New World Symphony's "From The New World" (November 15-17)
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The New World Symphony delves into their honorific title, exploring diverse works by native artists and those who emigrated to the Americas
- Must redeem tickets together at the venue to sit together
- Seating: terrace sections 1–5; gallery sections 1–5
- Age restriction: must be 8 or older
- Parking not included, available in Pennsylvania Avenue garage and 17th Street Garage for a fee. Click here for more parking information:
- Click to view the seating chart.
New World Symphony – “The New World”
The New World Symphony explores the meaning of their name, digging deep through works by artists native to the Americas and those who emigrated here and quickly fell in love with their new homeland. The symphony is led by conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto (Musical America’s 2019 Conductor of the Year) and joined by soprano Michelle Bradley for an electrifying program; Bradley leads the symphony through Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 before bringing the evening to a close with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, appropriately called “From the New World”.
Program Highlights
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Ortiz—Hominum: Suite for Orchestra: Composed in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Constitution of Mexico, Gabriella Ortiz’s Hominum (Humanity) was created through an evolution of synesthesia, with different movements taking on titles like Black, Light, In Water, and Red; each representing a different stage in our existence as a society.
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Barber—Knoxville: Summer of 1915: Written in the aftermath of the Second World War, Barber’s stirring piece—complete with text from James Agee’s Pulitzer-winning book, A Death in the Family—evokes a painful nostalgia, a longing for a simpler world where parents rocked on porches, garden hoses gurgled quietly in yards, and the biggest disturbance in the air was the spark that follows a streetcar “like a small malignant spirit set to dog its tracks.”
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Dvořák—Symphony No. 9 in E minor: One of the most enduring examples of a Romantic symphony, this piece is often called the New World Symphony because Dvořák took inspiration from his time as the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America. While there, he became familiar with everything from Native-American rhythms to African-American spirituals and traditional Scottish music. He then weaved this cultural blend into a single composition, creating a sonic representation of the country itself.
Need to know info
About New World Symphony
Most people would feel spread thin if they were running orchestras on both sides of the country. But most people aren't Michael Tilson Thomas. One of America's most famous conductors, composers, and tuxedo wearers, Tilson Thomas has remained the artistic director of the New World Symphony since he founded it in 1987, even after becoming musical director of the San Francisco Symphony in 1995. This is because the Miami-based orchestra feeds a need for Tilson Thomas: that of remaining at the forefront of symphonic trends, in a laboratory where top musical graduates can explore performance and compositional opportunities. But new works from students and professionals aren't the only thing on the New World Symphony's docket—every year, ticket holders can expect a thrilling lineup of the classical masters who built the genre.