Bozeman Symphony Presents Romantic Splendor: Schumann & Schubert
BOZEMAN, Mont. – The Bozeman Symphony invites audiences to revel in sweeping melodies and heartfelt expression at Romantic Splendor: Schumann & Schubert, featuring acclaimed cellist Jonathan Swensen, March 21 & 22 at the Willson Auditorium.
Swensen, one of today’s most compelling young cellists, takes center stage in Robert Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A Minor, a work as poetic as it is unconventional. Rather than separating the concerto into distinct movements, Schumann allows the music to unfold in one seamless arc, creating an intimate, almost dreamlike journey. The concerto opens with a rhapsodic, improvisatory character before giving way to a deeply lyrical middle section and a spirited, virtuosic finale.
The program also features Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C Major, “The Great,” a monumental work that showcases the composer’s gift for expansive melody and rhythmic drive. Unusually ambitious for its time, the symphony stretches the boundaries of the classical form, unfolding on a grand scale with soaring themes and vibrant energy. Schubert’s admiration for Beethoven is evident throughout, including subtle musical nods that connect this symphony to the great tradition that inspired it.
Swensen has earned international recognition as a rising star of the cello. He is the recipient of a 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant and shared First Prize at the 2024 Naumburg International Cello Competition. Named Musical America’s New Artist of the Month and highlighted as One to Watch by Gramophone magazine, Swensen has appeared with leading orchestras across Europe and the United States, including London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, the Copenhagen Philharmonic, and the Kennedy Center. He currently serves as an Artist in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium.
Performances are on Saturday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 22, at 2:30 p.m. at the Willson Auditorium in Bozeman.
These concerts are made possible by the generous support of sponsors The Dovana Foundation, Calum & Tricia DeSouza, Bob & Donna Ritchie, Bruce & Kimberlie Jodar, and Dennis Wentz, MD, & Anne Colston Wentz, MD.
Tickets start at $30 for adults, with discounted tickets available for students. Purchase online at https://www.bozemansymphony.org/schumann-and-schubert or by calling 406-585-9774. Tickets at the door are subject to availability.
February 20, 2026
Contact: Peggy Stebbins
Office: 406.585.9774
peggy@bozemansymphony.org