Maurice White's Lost Orchestral Work 'PASSAGES' to Premiere in Long Beach
Maurice White's orchestral composition 'PASSAGES' debuts after decades
The 68-member Symphonic Jazz Orchestra (SJO), the nation's premier hybrid orchestra blending the worlds of jazz and classical music, announced the newly discovered orchestral work believed to be lost to time. Commissioned by SJO music directors George Duke and Mitch Glickman in 2002, PASSAGES was composed by musical trailblazer Maurice White, founder and leader of Earth, Wind & Fire. A remarkable story of rediscovery and artistic revival, the composition will finally receive its world premiere at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach, California, May 9-10, 2026. It marks the first opportunity for audiences to experience White's powerful and expansive orchestral score that bridges eras and genres-capturing his creative spirit of its original moment while resonating freshly in the present day. The premiere performance will anchor a program paying tribute to White, comprising some of Earth Wind & Fire's greatest hits arranged by jazz luminaries including John Clayton, Derrick Hodge, Vince Mendoza, Marshall Giles and Mitch Glickman. Special guest artists to be announced soon.
Shortly after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, then retiring from performing with Earth, Wind & Fire, White poured his considerable talents into writing and producing music. White and his longtime writing partner, Bill Meyers, composed the 10-minute work in 2003, which was filmed in a series of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. Unfortunately, the project was never completed, and the original score, sketches and tracks were shelved. With renewed interest from an upcoming Earth, Wind & Fire documentary, a search for the archival video was successfully conducted, and the work was discovered in video footage shot during the creation of the piece. Meyers, who co-composed the work, painstakingly rebuilt the piece from the footage.
Quote from Mitch Glickman, music director of Symphony Jazz Orchestra: "We are overjoyed to finally be able to bring to life Maurice's commissioned work for the SJO. This lost musical treasure is more than a premiere - it is a lasting homage to Maurice. PASSAGES reflects his genre-defying approach to music blending jazz, classical, R&B, Latin, African and more into a work showcasing the diversity of the SJO."
Quote from KB White, son of Maurice White: "My father's essence was always jazz at his core. This resurrected piece is incredibly exciting because it brings him back to his foundation. What he created was a presentation of his spirit, and he wanted people to take their time with it, to truly explore it. For him, it was always about discovery."
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