New World Symphony Chamber Fall Concerts to Feature Guest Artists, Alumni and More

New World Symphony will bring together accomplished guest artists, fellowship alumni, and current Fellows for intimate chamber performances this fall. The programs span the evolution of the Baroque, an exploration of Debussy, and a special tribute to Michael Tilson Thomas, NWS cofounder and Artistic Director Laureate. Together, these chamber music concerts showcase the artistry of NWS Fellows and alumni through the interplay and nuance of small ensemble performance.

October 18

On October 18, the Fellows are joined by NWS alums Erik Rynearson, viola, and Miles Haskins, basset clarinet, for a program that traces the evolution of the Baroque across three centuries, from C.P.E. Bach to Thomas Adès, including works by Sigismund von Neukomm, Matthias Weckmann, Ernest Bloch, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and Alban Berg. The concert closes with Thomas Adès' Alchymia for Clarinet Quintet, performed by Haskins, who has served as clarinetist and solo bass clarinetist of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra since 2017, Inspired by the alchemical world of Elizabethan London, Alchymia has been praised by The Times as “strange, magical and arresting.” Rynearson is Principal Viola of the Los Angeles Opera, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and Santa Barbara Symphony. 

November 8

One of today's most talented rising artists and a recipient of Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Career Grant, violinist Sean Lee joins the NWS Fellows on November 8 for an exploration of Debussy's far-reaching influence through color and texture. The program opens with NWS Fellows performing Saint-Saëns' beloved neo-classical Septet, Op. 65, followed by Takemitsu's Rain Spell, a work inspired by the composer's fascination with rain and water, an affinity shared by his greatest influence, Debussy. Lee joins NWS Fellows for Sonata for Violin and Piano, CD 148, the last of Debussy's unfinished Six sonatas for various instruments. Inspired by Saint-Saëns' septet, Debussy returned to chamber music with these sonatas, written at the end of his life. Lee and the NWS Fellows also perform together for Jean Françaix's Quintet No. 2 for Flute, Strings and Harp, an early work that offers a glimpse of the playful character found throughout his later music. The program also includes Jeffrey Mumford's through a stillness brightening, which imagines the violin as an ever-changing ray of dispersing light.

December 20

On December 20, NWS celebrates the music, stories and influences of its cofounder and Artistic Director Laureate, Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT).The Fellows are joined by cellist and NWS alum Alan Rafferty, a member of the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra for nearly two decades. The program features works by iconic American composers, including Aaron Copland's Nonet, a meeting of mid-century modernism and European musical traditions; Leonard Bernstein's Mass, a theatrical work written for the opening of the Kennedy Center; and Amy Beach's Quintet for Piano and Strings, a milestone work in American chamber music. MTT was a protégé of both Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland, whom he regarded as his closest mentors. Also on the program is Robert Schumann's Andante and variations, a beloved two piano work, and David Del Tredici's Dynamic Duo, written for the unique pairing of violin and bass trombone. The program turns to Tilson Thomas' own music with two movements from Upon Further Reflection, which draws on his many musical influences.

The NWS Fellowship Experience

The New World Symphony is a global leader in orchestral and artistic training. Talented musicians, aged typically between 22-30, are awarded three-year fellowships that consist of a robust curriculum of musical, entrepreneurial, and community engagement training. Each season, Fellows are mentored by over 250 visiting faculty members and guest artists, and design and execute their own entrepreneurial projects. Fellows in various stages of their three-year fellowship make up the orchestra each season. NWS has over 1,300 alumni transforming communities in over 30 countries.