Composer

Petr Popelka leads the combined forces of The Cleveland Orchestra and The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus in Ein deutsches Requiem, a contemplative and deeply moving reflection on life written as Brahms grieved the loss of his mother. The Orchestra also presents the world premiere of Distant Lands, an oboe concerto by distinguished American composer Adolphus Hailstork, written specifically for TCO’s own Principal Oboe Frank Rosenwein.

EPSG:4326

Brahms’s Requiem

Severance Music Center

The program, inspired by the spirit of America250, celebrates the diverse musical traditions and voices that have shaped our nation artistically. Featuring works by American composers, this free outdoor concert offers something for audiences of all ages. Whether you’re a lifelong concertgoer or discovering the orchestra for the first time, you will enjoy this unforgettable concert.

Pops in the Park

Quiet Waters Park

Downs Park

Conductor and composer Jason Max Ferdinand formed his choir to champion Black excellence through an eclectic range of choral literature. Founded during the pandemic, the Jason Max Ferdinand Singers have fast gained international renown for their ‘bold, impassioned sound’ (The Guardian). Following their Festival debut in All Rise, they present a wide-ranging and emotionally potent programme in this more intimate performance.

Jason Max Ferdinand Singers

The Queen's Hall

The South Bend Symphony and guest conductor David Lockington present a powerful community concert honoring the service and sacrifice of our nation’s heroes. Experience patriotic favorites and uplifting orchestral music in an inspiring celebration of freedom at the Morris Performing Arts Center.

Salute to Freedom

Morris Performing Arts Center

“When I play, my instrument becomes the extension of my soul.” So says famed Canadian artist Alexandre Da Costa, renowned for his passionate violin as well as his roles as Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Orchestre Philharmonique du Québec and Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Sinfónica Sinaloa de las Artes. He performs here with Cuban-American cellist Thomas “Tommy” Mesa, whose dazzling performance style is “a masterclass in virtuosic playing” (Tucson.com). Passion and fire—the perfect complement to the thrilling performance style of pianist Olga Kern.

Alexandre Da Costa, violin; Tommy Mesa, cello & Olga Kern, piano

Clay & Jay Barr Education Center

Towne University

Music Arts Center

As principal timpani of the Minnesota Orchestra, Erich Rieppel can usually be found near the back of the stage. Sometimes he sits quietly, waiting to make a subtle mark or a grand entrance, and sometimes there’s a lot happening. He’ll take center stage in this concert to play a brand-new concerto by a composer who’s also a virtuoso percussionist.

Hindoyan and Rieppel

Orchestra Hall Minneapolis

Immerse yourself in a concert of vivid color, rhythmic vitality, and sweeping sonic landscapes. The evening begins with Pierre Mercure’s Kaleidoscope, a dazzling orchestral showpiece that lives up to its name with ever-shifting textures and vibrant energy. Next, experience the bold and expressive voice of Adolphus Hailstork in his powerful and lyrical Symphony No. 1, a compelling work that bridges American musical traditions with classical form. The program concludes with a fresh take on a timeless masterpiece: Claude Debussy’s La mer, arranged by Marlijn Helder, offering a new perspective on this impressionist masterpiece that captures the ever-changing moods of the sea. This program promises a captivating journey through imagination, expression, and the elemental power of music.

Prismatic

Mount Baker Community Club

Town Hall Seattle

The fourth annual Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival wraps up as Franz Welser-Möst leads The Cleveland Orchestra in Dvořák’s Hero’s Song, a symphony in miniature that bears the composer’s distinctive style and irrepressible Bohemian spirit. Jüri Reinvere’s Concerto for Violin, Harp, and Orchestra receives its world premiere with virtuoso violinist Leila Josefowicz and TCO’s own Principal Harp Trina Struble alongside Bacewicz’s stormy Fourth Symphony and Adolphus Hailstork’s moving elegy for Martin Luther King, Jr.

Hero’s Song

In this concert for four players, the ethereal music of Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks and rousing spirituals of Adolphus Hailstork sit side-by-side with the earthy and joyful music of Antonín Dvořák. Also featured is the premiere of a new chamber music work by Virginia composer Joe Jaxson.

Heaven And Earth

First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond

Jack Pasacreta, bassoon

Northwestern Bienen School of Music

It’s an 85th Birthday Celebration of one of Hampton Roads’ finest! Featuring an entire program of works by the brilliant American Composer Adolphus Hailstork, including An American Port of Call, First Piano Concerto, and Done Made My Vow, JoAnn Falletta returns for one night only to conduct this amazing concert featuring Stewart Goodyear and the Norfolk State University Chorus.

Happy Birthday Hailstork!

Norfolk State University

Happy Birthday, Hailstork! And welcome back, JoAnn Falletta! Virginia Arts Festival and Virginia Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the music of one of Hampton Roads’ finest artists, composer Adolphus Hailstork, in an 85th birthday celebration featuring works including An American Port of Call, First Piano Concerto, and Done Made My Vow. To make this special evening even more spectacular, the Orchestra’s Connie and Marc Jacobson Music Director Laureate and Grammy Award winner JoAnn Falletta returns for one night only to conduct a performance that includes pianist Stewart Goodyear and the acclaimed Norfolk State University Chorus.

Happy Birthday, Hailstork!

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, The Syracuse Orchestra performs music from around the world that celebrates freedom and our richly diverse local community.

Let Freedom Ring

St. Paul's Syracuse, the Downtown Episcopal Church

Join us for a program featuring members of the WashU performance faculty! Drinks will be served, doors open at 7:00 pm.

Faculty Showcase

560 Music Center

A tribute to American resilience, history, and creativity! We open with Hailstork’s Fanfare on Amazing Grace and Gould’s rousing American Salute. Patricia Leonard’s My Dearest Friend offers a touching glimpse into the letters of John and Abigail Adams, leading into Copland’s powerful Lincoln Portrait, narrated by Rev. Alvie Young. Contemporary voices shine in Laura Karpman’s All American and Ivan Trevino’s Run to the Light, featuring MTS Principal Percussionists Sherry Rubins and Paul Millette. The concert closes with patriotic favorites, joined by members of the United States Air Force Band of the West.

Home of the Brave

New Braunfels Civic/Convention Center

Wind Symphony

Music Building and Recital Hall

Join YOSA Philharmonic for America at 250, a powerful program that marks 250 years of independence with music and poetry that reflect the nation’s spirit, struggle, and soul.

YOSA Presents: America at 250

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero opens the rich treasure chest of American music. Adolphus Hailstork’s An American Port of Call captures the relentless energy of the port of Norfolk, Virginia. Pianist Clayton Stephenson performs Gershwin’s jazz and blues-infused Concerto in F. Charles Ives composed his delightful and quirky Variations on “America” when he was only 17. Audiences at the 1934 premiere of Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony were so moved that they erupted in applause at the end of each movement. Decades later, the extraordinary work has returned to the standard repertoire with accolades.

Variations on America

State College of Florida - SCF Bradenton

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

Celebrate a powerful evening of American music with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra as we present the world premiere of A Time for Jubilee by Nkeiru Okoye, a new MSO-commissioned work honoring the spirit of resilience and freedom. The program also features Adolphus Hailstork’s vibrant American Port of Call and Aaron Copland’s heartfelt The Tender Land Suite, capturing the hope and beauty of the American landscape.

Masterworks III: A Time for Jubilee

Troy University

Formed at Juilliard, the Abeo Quartet was the inaugural Graduate String Quartet in Residence at the University of Delaware (2021-2023). Its accolades already include prizes at the Fischoff, Melbourne, and Yellow Springs competitions and performances at the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center. The Quartet channels its energies into the dramatic first quartets of Mendelssohn and Brahms and the distinctive voice of American composer Adolphus Hailstork.

Abeo String Quartet (Baltimore Debut)

University of Maryland Baltimore County

Themes of spiritual resilience, Romantic lyricism, and national identity converge in the second program of Where Our Stories Meet.

MasterWorks II: Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto

Zimmermann Symphony Center

David Hayes conducts the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia featuring virtuoso pianist Henry Kramer performing Felix Mendelssohn’s brilliant Piano Concerto No. 1. The program opens with Adolphus Hailstork’s Lachrymosa: 1919, a moving and richly lyrical work full of expressive melodies in an intimate orchestration. Mendelssohn’s captivating concerto, renowned for its virtuosic energy and melodic beauty follows, showcasing Kramer’s extraordinary artistry. The concert concludes with a performance of Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 11, written just prior to his famous Octet for Strings, when the composer was only fifteen years old!

Mendelssohn Piano Concerto

Goodhart Hall

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Opus130 conducted by Leonard Slatkin

Manhattan School of Music

“Never was there a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” Nor was there a story that inspired so many retellings across the cultural landscape. Two of their most indelible musical adaptations bookend this concert: Tchaikovsky’s romantically saturated fantasy overture and Prokofiev’s pulsating suite.

Romeo, Juliet & Dance Theatre of Harlem

Hollywood Bowl

JoAnn Falletta, the BPO, and the Buffalo United Community Choir (BUCC) present a performance continuing our commitment to share musical experiences that bring together and uplift the Western NY community.

Concert for Unity

Zion Missionary Baptist Church

SEASON FINALE! Celebrating the centennial of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, pianist Jeffrey Biegel and composer Peter Boyer launched the Rhapsody National Initiative with Rhapsody in Red, White, & Blue, a vibrant new work reflecting the American landscape, with the pulse, energy, and beauty of our shared identity as Americans. Western Piedmont Symphony is the only orchestra in North Carolina represented in this national symphonic project. Also on the program is the celebrated masterpiece Rhapsody in Blue, the lyrical and vivid Symphony No. 1 by living composer Adolphus Hailstork, and the mesmerizing Bolero by Ravel.

NEW DATE-Masterworks: Rhapsody in Blue

Lenoir-Rhyne University

Join JoAnn Falletta and the BPO for a vibrant celebration of American music, starting with Copland’s El Salón México, a piece that captures the spirit and rhythms of Mexican dance halls. The concert features the world premiere of Adolphus Hailstork’s Concerto for Saxophone, performed by the exceptional Tim McAllister, promising a work of great emotion and virtuosity that explores the saxophone’s expressive range. Ginastera’s Variaciones concertantes offers a showcase of Argentine musical traditions, while Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story close the evening with thrilling, jazz-infused melodies and the drama of New York’s city streets. This program highlights the diversity and innovation of American music, celebrating its power to tell stories and evoke vivid landscapes.

Bernstein & Copland

Kleinhans Music Hall

Discover today’s most pioneering African American composers, as Associate Conductor Jacob Joyce hosts an evening of eclectic chamber music performed by musicians of the Pittsburgh Symphony. You will uncover the profound contribution and influence of African American culture on classical music at St. James AME with a program featuring all four Paul J Ross Fellows!

Spotlight on African American Composers

St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church

Join us for Sunset Serenade on the steps of the landmark U.S. Custom House! This free concert launches the 2025 Piccolo Spoleto Festival featuring the Charleston Symphony and special guest soloists. Led by CSO conductor, Ryo Hasegawa, the program will feature familiar musical favorites, with works by George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and more. Grab your beach chair or blanket and head downtown for a lively night of music under the stars. Arrive early and enjoy the festival atmosphere as Charleston gathers to celebrate the arts!

Sunset Serenade

U.S. Custom House

Kennedy Wallace performs a recital of works by Hailstork, Enesco, Dutilleux and more.

Student Degree Recital: Kennedy Wallace M.M. Flute Recital

University of Maryland

TONAL TRANSFORMATION is the final subscription concert for Chicago Sinfonietta’s 2024-25 Season. Maestra Mei-Ann Chen’s program features transformative collaborations of musical styles, instrumentation, and inspiration. Having journeyed this season through music celebrating youth, women, culture, heritage, creativity, emotions, and more, Chicago Sinfonietta pays tribute to those that allow us to transform our artform for the better.

Tonal Transformation

Roosevelt University

North Central College

The Cecilia Chorus of New York cultivates a rich and diverse community of musicians, composers, and concert-goers to create distinctive choral experiences and performances that inform, challenge, and uplift the human spirit.

BRAHMS AND HAILSTORK - Tribute Concert to Heather Heyer

Carnegie Hall

This recital, titled “Seeing Life Through Music”, features pieces from composers of various backgrounds that reflect their own perceptions of life. In their own unique ways, each of these pieces aim to emphasize the beauty of life and the natural world, conveying moments of innocence and transformation through music.

Student Degree Recital: Larissa Hsu B.M. flute junior recital

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

This concert’s composers all have different stories to tell, and our orchestra is grateful for the opportunity to perform these deep, meaningful, and introspective meditations. For example, Maurice Ravel’s moving work Kaddish includes a prayer for universal peace. Czech / Austrian composer Viktor Ullmann met his death in Auschwitz, but wrote in his journals, “By no means did we sit weeping on the banks of the waters of Babylon. Our endeavour with respect to arts was commensurate with our will to live.” His melodious Slavonic Rhapsody (1940), featuring guest soloist Kenneth Radnofsky on alto saxophone, is a testament to endurance in a turbulent time. And, in our closing work, Adolphus Hailstork’s recently completed Fourth Symphony, the composer asks us to consider the roots of American music and the evolution of civil rights.

Vista Philharmonic Orchestra – Still Holding On

Groton Hill Music Center

Contemplate the music of three composers from the 20th and 21st centuries in their contrasting searches for peace. Adolphus Hailstork’s joyful Sonata da Chiesa for strings invites religious meditation as it builds an opulent cathedral of sound in the style of a grand choral mass. In contrast, Jungyoon Wie’s masterful A Prayer for Peace (a New Century co-commission with A Far Cry) makes poignant use of repetition and variation to represent the composer’s own evolution in her journey as a Korean immigrant to the United States. Finally, the remarkable and intimate Metamorphosen—Richard Strauss’s late-in-life string masterpiece—stands undimmed as a memorial for the victims of war and as inspiration to rebuild after tragedy.

A Prayer for Peace

St. Mark's Lutheran Church

St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

First Congregational Church of Berkeley

MSM Camerata Nova conducted by George Manahan

Following the acclaim from last year’s SurRound concert, Musica Sacra concludes the 2024-25 season with an entirely new iteration of SurRound. This immersive concert will feature choral works in direct dialogue with the many acoustics of the Cathedral of St. John Divine, as singers move in, among, and around the audience for a truly thrilling and unforgettable experience.

SurRound II

Cathedral of St. John the Divine

### Event Description: MasterWorks VI: Tetzloff Plays Beethoven's 1st Piano Concerto

**Date and Time:**  
Saturday, March 22nd, 2025, at 7:30 PM

**Location:**  
Umstattd Hall, Zimmermann Symphony Center  
2331 17th St. NW, Canton, OH 44708

**Event Overview:**  
Join the Canton Symphony Orchestra for an unforgettable evening as part of their MasterWorks series. The concert will be conducted by CSO Music Director, Matthew Jenkins Jaroszewicz. Renowned pianist Reed Tetzloff, fresh off recording the complete Beethoven piano concertos with the Prague Philharmonic, will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major. Tetzloff, celebrated as the "lyric hero" of the prestigious Tchaikovsky International Competition in 2015, brings his unique interpretation to this early Beethoven work, which hints at the composer's future groundbreaking influence on classical music.

**Program:**  
- **Symphony No. 1 in D Minor "Classical"** by Sergei Prokofiev  
- **Symphony No. 1** by Adolphus Hailstork  
- **Intermission**  
- **Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major** by Ludwig van Beethoven

**Pre-Concert Lecture:**  
A pre-concert lecture will be held at 6:30 PM in Foundation Hall, providing insights into the evening's program.

**Artist Spotlight: Reed Tetzloff**  
Reed Tetzloff is an artist of broad musical tastes and individuality. He gained international attention at the XV Tchaikovsky Competition and has performed with prestigious orchestras such as the Cincinnati Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra. His debut album, "Sounds of Transcendence," was praised for its kaleidoscopic colors and fervent rapture. Tetzloff is also an acclaimed writer, known for his insightful essays on music.

**Ticket Information:**  
- **General Admission:** $12 / $27 / $37 / $52 (excluding children and students, subject to a $3 processing fee)
- **Student Tickets (18+ with ID):** FREE
- **Children (17 and under):** FREE
- **Discounts:** 20% off for Veterans, First Responders, Healthcare Workers, & Educators; SNAP & Medicaid Recipients

**Box Office Contact:**  
Phone: 330-452-2094  
Email: boxoffice@cantonsymphony.org

**Tickets on Sale:**  
August 15th

**Plan Your Visit:**  
For more information on planning your visit, please refer to the Canton Symphony Orchestra's website.

**Support:**  
This concert is supported by presenting sponsor Bob Leibensperger and co-sponsors Brad & Sue Goris.

Don't miss this opportunity to experience the brilliance of Beethoven's first piano concerto performed by the exceptional Reed Tetzloff, along with symphonies by Prokofiev and Hailstork, under the masterful direction of Matthew Jenkins Jaroszewicz.

MasterWorks VI: Tetzloff Plays Beethoven's 1st Piano Concerto

Music Director Stéphane Denève takes us on a cinematic journey. In this program, we climb the Himalayas in music by John Williams. Soloist Akiko Suwanai leads us through the shimmering mist of Guillaume Connesson’s Violin Concerto. Then we venture to the 1950s, gripped by the action and adventure of America’s bustling ports in music by Adolphus Hailstork and Leonard Bernstein’s On the Waterfront.  

Bernstein and Williams

University of Missouri-St. Louis

Join us for a unique musical event as the Maryland Symphony Orchestra presents its Side-by-Side concert on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at 7:00 PM. This one-of-a-kind concert features talented student musicians from across the region performing alongside our seasoned Maryland Symphony Orchestra musicians. This concert features those high school students who were selected to participate in the Side-by-Side program and those students who are participating in the Maryland Symphony Youth Strings (MSYS) program.

MSO Side-by-Side Concert 2025

The Maryland Theatre

Dr. Felicia Barber is the Associate Professor, Adjunct, of Choral Conducting at Yale University and conductor of the Camerata. In addition to teaching graduate-level choral conductors and aspiring undergraduate conductors, Dr. Barber is developing a new initiative designed to prepare Yale students to work with young musicians on choral music in school and church settings. 

Octavo Series (SATB) Felicia Barber, Guest Conductor

When your music director is an incredible conductor and a talented pianist, it only makes sense to put him to work doing both (at the same time). Yaniv has impressed us in the past as a musical multitasker. In this concert he once again brings his artistry performing as soloist and conducting the orchestra in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Beethoven’s music has been delighting people and touching their souls for a couple of hundred years. Come find out why

Yaniv Plays Beethoven

Fireman Performing Arts Center

This recital is given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Music. Aalia Hanif is a student of Marianne Gedigian. 

Aalia Hanif, Flute

Alice Pratt Brown Hall

Jason Max Ferdinand, Professor – Conductor – Composer – Speaker, is an inspirational musician, leader and teaching mentor whose gifts are sought after by choirs and orchestras in the USA and internationally.


Since 2022 he has served as the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Maryland, College Park, having spent the preceding 14 years as professor at Oakwood University, where he conducted the renowned Aeolians of Oakwood University.

Symphonic Spirit

Lucas Theatre For the Arts

MSM Symphony Orchestra conducted by JoAnn Falletta

Experience the majestic "Pines of Rome" with the Pacific Symphony, under the baton of Maestro Carl St.Clair, featuring pianist Jeffrey Biegel. This enchanting series of concerts will take place from Thursday, February 6, through Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Each evening promises an unforgettable journey starting at 8:00 pm, with a special preview talk by KUSC's midday host Alan Chapman at 7:00 pm.

The program opens with Bernstein's electrifying "Slava!", followed by the world premiere of Adolphus Hailstork's Piano Concerto, showcasing the virtuosic talents of Jeffrey Biegel. The evening continues with another world premiere by Pacific Symphony’s Composer-in-Residence, Viet Cuong, before culminating in Respighi's awe-inspiring "Pines of Rome", a musical depiction of the Eternal City's grandeur, complete with the sounds of an actual Italian nightingale.

Enhance your concert experience with Image Magnification (IMAG) on the big screen, offering a closer look at the guest artist, conductor, and orchestra musicians. This series is graciously sponsored by The Michelle F. Rohé Fund, ensuring an evening of powerful music that celebrates nature, new horizons, and the vibrant spirit of contemporary and classical compositions. Don't miss this spectacular blend of music and nature's beauty, a testament to the Pacific Symphony's commitment to excellence and innovation in the world of classical music.

Pines of Rome

Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall

Hear two of today’s most distinguished instrumentalists in their first-ever duo performance at Carnegie Hall. Anthony McGill is principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic and a dynamic soloist known for his “trademark brilliance” (The New York Times), and the exceptionally thoughtful pianist Emanuel Ax has been one of the most beloved performers at Carnegie Hall for decades. Their eclectic program includes a recent work by James Lee III; stirring short pieces by Price and Jessie Montgomery; Bernstein’s Clarinet Sonata; Adolphus Hailstork’s The Blue Bag (composed personally for McGill and inspired by Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, and more); and a melodious Schubert sonata of fascinating origin that shines on clarinet.

Anthony McGill, Clarinet Emanuel Ax, Piano

Anthony McGill is one of classical music’s most recognizable and brilliantly multifaceted figures and principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic. Emanuel Ax has amassed eight Grammy Awards and countless accolades for his performances as both a solo artist and collaborator. This duo will perform works by James Lee, Franz Schubert, Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, Adolphus Hailstork, and Leonard Bernstein.

Anthony McGill and Emanuel Ax

Oberlin College

ANTHONY McGILL, clarinet & EMANUEL AX, piano

The Baker-Baum Concert Hall

Decorated artists, musicians, and good friends Emanuel Ax and Anthony McGill come together in a special recital featuring a diverse program of great music. With a mix of pieces by living composers and those of the past, this recital is sure to be a treasured experience for all who attend.

Emanuel Ax & Anthony Mcgill

Irvine Barclay Theatre

Extraordinary rising conductor, composer, and educator Jason Max Ferdinand joins the Los Angeles Master Chorale for Lift Every Voice | Jason Max Ferdinand Conducts! This powerful program, presented on Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, features music curated by Ferdinand to tell our stories, bring hope in challenging times, and share joy. This concert includes a world premiere by Jason Max Ferdinand, a 25 in 5 commission.

Lift Every Voice | Jason Max Ferdinand Conducts!

Walt Disney Concert Hall

A program of glorious choral masterworks by Brahms, Fauré, and Hailstork. These meditations on life and fate, filled with rich, soulful melodies, provide a respite of comfort and consolation. Reena Esmail’s RE|Member explores how the world has changed forever, re-entering the post-pandemic world.

Sparks Fly, Voices Soar: Brahms and Fauré

Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts

American music stirs the soul in a way like none other. Performance Today® 2022 Classical Woman of the Year, pianist Lara Downes explores the depths of that profound connection to land, sea and spirit. Dvořák’s New World Symphony blends Bohemian fantasy with Midwestern and Southern melodies and charm.

New World Symphony

Rancho Campana Performing Arts Center

Kavli Theatre Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza

Adolphus Hailstork III (April 17, 1941, Rochester, New York) is an American composer of African American, Native American and European ancestry. His works are known for blending musical ideas from the African, American and European traditions. Hailstork received his music education at Howard University, Manhattan School of Music, and Michigan State University. He currently resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is the Cultural Laureate of Virginia. While his compositions employ contemporary compositional techniques, Hailstork writes in a wide variety of genres, including concert band literature, and often uses material relating to African-American traditions for inspiration. His wide span of musical compositions ranges from symphonies, opera, and a violin concerto, to “Springtime for Two Elephants” for two tubas. Hailstork was the second African-American composer ever to be featured at a Presidential Inauguration when his Fanfare on Amazing Grace was performed as part of the prelude to Joe Biden’s inauguration in January 2021. His latest cantata, A Knee on the Neck, was written in commemoration of George Floyd’s murder and premiered in 2021.

Masterworks II: Connections

Maryland Hall

Immerse yourself in the grandeur of Beethoven's heroic style with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia's presentation of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. This magnificent concert is set to take place at the prestigious Perelman Theater within The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, located at 300 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19102. Under the baton of esteemed Music Director David Hayes, the orchestra will perform on Friday, October 4, 2024, at 7:30 pm, and again on Sunday, October 6, 2024, at 2:30 pm.

The concert will feature the extraordinary talents of Michelle Cann on the piano, whose performances have been described as exquisite by The Philadelphia Inquirer and of sterling artistry by Gramophone. The program includes Beethoven's Coriolan Overture and his Piano Concerto No. 5 Emperor, a piece that stands as a testament to Beethoven's resilience and creativity in the face of adversity, inspired by the events following Napoleon’s assault on Vienna in 1809. The concert will also showcase contemporary works by Adolphus Hailstork, Sagrada Sonata da Chiesa No. 2, and December by Michael Torke, adding a modern touch to the evening.

The entire performance is expected to last approximately 80 minutes, including an intermission, providing the audience with a deeply engaging and memorable musical experience. This event is a must-attend for classical music enthusiasts and those looking to experience the power and beauty of Beethoven's music, performed by some of the most talented musicians of our time. Tickets are available for purchase, offering a unique opportunity to witness the blend of historical masterpieces and contemporary compositions in one of Philadelphia's most iconic venues.

Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto

VSO’s 90th anniversary at the Flynn kicks off with an all-American program and two living greats: virtuoso banjoist Béla Fleck and composer Adolphus Hailstork. Fleck makes his East Coast debut with his catchy arrangement of Rhapsody in Blue for banjo, and Hailstork joins the VSO in person at the Flynn. This concert marks the VSO’s premiere performance of William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1, with narrated epigraphs written by Paul Laurence Dunbar and other prominent Black poets.

VSO: Béla Fleck and American Excellence

The Flynn

The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro José-Luis Novo, is pleased to present the perfect end-of-summer soundtrack for everyone in the family. Mark your calendar now to attend our annual end-of-summer concert, sponsored by Anne Arundel County Arts Council and Anne Arundel County Department Of Recreation and Parks.

The Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic and inspiring professional self-conducted chamber orchestra that serves as the flagship performing entity of the Sphinx Organization – the leading social justice non-profit dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Comprising 18 accomplished Black and Latinx artists, the Sphinx Virtuosi are evolving and transforming the face of classical music through artistic excellence, pioneering programming, and impassioned community engagement.

Sphinx Virtuosi

Shermerhorn Symphony Center

Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of music and cultural celebration with the Sphinx Virtuosi at Caramoor on July 7, 2024, in Katonah, NY. This dynamic and inspiring self-conducted string orchestra, known as the flagship performing entity of the Sphinx Organization, is dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Comprising some of the nation’s top young Black and Latinx professional musicians, Sphinx Virtuosi serves as a cultural and diversity ambassador across the United States and abroad.

The concert will take place at the Orchestral Music Venetian Theater at 4:00pm, with a special pre-concert conversation with members of Sphinx Virtuosi at 3:00pm. The program features music by some of today’s most compelling Black and Latinx composers, including Quenton Xavier Blache, Javier Favias, Andrea Casarrubios, Adolphus Hailstork, Jessie Montgomery, and Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson.

Seating options include general admission with premium reserved seating available, as well as Garden Listening tickets for a more casual concert environment. Garden Listening tickets are $20, free for Members and children under 18, allowing you to enjoy the concert broadcast with audio only on Friends Field.

This performance is part of Caramoor's commitment to showcasing diverse talents and providing a platform for artists representing historically excluded communities. Don't miss this vibrant and assured performance that promises to be more essential than ever.

For tickets and more information, visit the Caramoor Box Office or the event's website. Experience the transformative power of music with Sphinx Virtuosi at Caramoor, a highlight of the summer arts season in the Hudson Valley.

Venetian Theater at Caramoor

American Soundscapes

Sarasota Opera House

This one-night-only musical event sums up the spirit of the 2024 Festival—unbound, uninhibited, and genuinely transformative. Hailstork’s beautifully evocative Sonata da Chiesa—“church sonata” in the Baroque era—reflects his personal fascination with cathedrals. Written for Benny Goodman, Copland’s dynamic Clarinet Concerto is the only conductor-led piece on the program. Tessa Lark, Mike Block, and Jeffrey Kahane improvise on beloved American songs, while Lark and Block duet with traditional fiddle tunes. The perfumed world of 18th-century France collides with 21st-century jazz in Block’s arrangement of Dieupart’s Sarabande, then Block leads Festival fellows in an exhilarating, spur-of-the-moment jam. Lark puts her distinctive stamp on bluegrass legend Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” and the experience culminates with Iniche Cosebe, Block’s quasi-improvised work inspired by “thank you very much” in the language of the Mandinka people.

“He can roar, but he also can whisper,” said the Chicago Sun-Times about Yefim Bronfman’s performance of Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto. On either side of Bronfman’s astonishing performance, David Robertson leads symphonic works by Adolphus Hailstork and John Adams, two contemporary American composers who are currently shaping the orchestral world as we watch (and listen!).

Bronfman Plays Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4

Minnesota Orchestra

Carnegie Citywide in Bryant Park

Bryant Park

Join us for an enchanting evening of harp music featuring the talented Raquel Coleman at the Northwestern Bienen School of Music. This captivating recital is part of Raquel's Master of Music degree requirements and showcases her exceptional skills under the guidance of Marguerite Lynn Williams. The performance will also feature a diverse ensemble of musicians, including Jungah Yoon on flute, Anjali Covill on clarinet, violinists Jenny Choi and Mingyue Fei, Tristan Saito on viola, and Phillip Suwandi on cello.

The program promises a rich tapestry of compositions, including Jacques de la Presle's "Le jardin mouillé," selections from Carlos Salzedo's "Suite of Eight Dances," Adolphus Hailstork's "Four Preludes," Philippe Gaubert's "Légende," and Maurice Ravel's "Introduction et Allegro." This event is a wonderful opportunity to experience the depth and breadth of harp music, from classical to contemporary.

Event Details:
- Date: Wednesday, May 29, 2024
- Time: 8:30pm CDT
- Location: Regenstein Master Class Room, Bienen School of Music, 60 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, United States
- Admission: Free, no tickets required

The Regenstein Master Class Room, with seating for 200, is the perfect intimate setting for this showcase. It's located in the Regenstein Hall of Music, adjacent to the Ryan Center for the Musical Arts. Don't miss this opportunity to support emerging musical talent and enjoy a beautiful evening of harp music. The event will also be available via live stream for those who cannot attend in person.

Raquel Coleman, harp

Three Spirituals by American composer Adolphus Hailstork takes traditional tunes and treats them with Baroque counterpoint technique and jazz harmonies. Hungarian Ernst von Dohnanyi’s Serenade is perhaps his most frequently performed work, inspired by a Beethoven trio, Beethoven, in turn, was inspired to write for a string trio by Mozart’s “Divertimento.” Some musicians (including the violist in this performance) think the Mozart Divertimento is the best piece ever written for a string trio. Come judge for yourself!

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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.

Composer

Adolphus Hailstork

Events

Upcoming events

Nov 27, 2026

Chineke! Orchestra: Hailstork + After Dark · Southbank Centre

Mar 6, 2027

From the New World · Springfield Symphony Orchestra

Apr 4, 2027

Sounds of the Americas: I Got Rhythm · Diablo Symphony Orchestra

Past events

5 - 8 Nov, 2026

Brahms’s Requiem · The Cleveland Orchestra

5 - 7 Sep, 2026

Pops in the Park · Annapolis Symphony Orchestra

About

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