New World Symphony

American music stirs the soul in a way like none other. Performance Today’s 2022 Classical Woman of the Year, pianist Lara Downes explores sounds of America’s ragtime era and the 2024 GRAMMY® Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, Rounds, by Jessie Montgomery. The Washington Post described Rounds as “…a revelation and a reinforcement of Montgomery’s reliably vital voice as a composer.” Dvořák’s New World Symphony blends Bohemian fantasy with Midwestern and Southern melodies and charm. Award-winning photo historian Joseph Sohm’s dramatic photography intensifies Dvořák’s epic score.

THE PROGRAM

Michael Christie, conductor

Lara Downes, piano

Joseph Sohm, photo historian

Adolphus Hailstork | Three Spirituals for Orchestra – “Every Time I Feel the Spirit, Kum Ba Yah, Oh Freedom”

Blake/Arroyo | “Love Will Find a Way”

Jessie Montgomery | Rounds for Piano and String Orchestra

Joplin/Buck | Two Rags for Piano and Orchestra (Elite Syncopations, Maple Leaf Rag)

Dvořák | Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”

accompanied by stunning images by Joseph Sohm