Our season closes with a vibrant program featuring the Sounds of America! The Chairman Dances was the first piece by American composer John Adams that Maestro Huynh ever heard. He was immediately captured by the mesmerizing rhythms and haunting melodies and is excited to share the work with audiences.

American composers Roy Harris and Aaron Copland were colleagues and personally tasked themselves with discovering the "American" sound. Harris captured the landscape and rugged culture of the American West in his single-movement Symphony No. 3.  Serge Koussevitzky, longtime conductor of the Boston Symphony, called this Harris symphony the "first great symphony by an American composer."

Feel the first warm, aromatic breezes of spring with Copland’s beloved Appalachian Spring, an orchestral arrangement of his iconic ballet partnership with choreographer Martha Graham. This timeless work tells the story of a young frontier couple on their wedding day, capturing the hopes, dreams, and pioneering spirit of a nation envisioning a brighter future.

We can't think of a piece played more on July 4th than Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Filled with raw power and famous melodies, the overture continues to be one of America's favorite patriotic works. We won't be shooting off fireworks inside the Willson, but the opportunity to hear this work in an indoor acoustic space is a rare treat. This is the ultimate finale to cap off our season and celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation!