composition at the University of Arizona, continues with his Symphony (1953) receiving its first-ever performance. It is paired with Copland’s vibrant, muscular Symphony No. 3 and Joan Tower’s Sixth Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman.

Copland’s Fanfare for America

Linda Ronstadt Music Hall

Rachmaninov’s final orchestral work, musically retracing the course of his own existence, evokes the Russia he was forced to leave behind. Composed in the U. S. just a few years before his death, Rachmaninov drew on folk and sacred motifs as well as themes from his own past works, including the All-Night Vigil and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The result is a warm, contemplative, richly textured farewell to life. Under conductor Peter Oundjian, the Seattle Symphony also debuts a Double Concerto commissioned from major American composer Christopher Theofanidis for world-renowned percussionist Svet Stoyanov and concertmaster Noah Geller. Joan Tower’s exciting Concerto for Orchestra Suite rounds out the program.

Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances

Benaroya Hall

A powerful blend of historical reflection and emotional depth defines this program. Beethoven’s Fidelio Overture opens the concert with bold spirit, followed by Joan Tower’s 1920/2019, a musical tribute to the centennial of women’s suffrage and the evolving role of women in society. The evening concludes with Rachmaninoff’s passionate and deeply personal Symphony No. 1.

Liberty

Natrona County High School

The Peninsula Symphony is thrilled to present the iconic Canadian Brass in concert with the Peninsula Symphony, led by guest conductor Brad Hogarth. With over 2 million album sales and decades of Billboard chart-topping hits, the Canadian Brass’ success is unmatched, acknowledged by sold-out audiences throughout the world. Their program includes many of their great hits, and spans the musical world from Bach to jazz to the Beatles. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience the amazing Canadian Brass.

Canadian Brass

Heritage Theatre

Capuchino High School

Enjoy the beauty of American music shaped by natural resources and diverse traditions. From Beethoven’s timeless Symphony No. 4 to Kevin Puts’ Latin-inspired Marimba Concerto, featuring marimba soloist Ji Su Jung, this concert highlights the sounds of wood, string, and percussion-crafting an American identity from the world around us. Sponsored by Friends of the Symphony.

Vibrations from Nature and Tradition

The Lincoln Center

The Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra offers a wide-ranging program of American music to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States. Joan Tower’s bold Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman and Leonard Bernstein’s unforgettable Symphonic Dances from West Side Story will contrast deeply contemplative music by Samuel Barber and Jonathan Bailey Holland. John Williams’ cool jazz score for the film Catch Me if You Can is reimagined as a spell-binding concerto for alto saxophone, expertly played by Champaign’s own Taimur Sullivan. The lively Fandangos of Roberto Sierra will bring the evening to an uproarious close.

Happy Birthday, America!

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

The Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra offers a wide-ranging program of American music to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States. Joan Tower's bold Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman and Leonard Bernstein's unforgettable Symphonic Dances from West Side Story will contrast deeply contemplative music by Samuel Barber and Jonathan Bailey Holland. John Williams' cool jazz score for the film Catch Me if You Can is reimagined as a spellbinding concerto for alto saxophone, expertly played by Champaign's own Taimur Sullivan. The lively Fandangos of Roberto Sierra will bring the evening to an uproarious close.

Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra: Happy Birthday, America! American Highlights

Proclaimed as “one of the finest conductors of her generation,” by The New York Times, renowned JoAnn Falletta takes the podium to lead a powerful program featuring Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto, and Brahms’ Symphony No. 1. Copland’s influence shines through in Joan Tower’s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, a bold and exhilarating tribute to trailblazing women. Concertmaster Rimma Bergeron-Langlois performs Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto, a true showcase of virtuosity and emotional depth. After intermission, Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 brings the night to a triumphant close, its grandeur and sweeping melodies cementing its place as one of the greatest symphonic achievements. Join us for an extraordinary evening with JoAnn Falletta at the helm with your Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra!

Brahms Symphony No. 1

Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

Spring is in the air as Sarasota Orchestra offers a program of monumental works, each of which broke new ground in their day. Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring was so novel and unprecedented that a riot broke out at its premiere. A tour de force for the orchestra musicians and conductor, its live performance is a not-to-be-missed event. Violinist Benjamin Beilman brings his trademark flair to Mozart’s final and most virtuosic violin concerto. The program opens with Joan Tower’s 1920/2019, composed in 2019 to honor the 1920 passage of the 19th amendment granting women suffrage.

Rite of Spring

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s last three symphonies were composed in little more than six weeks, and it is widely speculated that he was never able to hear them performed. Many scholars believe that these works were conceived as a sort of trilogy, with the 39th serving as an almost overture to the other two. Despite its relative lack of popularity in comparison to his 40th and 41st symphonies, Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 in E-flat Major is no less impressive. Stately, and at times playful and mischievous, this symphony has many of the hallmarks of his previous works, while continuing to push compositional boundaries in a way that is uniquely Mozart.

Mozart's Symphony No. 39: UMD Symphony Orchestra

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

Organized as part of the Ukrainian Festival 2026, this exceptional concert combines the lyricism of Sibelius with the grandeur of Dvořák, and includes a world premiere!

Orchestre de Paris / Oksana Lyniv

Alisa Weilerstein, one of today’s foremost cellists, performs a concerto written for her by Joan Tower and co-commissioned by the DSO. Tower’s work shows a range of influences, from the rhythms she heard during her childhood in South America to the driving pulse found in the music of Beethoven—whose energetic Fourth Symphony concludes the concert.

Beethoven, Bignamini & Weilerstein

Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Join us for the first of five concerts programmed to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with music by American composers. Joan Tower highlights percussion instruments in Tambor, a one-movement work in which the entire orchestra takes on percussive characteristics. Next, George S. Clinton’s The Rose of Sonora is a violin concerto inspired by and simulating an old Western with movements acting as scenes. The piece was originally written for soloist Holly Mulcahy, who portrayed an outlaw in music helping to make the work more relatable for today’s audiences. Clinton’s experience as a film composer helps bring his music to life. Last, but surely not least, the finale of the evening is the familiar Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofe, a tribute to the incredible natural beauty of America.

American Beauty (Celebrating America 250)

Purdue University Fort Wayne

With Joan Tower's new Fanfare as a glorious portico, this program takes us from the tortured shadows of the latest Shostakovich, revealed by Gautier Capuçon's bow, to the irresistible accents of “American” Dvořák.

Orchestre de Paris / Andrés Orozco-Estrada

Curtis New Music Ensemble’s We the Artists celebrates groundbreaking American composers of the 20th and 21st centuries. Marking America’s 250th year, the program reflects the nation’s diverse musical tapestry. It features Clarice Assad’s Canções da America, inspired by South American rhythms and Indigenous traditions; Carlos Simon’s Giants, honoring five iconic Black Americans; and Valerie Coleman’s Freedmen of the Five Civilized Tribes, exploring Black Indigenous heritage.

We the Artists

Curtis Institute of Music

Experience the majesty of Fanfares and Flourishes. Join Goldsmiths Choral Union and Affinity Chamber Orchestra for an exhilarating and joyful evening of music that celebrates the splendour and triumph of the human spirit. Fanfares and Flourishes is a vibrant, uplifting programme that brings together powerful choral works and dazzling brass to explore themes of celebration, reverence, and exaltation.

Fanfares and Flourishes

Smith Square Hall

Stefan Dohr is a living legend. The principal horn player of the Berlin Philharmonic is considered one of the best in the world, if not the best horn player of the present time. Together with the brass players of our orchestra, he opens up a whole musical world, ranging from the brass serenades of Antonín Dvořák and Richard Strauss to Bernstein's "West Side Story" and the famous fanfare by Aaron Copland, composed in 1942 for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, which still stands for the strength and unwavering spirit of the "ordinary person." This exclamation also has a response! It comes from Joan Tower, whose "Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman" also comes from the American music tradition and highlights the extraordinary role of women - powerful, yet in their own way.

Dvořák and Bernstein

Palace of Culture

Join Conductor Emeritus Peter Oundjian and Concertmaster Jonathan Crow for a spectacular performance of Mendelssohn’s melodic and tender Violin Concerto, alongside the mystery and intrigue of Elgar’s “Enigma” Variations. Joan Tower’s suite from her Concerto for Orchestra opens, shining a spotlight on the vivacity of the orchestra.

Jonathan Crow Plays Mendelssohn

David Pecaut Square

Béla Bartók was being treated for leukemia in a New York hospital and was all but bankrupt when contemporary music champion Serge Koussevitzky persuaded him to write his Concerto for Orchestra. The reluctant Bartók composed an orchestral showpiece that many would say was the highlight of his career.

Søndergård and Ross

Orchestra Hall

Celebrations commence as Music Director Stéphane Denève and the SLSO usher in an exhilarating season of reuniting and reveling in the beautifully renovated Powell Hall. The season opens with a trio of fanfares reflecting past, present, and future. Multiple Grammy Award-winning artist Joyce DiDonato and members of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus join the orchestra for the world premiere of a song cycle by composer-in-residence Kevin Puts. And with the thundering roar of percussion and brass, Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben tells a triumphant tale of adventure and accomplishment.

Opening Weekend

Powell Hall

The beautiful, dark red bassoons are given their rightful place at the front of the stage in this chamber concert, which features Dutch Kees Olthius's extremely welcoming study of the versatile-sounding deep woodwinds. Here is inventive and melodious play with rhythm and sound in a kind of double concerto for bassoon and contrabassoon with string quintet. It will be completely dark red on stage when four bassoons play an arrangement of Michel Corrette's Le Phenix – French baroque in new clothes. But the brightest of the woodwinds will also be involved when the flute as a soloist in Joan Towers' 'Rising' examines the tonal movement upwards in every imaginable way; how does music move up and what happens when you get all the way up there?

Brahms' 2nd Piano Trio

Odense Concert Hall

Peter Oundjian welcomes audiences to a new season at Boettcher Concert Hall with a celebration of his own musical journey in his first concerts as the Colorado Symphony’s Music Director. Peter’s dear friend and mentor Pinchas Zuckerman lends his uncompromising artistry to Bruch’s Violin Concerto and, as a bonus, will delight listeners with Beethoven’s gorgeous Romance in F major.

Respighi Pines of Rome with Peter Oundjian

Denver Performing Arts Complex

aris Orchestra / Elim Chan

Orchestre de Paris / Klaus Mäkelä

Although he established no stylistic school, we find Martinů’s methods reflected in the work of other composers. This program pairs two of his chamber works with those of his peers and successors.

Program Ten • Martinů’s Legacy

Textures explores the layered meanings of “tract” through three powerful and contrasting chamber works. Franz Schubert’s unfinished String Trio in B-flat Major opens the program with a compact, elegant study in musical motion, balancing ascending arpeggios and descending scales in a kind of lyrical pamphlet. Joan Tower’s To Sing or Dance, a newly commissioned piece, evokes the vitality of the natural world through her signature earthy textures and vivid musical imagery. The program closes with Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2, a searing memorial to his closest friend, unfolding as an expansive emotional landscape marked by grief, stillness, and unrelenting intensity.

Textures

Kirk in the Hills

We’re full of surprises. Every Masterworks concert has a surprise inside – a short mystery piece that connects to the program in an unexpected way. Each one is Michael Francis’ little secret.

Copland’s Symphony No. 3

Duke Energy Center for the Arts

Straz Center for the Performing Arts

Marin Alsop guides the SF Symphony through an exhilarating journey that spans the United States, Venezuela, and Mexico, following the crosscurrents and commonalities of the countries’ many musical traditions. Gabriela Ortiz’s playfully seductive Antrópolis sets the stage while the Venezuelan composer and pianist Gabriela Montero performs her Piano Concerto No. 1, Latin. Paired fanfares by Aaron Copland and Joan Tower join with Samuel Barber's primal and propulsive Symphony No. 1 to bring it all back home.

Alsop Conducts Music Of The Americas

Davies Symphony Hall

Hear the CSO’s own talented musicians as soloists: concertmaster Joanna Frankel and principal oboist Hugo Souza perform Bach’s captivating C minor concerto for oboe and violin. Joan Tower’s Duets spotlights shifting pairs of instruments in duet configurations. Brahms’ first symphony famously took the composer twenty years to complete, resulting in a work of stunning power and beauty, cemented as a pillar in orchestral music.

Bach & Brahms

Ohio Theatre

From Corigliano, “This a capella choral work, composed in 1971, is a setting of Richard Wilbur’s translation of Baudelaire’s L’Invitation au Voyage. Wilbur’s poignant setting pictures a world of obsessive imagination — a drugged vision of heaven full of sensual imagery. The music echoes the quality of the repeated refrain found in this lush translation: ‘There, there is nothing else but grace and measure, richness, quietness and pleasure.’”

Voyages

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

The 222

St. Mark's Lutheran Church, San Francisco

Capri Series #2

Capri Theater

Composed while the Napoleonic Wars raged outside his door, Beethoven's heroic piano concerto receives a powerhouse performance from the world-renowned Yefim Bronfman, who brings "fire and poetry" (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) to each epic moment. And Duke Ellington connects past and present in the jazzy dreamscapes of Three Black Kings, his soulful tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.

Beethoven's Emperor: Leaders & Pathbreakers

Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

This recital is given in partial fulfillment of the degree Bachelor of Music. Jake Glaser is a student of Richie Hawley.

Jake Glaser, Clarinet

Alice Pratt Brown Hall

Watch the performance on this page at the scheduled date and time. This performance won’t be available to stream afterward on demand. Should you have trouble accessing the stream via this page, please visit juilliard.live to stream this program.

Juilliard Orchestra Conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero

Lincoln Center

Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 places very high technical demands on the pianist, and calculations show that of all the major piano concertos it has the most notes per second in the piano part.

Guest Concert

Rheingoldhalle Mainz

Experience the profound beauty of classical music as the Albany Symphony presents "Joan Tower & Dvořák's New World" on Saturday, November 16, 2024, at the historic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. This captivating evening, running from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM, promises to immerse you in the rich tapestries of sound crafted by some of the most celebrated composers.

Under the baton of David Alan Miller, the orchestra will perform a selection of works that showcase the depth and diversity of the classical repertoire. The program includes Bedřich Smetana's evocative "The Moldau" from Má vlast, Joan Tower's compelling "Cello Concerto, A New Day," featuring the talented Raman Ramakrishnan on cello, and culminates with Antonín Dvořák's iconic "Symphony No. 9, From the New World," a piece that continues to resonate with audiences worldwide for its emotional depth and melodic beauty.

The concert will take place at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, located at 30 2nd Street, Troy, NY, 12180, United States. This venue is renowned for its superb acoustics and historic charm, providing the perfect setting for an unforgettable musical journey.

For your convenience, all parking is FREE on nights and weekends in the City of Troy, with additional free parking available at the State Street Parking Garage. The venue is accessible, offering large-print programs and assistive listening devices upon request. Enhance your concert experience with our safe and convenient concert shuttle service from Delmar, available for $20 round-trip.

Individual tickets will go on sale in early fall 2024, with subscriptions available now. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a memorable night of music that bridges the old world and the new, celebrating the enduring power and beauty of the symphony. Reserve your spot now for an evening that promises to be a highlight of the 2024-25 season.

Joan Tower Dvořák's New World

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

### Event Description: Rhapsody in Blue

**Event Title:** Rhapsody in Blue

**Dates and Times:**
- **November 16, 2024:** 7:30 PM
- **November 17, 2024:** 3:00 PM

**Location:** Sunset Center, San Carlos Ave & 9th Ave, Carmel

**On Sale Date:** Thursday, August 15, 2024, at 10:00 AM PDT

**Music Director and Conductor:** Jayce Ogren

**Featured Pianist:** Adam Golka

**Program:**
1. **COPLAND:** Fanfare for the Common Man (Running Time: 3')
2. **COPLAND:** Orchestral Variations (Running Time: 13')
3. **GERSHWIN:** Rhapsody in Blue (Running Time: 16')
   - Featuring Adam Golka on piano
4. **Intermission:** 20 minutes
5. **Joan TOWER:** Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1 (Running Time: 3')
6. **DVORÁK:** Symphony No. 9, From the New World (Running Time: 42')

**Event Overview:**
Join the Monterey Symphony for an enchanting evening as they present "Rhapsody in Blue," a concert that showcases the rich and diverse musical heritage of America. The program begins with the stirring "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Aaron Copland, followed by his "Orchestral Variations," which reflect his embrace of modernist sounds. The highlight of the evening is George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," a Jazz Age masterpiece celebrating its 100th anniversary, performed by the acclaimed pianist Adam Golka.

After a brief intermission, the concert continues with Joan Tower's "Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1," a tribute to adventurous women in music. The evening concludes with Antonin Dvorák's beloved "Symphony No. 9, From the New World," inspired by the vast landscapes of the American Midwest.

**About Adam Golka:**
Polish-American pianist Adam Golka has been a prominent figure on the concert stage since winning first prize at the 2nd China Shanghai International Piano Competition at the age of sixteen. He has performed with numerous prestigious orchestras and has received accolades such as the Gilmore Young Artist Award and the Max I. Allen Classical Fellowship Award. Golka is known for his passionate chamber music performances and has recorded works by Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms. He has also premiered compositions by contemporary composers and continues to develop his artistry under the mentorship of renowned musicians.

Don't miss this opportunity to experience a night of extraordinary music that captures the essence of America's musical spirit. Secure your tickets starting August 15, 2024, and join us at the Sunset Center for an unforgettable performance.

Rhapsody in Blue

Sunset Center

Manhattan School of Music’s public programs are made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

MSM Symphony Orchestra

Manhattan School of Music

This concert honors the American chamber music tradition, with music performed by the touring ensemble affiliated with Copland House.   Features piano trios by Aaron Copland (Vitebsk) and Leonard Bernstein, and short works by Joan Tower (Petroushkates), Shawn Okpebholo (Harlem Dance Hall: The Savoy) and Viet Cuong.

Copland House Ensemble

University of Louisville

Stony Brook Symphony Orchestra

Staller Center for the Arts

Join us for an unforgettable evening as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra welcomes the incomparable Branford Marsalis for a concert that promises to be a highlight of the 2024-2025 season. This special performance, featuring the works of Gershwin, Bernstein, and Joan Tower, will take place at the iconic Orchestra Hall on Thursday, September 26, and Friday, September 27, 2024.

Saxophone virtuoso Branford Marsalis returns to dazzle audiences with jazz-infused showpieces, while Music Director Jader Bignamini leads the orchestra through musical postcards by Bernstein and Gershwin, capturing the essence of city vibes, Cuban beats, and the bustling cafés and streets of Paris. The evening will kick off with a celebratory fanfare by Joan Tower, marking the beginning of an exciting new season.

The program for the evening includes:
- JOAN TOWER: Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 6
- ERWIN SCHULHOFF: Hot Sonate
- GEORGE GERSHWIN: Cuban Overture
- DARIUS MILHAUD: Scaramouche
- LEONARD BERNSTEIN: Three Dance Episodes from On the Town
- GEORGE GERSHWIN: An American in Paris

Under the baton of Jader Bignamini, who was introduced as the 18th music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in January 2020, the orchestra continues to reach new heights of musical excellence. Bignamini's infectious passion and artistic brilliance have captivated audiences and musicians alike, promising a night of extraordinary music.

Branford Marsalis, an award-winning saxophonist known for his remarkable versatility and depth, brings his exceptional talent to the stage, performing with an energy and passion that is truly mesmerizing. Marsalis's collaborations with orchestras around the world have been hailed as transformative, and his appearance with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is eagerly anticipated.

This concert is not just a performance but a celebration of music's power to connect and inspire. Don't miss this opportunity to experience the magic of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with Branford Marsalis in a program that spans the spectrum of musical expression, from the jazz-infused to the classically sublime.

Tickets are available now. Join us at Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, MI, for an evening that promises to be a memorable start to the DSO's 2024-2025 season.

Bernstein & Gershwin

Join us for an unforgettable evening of chamber music at the Music Academy of the West's "Fellow Fridays III" event. This special concert is set to take place on July 26th at the prestigious Hahn Hall, starting at 7:30 pm. As part of the Fellow Fridays Series, this event promises an eclectic mix of instrument combinations, genres, and styles, all curated and performed by the academy's talented fellows who are on the cusp of their professional careers.

The program for the evening includes a diverse selection of works, promising approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes of mesmerizing music with one intermission. Featured pieces include Andy Akiho's dynamic "to wALk Or ruN in wEst harlem," Benjamin Britten's poignant "Canticle V: The Death of Saint Narcissus, Op. 89," and Joan Tower's vibrant "Copperwave." These performances not only showcase the technical prowess of the fellows but also their creative vision in bringing together favorite chamber works for the audience.

In addition to the concert, attendees are invited to a pre-concert picnic, making for a perfect summer evening of music and relaxation. This event is a wonderful opportunity to experience the next generation of classical musicians in a beautiful, beachside setting in Santa Barbara, CA.

Tickets for "Fellow Fridays III" are now available, with prices starting at $45 for regular admission. Community access tickets are also available for free for those aged 7-17, ensuring that the event is accessible to all. Don't miss this chance to support tomorrow's musicians and enjoy an evening filled with captivating performances.

For more information and to purchase your tickets, please visit the Music Academy of the West's website or contact the Carsey Ticket Office at 805-969-8787. Early ticket sales access is a benefit for members of the Vivace Donor Society. Join us for an evening of exceptional music and community spirit at "Fellow Fridays III."

Fellow Fridays III

Music Academy of the West

Be the first to experience a brand new concerto by Gabriela Lena Frank, heralded as one of the most significant women composers in history by the Washington Post. Kachkaniraqmi (“I Still Exist”) was commissioned by the Festival and will be performed by Boulder’s Grammy-winning Takács Quartet as ensemble-soloist alongside the Orchestra. After intermission, Joan Tower’s brilliant Concerto for Orchestra allows for great moments of individual virtuosity, but ultimately it is the entire Orchestra that shines. “I had imagined a long and large landscape that had a feeling of space and distance,” Tower says of her Concerto for Orchestra, in which the music “travels a long road.” This program celebrates three generations of women composers and opens with Florence Price’s Adoration, originally conceived for solo organ and performed here in its stunning arrangement for strings.

Gabriela Lena Frank’s World Premiere

Chautauqua Auditorium

Few artists creating music today embody the passion and fire of Beethoven quite like America’s greatest living woman composer, the incomparable Joan Tower. From our World Premiere of her dynamic To Sing or Dance for Violin and Percussion—featuring Artistic Director Soovin Kim and the exhilarating Sandbox Percussion—to Beethoven’s passionate “Kreutzer” Sonata, this concert will blaze.

INCANDESCENCE: Blazing Works by Joan Tower, Bartók & the “Kreutzer”

Reed College

The highly acclaimed Isidore String Quartet returns to Hudson Valley Chamber Music Circle (HVCMC) for the second consecutive year with a program that includes In Memory by Grammy Award-winning composer Joan Tower, written in honor of the late Margaret Creal Shafer (Artistic Director HVCMC 1977–2000), alongside works by Haydn and Beethoven.

Isidore String Quartet

Olin Humanities Building

Join us for an extraordinary musical experience at the "Mountains of Brass" concert, part of the esteemed Colorado MahlerFest. This unique event is scheduled for Thursday, May 16, 2024, at 3 PM and is proudly offered to the public free of charge. The venue for this remarkable performance is the Canyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library, located at 1001 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, conveniently situated closer to Canyon Boulevard, nestled between Broadway and 9th Street.

"Mountains of Brass" promises an afternoon of exceptional brass music, featuring a lineup of compositions that span a variety of styles and eras. The program includes Anthony Barfield's "Gravity," a piece inspired by Langston Hughes's poem "Dreams Deferred" and commissioned by the New York Philharmonic. Attendees will also be treated to the world premiere of "Little Piece for Brass Quintet" by David LeRoy Biller, a notable figure in the Austin music scene. The concert will also showcase works by Victor Ewald, Joan Tower, and Morley Calvert, offering a rich tapestry of sounds that celebrate the brass quintet's versatility and richness.

The performance will highlight the talents of Daniel Kelly & Richard Adams on trumpets, Lydia Van Dreel on horn, Lucas Borges on trombone, and Jesse Orth on tuba. This ensemble of principal brass players from the MahlerFest orchestra, along with Dr. Richard Adams, will bring to life a diverse and captivating program, perfectly aligning with the season's theme and showcasing the brilliance of the brass section.

"Mountains of Brass" is not just a concert; it's a celebration of brass music's power and beauty, set against the backdrop of MahlerFest 37. Whether you're a long-time classical music enthusiast or new to the genre, this event promises an unforgettable experience for all. Don't miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of brass music at its finest. Further details and ticket information will be available soon.

Mountains of Brass

Boulder Public Library - Main Library

The Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company Freimann Series offers audiences chamber music classics up close and personal. Experience highly intimate music-making at its best. This Season’s Freimann performances will feature Romantic composers Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, and Robert Schumann, plus an engaging composition of suffragette Dame Ethel Smyth.

Brahms and the Romantic Spirit

Stefan Dohr, this year's Artist in Residence of the State Orchestra, is an icon of the international horn landscape as a celebrated soloist, chamber musician and principal horn player of the Berlin Philharmonic. In addition to this work, he also plays and leads various chamber music ensembles.

9th Symphony Concert 2024

Staatstheater Braunschweig

Join us for an evening of exceptional music as Noah Vincent showcases his talent on the tuba in a student recital. This event is part of the Northwestern Bienen School of Music's vibrant concert series and will take place on Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 6:30pm CDT in the David and Carol McClintock Choral and Recital Room.

Noah Vincent, a Bachelor of Music student under the guidance of Matthew Gaunt and Gene Pokorny, will be performing a diverse program that includes Astor Piazzolla's Tango Etude No. 3, selections from Claude Bolling's Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio, Ricardo Molla's Sherezade for Tuba and Piano, Joan Tower's Copperwave, Sergei Rachmaninoff's "How Fair This Spot" from 12 Romances, Op. 21, No. 7, and Ralph Vaughan Williams' Linden Lea. He will be accompanied by an ensemble of talented musicians: Troy Archer and Fiona Shonik on trumpet, Emmett Conway on horn, Griffin Rupp on trombone, Seho Young on piano, Liam Powers on bass, and Calvin Simmers on drums.

This recital is a free event, open to the public, and does not require tickets. It will also be available via live stream for those who cannot attend in person. The venue, located at 70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, within the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center for the Musical Arts, offers a cozy and intimate setting with seating for 120, providing the perfect atmosphere for a night of beautiful music.

Don't miss this opportunity to support emerging talent and enjoy a wonderful evening at the Bienen School of Music.

Noah Vincent, tuba

Ryan Center for the Musical Arts

The History Center

Join us for an evening of exceptional trombone performance by Griffin Rupp, a talented Bachelor of Music student at the Northwestern Bienen School of Music. This recital, part of the student recitals series, showcases Griffin's mastery under the guidance of esteemed instructors Michael Mulcahy, Reed Capshaw, R. Douglas Wright, and Randall Hawes. The event will also feature performances by Troy Archer and Fiona Shonik on trumpet, Emmett Conway on horn, Noah Vincent on tuba, and Yoko Yamada-Selvaggio on piano.

The program includes a diverse selection of works, highlighting Launy Grøndahl's Concerto for Trombone and Piano, Susan Mutter's Ages, Joan Tower's Copperwave, and Henri Dutilleux's Chorale, Cadence et Fugato, promising an evening of rich musical exploration.

This recital is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at 6:00pm CDT, in the Regenstein Master Class Room at the Bienen School of Music, 60 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. The Regenstein Master Class Room, known for hosting hundreds of performances and events each year, offers a cozy atmosphere with seating for 200 guests.

Admission to this event is free, and tickets are not required. For those unable to attend in person, a live stream of the recital will be available, ensuring no one misses out on this musical highlight.

Don't miss this opportunity to support emerging musical talent and experience the vibrant community at the Bienen School of Music.

Griffin Rupp, trombone

Join us for a spectacular season finale with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra's "Empress of the World" concert. This masterful performance will take place on May 4th, from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM at the DECC Symphony Hall, located at 350 Harbor Dr, Duluth, MN 55802.

The evening will open with Joan Tower’s dynamic "Fanfare to the Uncommon Woman," setting the stage for a night of extraordinary music. The program will also feature Kurt Weill’s Symphony No.2, a gem in orchestral music that remains vastly underperformed despite its rich melodic and harmonic language. Weill, known for his significant contributions to American musical theatre, showcases his mastery in purely orchestral works through this symphony.

The highlight of the night will be Carl Orff’s "Carmina Burana," a piece that won the hearts of our audience in the previous season and emerged as the Audience-Favorite. This powerful work will be brought to life with the help of vocal soloists, the DSSO Chorus, and the Lake Superior Youth Chorus, promising an unforgettable experience as we explore themes of fate and fortune.

Featured soloists for the evening include Alice Pierce (soprano), Brian Wallin (tenor), and Mark Billy (baritone), whose exceptional talents will elevate the performance to new heights.

Don't miss this incredible opportunity to witness the DSSO's stage come alive with music that wrestles with Fate, the Empress of the World. Tickets are available for purchase now. Join us for a night of masterworks that promises to be a feast for the senses and a fitting closure to our season.

Composer

Joan Tower

Events

Upcoming events

Apr 30, 2026 - Apr 29, 2027

Sonic Spectrum IV · Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Sep 24, 2026

Fanfares for the Common Man and the Uncommon Woman · Eugene Symphony

Sep 26, 2026

Love, Fate and Fire · Camellia Symphony Orchestra

Oct 2, 2026

Symphonic Dances · Delaware Symphony Orchestra

9 - 11 Oct, 2026

Bernstein & Appalachian Spring · Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Past events

11 - 13 Sep, 2026

Opening Weekend: An American Celebration · Nashville Symphony

Sep 5, 2026

American Mosaic: A Free Community Concert · Nashville Symphony

About

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