Pacific Symphony to Present AMERICA AT 250 Concert Conducted By Alexander Shelley
The program will include works by George Gershwin, Raven Chacon, and Peter Boyer at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.
Pacific Symphony has launched an ongoing celebration of America at 250 with a compelling, multi-media program that blends a beloved classic with an immersive new work.
Gershwin's popular Piano Concerto in F Major uses jazz and blues inspiration to convey the enthusiastic spirit of American life, as performed by audience-favorite Conrad Tao. The concert culminates in the West Coast premiere of American Mosaic, a cinematic musical work designed to be experienced as much as heard. The landmark collaboration between distinguished composer Peter Boyer and photographer Joe Sohm combines their respective bodies of work celebrating America. Blending symphonic music, awe-inspiring imagery from all 50 states and spoken narration, American Mosaic offers a fully immersive, cinematic concert experience across the nation's vast and varied landscape - from sea to shining sea.
"This America at 250 program offers a glimpse at our horizon, as Pacific Symphony readies for a season long celebration of the nation's semi-quincentennial," says Artistic and Music Director Designate Alexander Shelley. "We are joined by one of today's most creative and charismatic American soloists Conrad Tao, to perform a seminal American piano work: Gershwin's Concerto in F. This masterpiece is sandwiched within American music of our own time celebrating the voices of the nation today.
"In Peter Boyer's American Mosaic, we celebrate the United States not only through his majestic new score, but through stunning imagery captured from all 50 states by photographer Joe Sohm and an inspiring live narration by a groundbreaking woman Deja Foxx."
To begin the concerts taking place May 28-30 in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Pacific Symphony performs the West Coast Premiere of Inscription II, a compelling and thought-provoking new piece by Diné composer Raven Chacon. Born in Fort Defiance, Arizona within the Navajo Nation, Chacon is the first Native American to win a Pulitzer Prize for Music, for his Voiceless Mass in 2022.
Written for full orchestra, Inscription II examines the national motto E Pluribus Unum as both a symbol of unity and a point of tension. Chacon notes that the music portrays individual instrumental voices gradually converging, suggesting both the power of unity and the risk of losing distinct cultural identities.
"We are very honored to open our concert with Pulitzer Prize winner Raven Chacon's impactful and thought-provoking response to the theme of America 250," continues Shelley. "I was privileged to conduct the world premiere of this work earlier in the year and it left an indelible impression on everyone in attendance. It is an important statement from a vital voice in today's living classical tradition."
Before intermission, acclaimed pianist Conrad Tao joins the orchestra to perform Gershwin's highly popular Piano Concerto in F. First commissioned by Walter Damrosch, the three-movement work masterfully fuses American jazz and blues with classical music and sparks feelings of tradition and optimism. As a defining piece from the early 20th century, the concerto captures the vibrancy and evolving cultural identity of its time, making it a strong compliment to American Mosaic.
American Mosaic showcases the extraordinary collaboration between Sohm and Boyer. The 33-minute work is filled with decades of Americana photography by Sohm, who is called America's photo historian. The visuals are presented in 4K videography and celebrate the people, places and spirit of America. Boyer's orchestral score is heard in 11 continuous movements, and narrated by Deja Foxx, creating an immersive audio-visual experience. Boyer's catalog of American-themed orchestral works, from his Grammy-nominated Ellis Island to Fanfare for Tomorrow from President Biden's Inauguration, is acclaimed for its power to uplift and inspire.
Premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., American Mosaic was co-commissioned by six leading American orchestras: the National Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for the Cincinnati Pops, Des Moines Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra.
"American Mosaic is a musical/visual work that celebrates America's 250th birthday in what I believe is a unique way," describes composer Boyer. "With Joe Sohm's breathtaking video imagery of all 50 states, narration highlighting key aspects of American history, and the emotional power of a great orchestra such as Pacific Symphony, it is hoped that the work will provide audiences with an uplifting experience. As a Southern California-based composer, I'm very excited for its West Coast Premiere performances."
"Having collaborated with Pacific Symphony on a number of memorable occasions over more than 20 years, including the filming of Ellis Island: The Dream of America for PBS' Great Performances series, I'm thrilled to continue this collaboration with these performances of American Mosaic, and to work with incoming Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley for the first time," continues Boyer.
The concert titled "Shelley Conducts America at 250," takes place Thursday-Saturday, May 28-30 at 8 p.m. in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Enhancing the experience, audiences can attend a free Preview Talk at 7 p.m. and enjoy a post-concert meet-and-greet with Alexander Shelley on Thursday and Friday evenings. Tickets start at $36. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 755-5799 or visit pacificsymphony.org.
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