Boston Modern Orchestra Project Will Perform Free Father's Day Concert at Jordan Hall
Gil Rose conducts world premieres by John Aylward, Avner Dorman, Paul Moravec, and Bernard Rogers
The Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP) presents a free Father's Day concert on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at NEC's Jordan Hall. Quickly approaching its 30th year, BMOP continues to champion American music of the last century. Led by its intrepid artistic director/conductor Gil Rose, BMOP programs an invigorating evening of new orchestral works by American composers: John Aylward's potent History of the World, Avner Dorman's cello concerto Inner Fire featuring internationally heralded cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper, Miami Variations by Pulitzer Prize-winning Paul Moravec, and Symphony No. 5 "Africa" by Bernard Rogers.
"As the premier ensemble in the United States dedicated to the performance, commissioning, and recording of American orchestral music, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the full spectrum of classical repertoire from the past century. We enter this June concert with the same spirit that has guided us for almost three decades. We are proud to present the premieres of four diverse works by American composers this season." - GIL ROSE, artistic director/conductor of BMOP
The program includes two world premieres by composers who call the Northeast home. The music by Massachusetts-based Clark University professor John Aylward (b.1980) has been described as "delicate and deep, all at once (The Boston Globe)," and "mysterious, iridescent and daring (Gramophone)." His new 26-minute orchestral work History of the World commissioned by BMOP is part of Aylward's broader repertoire exploring history, science, and myth, reflecting on humanity's shared past and future. Israeli composer Avner Dorman (b.1975) currently serves as Associate Professor of Music Theory and Composition at the Sunderman Conservatory of Music in Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. Also commissioned by BMOP, his latest concerto Inner Fire was written for cello virtuoso Kristina Reiko Cooper. Dorman explains: "When Kristina Reiko Cooper and I began discussing this concerto, we found ourselves drawn to the metaphor of fire-not just as a destructive force, but as something deeply human and transformative. Fire provides warmth and comfort, it can rage out of control, and it exists within us as a source of energy and spirit. The Hebrew words neshima (breath) and neshama (soul) share the same linguistic root, and practices like Tummo meditation generate inner heat through focused breathing. This connection between breath, fire, and transformation became the guiding principle for the work's five-movement structure."
The evocative Miami Variations by Paul Moravec (b.1957) receives its New England premiere following its Palm Beach Symphony world premiere earlier this year. Also marking its New England premiere is Symphony No. 5 "Africa" by Bernard Rogers (1893-1968). An Eastman School of Music professor who taught more than 700 composers, Rogers's output as a composer included more than 25 large orchestral works, including his five symphonies. This performance of his fifth symphony is part of BMOP's multi-year project committed to recording all five of Rogers's symphonies (to be released on BMOP/sound).
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