Composer

Pianist Mary Lou Williams composed her masterpiece at the intersection of jazz and classical music, taking inspiration from the signs of the Zodiac. Modern jazz master Aaron Diehl performs alongside his trio and vocalist Mikaela Bennett, breathing new life into the work with a new orchestral edition. Making her BSO debut, conductor Karen Kamensek steeps the audience in the glorious colors of Respighi’s tribute to Roman fountains and Debussy’s frothy depictions of the sea.

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Fountains of Rome & La Mer

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

The Music Center at Strathmore

Ilan Volkov and friends celebrate milestones from the past 100 years of American jazz, starting with a sequence honouring the ‘Duke’. Mary Lou Williams’s Zodiac Suite from 1945 romps between boogie-woogie and dissonance in its response to astrological signs. The evening culminates in the work of a boundary-crossing visionary very much still with us. From the south side of Chicago, multi-instrumentalist and self-styled ‘trans-idiomatic composer’ Anthony Braxton has established himself as a musician whose imagination recognises no bounds.

Prom 35: Ellington, Braxton and Mary Lou Williams

Royal Albert Hall

Ilan Volkov and friends celebrate milestones from the past 100 years of American jazz, starting with a sequence honouring the ‘Duke’. Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite from 1945 romps between boogie-woogie and dissonance in its response to astrological signs.

Join your Colorado Symphony for a musical evening under the stars at the Arvada Center Outdoor Amphitheater in this tribute to Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops.

A Tribute to Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops at the Arvada Center

Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities

Join us for a remarkable evening at the Jazz Showcase, the heart of jazz in Chicago, for the Alliance CD Release featuring Colleen Clark & Sharel Cassity. This special event is set to take place from Thursday, July 18, 2024, to Sunday, July 21, 2024, with performances starting at 8:00 PM each night.

Saxophonist/flutist Sharel Cassity and drummer/composer Colleen Clark, along with their group Alliance, will present an electrifying set of jazz compositions. The showcase will include influential works by jazz legends such as Herbie Hancock, Mary Lou Williams, Jimmy Heath, and Mulgrew Miller, alongside fresh and captivating tunes by Clark and other Alliance members, including bassist Carmani Edwards, pianist Hannah Mayer, and special guest trumpeter Kellin Hanas. These artists represent the leading voices of the emerging generation of jazz musicians, promising an unforgettable experience for all attendees.

The event will be held at the iconic Jazz Showcase venue located at 806 S Plymouth Ct, Chicago, IL. Tickets are available for purchase with options for general admission and VIP preferred seating. General admission tickets for the Thursday show are priced at $20, with VIP preferred seating at $35. For the shows from Friday to Sunday, general admission tickets are $25, and VIP preferred seating is $40.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience the vibrant and dynamic jazz scene of Chicago through the Alliance CD Release event. It's a celebration of jazz's past, present, and future, all in one unforgettable weekend.

Alliance Cd Release - Colleen Clark & Sharel Cassity

Jazz Showcase

Join us for an unforgettable evening of jazz and classical music as The Knights & Aaron Diehl grace the stage at Caramoor on June 30, 2024, in Katonah, NY. This special performance, set to begin at 4:00pm in the Venetian Theater, marks the first live full performance of Mary Lou Williams' Grammy-nominated Zodiac Suite, brought to life by the exceptional collaboration between The Knights and pianist Aaron Diehl. 

The concert will open with a pre-concert conversation at 3:00pm featuring Aaron Diehl, Eric Jacobsen, and Colin Jacobsen, offering insights into the evening's program and the creative process behind it. The program itself will feature Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite, a masterpiece that pays tribute to jazz legends through musical reflections of astrological signs, and Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral," celebrating the composer's love of nature.

Seating for this concert is general admission, with premium reserved seating available. For a more casual concert experience, Garden Listening tickets are available for $20, free for Members and children under 18. This option allows you to enjoy the concert broadcast onto Friends Field with audio only, encouraging guests to bring their own seating and enjoy a picnic under the stars.

Aaron Diehl, celebrated for his artistry and innovative approach to both jazz and classical music, is joined by The Knights, an orchestra known for their adventurous spirit and transformative musical experiences. Together, they promise an evening that bridges genres and generations, leaving audiences starry-eyed and inspired.

Tickets are available for purchase now. Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience the convergence of jazz and classical music in the beautiful setting of Caramoor.

The Knights & Aaron Diehl

Venetian Theater at Caramoor

The Knights joins forces with pianist-composer Aaron Diehl to present a program featuring the GRAMMY-nominated album Zodiac Suite in its entirety, and Beethoven's Sixth Symphony.

The Knights with Aaron Diehl at Caramoor

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts

The Knights joins forces with pianist-composer Aaron Diehl to present a program featuring an excerpt from Louise Farrenc's Symphony No. 3, excerpts from the GRAMMY-nominated album Zodiac Suite, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral." Join us for an afternoon of diverse and compelling musical expressions at Ravinia Festival.

The Knights with Aaron Diehl at Ravinia Festival

Ravinia Festival

Join us for a mesmerizing evening as Washington Performing Arts presents the D.C. premiere of Mary Lou Williams's "Zodiac Suite," performed by the Aaron Diehl Trio and The United States Air Force Band, under the baton of Col. Don Schofield. This one-night concert event takes place on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 7:30 PM at the historic Lincoln Theatre.

"Zodiac Suite" is a pioneering orchestral work by pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams, composed of 12 pieces representing the astrological signs. Each piece is dedicated to jazz legends of her era, including Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk, among others. Although Williams debuted her celestial odyssey in various formats during her lifetime, the full suite as she envisioned it has never been performed until now. Pianist Aaron Diehl has devoted considerable effort to restoring Williams's original orchestrations, bringing this significant work to life in collaboration with The United States Air Force Band.

The program will also feature other notable works, creating an evening that celebrates the synthesis of jazz and classical music. This event not only honors the legacy of Mary Lou Williams but also showcases the innovative spirit of jazz and its influence on classical music.

Tickets are now available for reservation. Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience a landmark moment in music history.

Zodiac Suite

Lincoln Theater

The Pomona College Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of award-winning director Barb Catlin, offers an exuberant afternoon of jazz selections by women composers including Mary Lou Williams, Magali Souriau and Annie Booth with a sprinkling of student compositions.

Pomona College Jazz Ensemble 2

Pomona College

Mary Lou Williams' Zodiac Suite

New World Center

“Melodic precision, harmonic erudition, and elegant restraint” (New York Times) are hallmarks of Aaron Diehl’s playing. Praised for his “freedom and playfulness” (Philadelphia Inquirer), this celebrated musical polymath makes his PCMS debut with Hidden Visionaries, a new recital program spotlighting works by Black American composers of sacred and secular music.

Aaron Diehl, piano

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Dying to get away from his despised Salzburg employer, Mozart was on a job-hunting trip when he composed his 31st Symphony, for the Paris Orchestra (which happened to have a great clarinet section). He loved the instrument and—spoiler alert—this is his first symphony to use clarinets. Now, turn your eyes heavenward for illuminating impressions of musicians’ respective star signs by the legendary pianist/composer Mary Lou Williams. She masterfully combines jazz and classical idioms to depict the personalities of Ben Webster and Billie Holiday in “Aries”; Duke Ellington in “Taurus”; Art Tatum in “Libra”; Eartha Kitt in “Aquarius,” and more!

Zodiac

Winter Park Events Center

We return to jazz’s American home for a program featuring Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The Aaron Diehl trio makes its debut in Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite. John Alden Carpenter was an early classical composer to incorporate jazz in his ballet Krazy Kat, while Paul Turok channels a past St. Louis resident in A Joplin Overture. 

Rhapsody in Blue

Touhill Performing Arts Center

Jazz pianist, Aaron Diehl (2011 APA Jazz Winner), and his trio are showcased at the onset of the 40th Anniversary season. Playing Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite with the ICO, audiences will be connected to each zodiac sign through this classically influenced piece.  Williams’ creatively composed each movement as a reflection of her musical colleagues that also held that sign like Billie

Zodiac with Aaron Diehl

Butler University

Two powerhouse soloists partner to present Songs of Black America.

Brandon Patrick George & Aaron Diehl

PPU Pittsburgh Playhouse

Seen-Unseen: The Symphonic Legacy of Black American Women

Hatch Memorial Shell

Psalms by Bernstein

Paramount Theatre

Experience the timeless charm and jazzy elegance of Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite for orchestra, beginning your concert experience with its captivating melodies and intricate rhythms. Then, immerse yourself in a sonic journey unlike any other as we begin the concert with Mason Bates’ mesmerizing Liquid Interface, an evocative exploration of the intersection between nature and technology. Dive into the vibrant world of jazz with Duke Ellington’s Suite from The River, where the music ebbs, gurgles, and flows like our own Reedy River.

Duke Ellington’s The River: A symphonic jazz celebration

Peace Center

Experience an evening where jazz meets classical in a unique musical fusion. The Nashville Symphony, under the baton of conductor David Danzmayr, presents a captivating program that begins with Osvaldo Golijov’s "Sidereus," a piece inspired by Galileo’s celestial observations. The concert then features the multi-faceted pianist Aaron Diehl and his trio, performing Mary Lou Williams’ "Zodiac Suite." This suite, composed of 12 pieces, draws inspiration from astrological signs and the musicians born under them, offering a rare blend of jazz and classical elements.

The program continues with Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, famously known as the "Unfinished Symphony." This work, one of Schubert’s most celebrated compositions, remains a cornerstone of the classical repertoire despite its incomplete status. The evening concludes on a lighter note with Johann Strauss, Jr.’s "Emperor Waltzes," a delightful piece that encapsulates the elegance and charm of the Viennese waltz tradition.

Before the concert, attendees can enrich their experience by participating in "Classical Conversations," a discussion held in the Balcony Lobby that delves into the evening’s program. This event promises a rich tapestry of musical exploration, blending the innovative spirit of jazz with the timeless beauty of classical music.

Mary Lou Williams

Composer

Events

Upcoming events

1 - 2 Mar, 2025

Duke Ellington’s The River: A symphonic jazz celebration · Greenville Symphony

14 - 15 Mar, 2025

Schubert's Unfinished and The Zodiac Suite · Nashville Symphony

Past events

2 - 3 Nov, 2024

Fountains of Rome & La Mer · Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Aug 15, 2024

Prom 35: Ellington, Braxton and Mary Lou Williams · BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra

About

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