September 17, 2016 at 7:30 p.m.
Aquinas Hall at Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY

Copland – Appalachian Spring
Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue
Dvorak – Symphony No. 9 (“New World”)

The program title is borrowed from Antonin Dvorak’s last symphony, which owed its nickname to two reasons. First, it was written while he lived in New York City in 1893. Second, and more importantly, Dvorak wanted to demonstrate how native music could be mined to create a uniquely American symphonic voice. In this case, he was referring to African -American spirituals, the styles of which appear prominently throughout the work. The balance of the program features composers who took up Dvorak’s challenge and forged the American sound. They are Aaron Copland, with his beautiful ‘Appalachian Spring,’ which depicts an idyllic 19th century love affair, and George Gershwin, whose brash and effervescent  ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ is an ode to the restless energy of New York City.

NOTE – STUDENTS ARE ADMITTED FREE

For ticket purchases made LESS than 10 days prior to the performance, we will hold your tickets at the box office. You can pick up your tickets at the “Will Call” table an hour before the concert begins.