THE MYSTERIES to Receive World Premiere by Columbus Symphony

Composer Gregory Spears' The Mysteries, a new orchestral work commissioned by a consortium of orchestras, receives its world premiere from the Columbus Symphony under Rossen Milanov on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 7:30 PM at the Ohio Theatre in Columbus. The orchestra then performs the work at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 8:00 PM, on a program marking its 75th anniversary and its first Carnegie Hall appearance since 2001.

Of The Mysteries, Spears' largest purely orchestral work to date, the composer writes, 'In a chaotic world where we crave certainty, art can help us confront the mysteries hiding in plain sight. This three-movement piece (lasting 27 minutes) begins with small musical fragments that might seem familiar – a medieval fanfare, a tragic crashing chord, a warm ambient texture, a chaconne, a chant-like refrain. These musical objects are repeated, recombined, and layered in ways that allow us to hear them in new ways. Rather than trying to evoke a commonplace idea of the 'mystical,' this piece is more concerned with re-imagining commonplace musical materials in ways that reveal their ambiguities and emotional depths. The first movement does this in a collage-like way, where the music snaps from one idea to another. The second is more solemn, repeating small phrases that evoke devotional forms like the litany. The third movement explores a process of fragmentation where a song is invaded by gaps of silence, as if the music could be turned on and off like a switch. This last movement is a meditation on absence, inspired by the disintegrating textures of late-Romanticism. It evokes an autumnal world in which decay and opulence can co-exist.'

Both programs pair the premiere with bass-baritone Davóne Tines performing his Concerto No. 2: ANTHEM, created in collaboration with composers Michael Schachter, Caroline Shaw, and Tyshawn Sorey and poet Mahogany L. Browne, and with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64. ANTHEM received its world premiere with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in 2022 and has since been performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican Centre and the New World Symphony in Miami Beach. The Carnegie Hall performance marks its New York premiere.

Performance Calendar

Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 7:30 PM

Columbus Symphony | Mysteries, Anthems & Victories

Ohio Theatre | Columbus, OH

Tickets: https://columbussymphony.com/event/mysteries-anthems-victories/2026-10-23/

Program:
Gregory Spears — The Mysteries [World Premiere]
Davóne Tines — Concerto No. 2: ANTHEM
Tchaikovsky — Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

Columbus Symphony
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Davóne Tines, bass-baritone

Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Columbus Symphony 75th Anniversary Concert
Carnegie Hall, Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage | New York, NY
Tickets: www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2026/10/28/Columbus-Symphony-Orchestra-75th-Anniversary-Concert-0800PM

Program:
Gregory Spears — The Mysteries [New York Premiere]
Davóne Tines — Concerto No. 2: ANTHEM [New York Premiere]
Tchaikovsky — Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

Columbus Symphony
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Davóne Tines, bass-baritone

About Gregory Spears

Composer Gregory Spears is acclaimed for his distinctive blend of romanticism, minimalism, and early music influences, which seeks to collapse layers of history into one moment, our own. His works – spanning opera, orchestral, chamber, and vocal music – are celebrated for their melodic richness, emotional clarity, and sensitivity to text.

Spears' latest opera, Sleepers Awake, premiered at Opera Philadelphia in Spring 2026. Spears was profiled by The New York Times in 2026, described as a 'composer who loops musical time and history.' The commercial recording of Sleepers Awake will be released on Temple University's BCM&D Records, in collaboration with Opera Philadelphia.

Highlights of Spears' 2026-2027 season include the world premiere of his new orchestral piece The Mysteries with the Columbus Symphony, followed by a performance at Carnegie Hall; the world premiere of Bartleby, a song cycle for mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano and pianist Christopher Cano, at the Tucson Desert Song Festival; and Jason and the Argonauts, an opera for young people, presented by the Welsh National Opera.

Spears' best-known work, Fellow Travelers (libretto by Greg Pierce), is celebrated as a modern classic. The world premiere at Cincinnati Opera in 2016 was praised as 'one of the most accomplished new operas I have seen in recent years' (Chicago Tribune) and an opera that 'seems assured of lasting appeal' (The New York Times), and a commercial recording was released in 2017. Fellow Travelers has been produced more than 20 times, including at the Prototype Festival in New York, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Minnesota Opera, Arizona Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Parallèle, and London's University College Opera. For the opera's tenth anniversary, Fellow Travelers was performed in a multi-year national tour, joined by an unprecedented consortium of companies including Seattle Opera, Portland Opera, San Diego Opera, and the 2026 Glimmerglass Festival. The tour continues in Spears' 2026-2027 season, with performances at Austin Opera.

Spears' opera The Righteous, with a libretto by former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith, premiered at Santa Fe Opera in 2024, earning a 'Critic's Pick' in The New York Times and was shortlisted for an International Opera Award. Earlier collaborations with Smith include Castor and Patience (2022, Cincinnati Opera) and Love Story (New York Philharmonic). His first opera, Paul's Case (with librettist Kathryn Walat), was called 'a masterpiece' by The New York Observer and has been staged by Urban Arias, Prototype Festival, and Pittsburgh Opera. His recorded catalog includes Requiem (New Amsterdam Records), Seven Days (Bright Shiny Things), The Tower and the Garden (Parma), Paul's Case (National Sawdust/American Modern Recordings), and Fellow Travelers (Fanfare Cincinnati). He also composed the soundtrack for Kit Monkman's feature film Macbeth.

Spears has been commissioned by the New York Philharmonic, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Seraphic Fire, The Crossing, Bang on a Can, Volti, BMI/Concert Artists Guild, Vocal Arts DC, New York Polyphony, The New York International Piano Competition, JACK Quartet, and the New York Youth Symphony, among many others.

He is the recipient of numerous honors, including residencies from Yaddo, MacDowell, and the Copland House, and awards from BMI and ASCAP. He is a former Fulbright Scholar, a graduate of the Eastman School of Music and Yale School of Music, and earned a PhD in composition from Princeton University. Spears teaches at New York University and Purchase College, and his music is published by Schott Music and Schott PSNY. More information is available at www.gregoryspears.com.

About the Columbus Symphony

The Columbus Symphony (CSO) has served as a cultural cornerstone of Central Ohio since 1951. Each season, the organization engages more than 160,000 people through over 200 concerts, education programs, and community events, while reaching a broader audience of more than 3.7 million through broadcasts, digital media, and other platforms. The Symphony's artistic vision is rooted in exceptional musical quality, inclusive programming, and meaningful community connections.

At the heart of Columbus Symphony's mission is a belief that classical music belongs to everyone. By fostering a welcoming concert hall experience and building programs that meet the community where it is, the Symphony seeks to break down barriers around who classical music is perceived to be for. The goal is simple but powerful: to ensure that Columbus Symphony is a place where anyone in the community can feel welcome and at home.

During the 2026-27 season, the Columbus Symphony celebrates its 75th anniversary with a yearlong series of concerts, special events, and community celebrations honoring the orchestra's legacy and future.

CSO programming includes concert series such as Cardinal Health Masterworks, Pops, and Nationwide Picnic with the Pops; education initiatives serving children, families, young musicians, and lifelong learners; the Appalachian Music Series, which brings live orchestral music to rural communities and outdoor venues; and a wide range of community engagement performances and events designed to make the transformative power of music accessible throughout Central Ohio.

More information is available at www.columbussymphony.com.

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