Orchestra Lumos Presents: America 250

Dates:

• Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 7:30pm
• Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 3:00pm

Our American birthday party really goes on the town with Leonard Bernstein’s helluva Three Dance Episodes from On the Town!  Add in George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring and the gang’s all here. But wait, there’s more: Orchestra Lumos has commissioned no less than five composers to write a new suite Five American Portraits.  Join us for this concert of celebration!

Joshua Mhoon, piano

The Stern Young Artist 2025/26

Michael Stern, conductor
Full Orchestra

Musical Program to include:

• Leonard Bernstein Three Dance Episodes fromOn the Town
• Orchestra Lumos Commission Five American Portraits World Premiere commissioned by five American composers:
  • Clarice Assad
  • Liam Cummins
  • Quinn Mason
  • Nicky Sohn
  • Christopher Theofanidis
• Aaron CoplandAppalachian Spring Suite
• George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue

World Premiere: Five American Portraits, Orchestra Lumos Commission

Five American Portraits was commissioned by Orchestra Lumos around a new creative idea.

Five participating composers will bring their unique talents, individual perspectives, and experiences to write a musical portrait of one person who, in their view, helped shape America into what it is today and contributed to the ongoing American story. This collaboration is noteworthy not only for the participation of these five outstanding composers but also because their contributions will be integrated to create a new work greater than the sum of its parts.

Composer selections:
• Christopher Theofanidis – Movement I: Rachel Carson–Scientist Poet
• Nicky Sohn – Movement II: Disney–Is this the Happiest Place on Earth?
• Clarice Assad – Movement III: Harry Houdini – The Illusionist
• Quinn Mason – Movement IV: Echoes of the Forgotten Americans
• Liam Cummins – Movement V: Howard Zinn–A People’s History

LEARN MORE ABOUT FIVE AMERICAN PORTRAITS