The Program
Samuel BarberSymphony No.1, in One Movement
George GershwinRhapsody in Blue
William DawsonNegro Folk Symphony
Featured Artists
What’s Interesting About This Concert
- After a rapturous reception at its Carnegie Hall debut, William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony, quickly disappeared into obscurity. This American masterpiece is only now starting to receive the attention it merits.
- Famed jazz pianist Marcus Roberts and his trio bring a modern interpretation to George Gershwin’s beloved Rhapsody in Blue.
- Samuel Barber, famous as the composer of Adagio for Strings, takes all the main elements of a traditional four-movement symphony and condenses them into one movement in his innovative Symphony No.1.
What You'll Hear
Launch YouTube PlaylistDeep Dive
- Program Notes — GERSHWIN IN NEW YORK
- Insights & Influences: Gershwin in New York (VIDEO)
- Scott Foglesong’s Rhapsody in Blue Program Notes (VIDEO)
- NPR: Rhapsody in Blue: Gershwin at his Greatest
- 60 Minutes, The Virtuoso: Marcus Roberts (VIDEO)
- Exploring Rhapsody: A New Take on Gershwin with Marcus Roberts
- Donato Cabrera on Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue
- Rhapsody in Blue: A Young Clarinetist’s Obsession
- NPR: Someone Finally Remembered William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony
- Donato Cabrera on William Levi Dawson
- William Dawson and the Rebirth of the Chicago Renaissance
- Classic FM: Samuel Barber: A Life
Concerts Should Be Fun
Why ask people to behave differently at symphony orchestra concerts than just about all other entertainment experiences? The California Symphony is changing that.
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Free pre-concert talk begins an hour before the show -
Bring your drinks to your seats -
Phones on and silent allowed -
Clap when you like what you hear
Meet the Trailblazers of Gershwin In New York:
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