Dear LSO Friends,

It’s late summer, and I am thinking about the new season soon to begin… rehearsal strategies and concerts in Jordan Hall, the excellent repertoire, and introducing you to four inspiring soloists. In my mind’s eye, I see musicians working hard, many fresh from rounds at the hospital, playing with a sense of commitment and passion while joyfully sharing our music.

In addition to many traditional orchestral masterpieces, I’m excited to present two living American composers, Jennifer Higdon and Zachary Wadsworth. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon’s blue cathedral is one of the most oft-performed compositions in the contemporary canon. In her words: “This is a story that commemorates living and passing through places of knowledge and of sharing and of that song called life.” Zachary Wadsworth’s Piano Concerto is a piece I commissioned last year for Doris Stevenson and the Berkshire Symphony. Doris’ advocacy for new music has no equal, and she brings a wealth of experience to the stage as both soloist and legendary collaborative pianist.

Taiwanese violinist William Wei, Laureate of the prestigious 2015 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition, joins us for the first concert, playing Polish composer Henryk Wieniawski’s brilliant Violin Concerto No. 2. On our second concert, Korean-born Young Concert Artist SooBeen Lee will amaze us with her performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto. Virtuoso Israeli-American cellist, Amit Peled, will be playing Haydn’s C Major Cello Concerto on the 1733 Matteo Goffriller cello formerly owned by the legendary Pablo Casals.

I take great pleasure in working with my LSO friends. Our repertoire and soloists form a multi-cultural musical tapestry. Given the polarized nature of the present social environment in which we presently live, I am very proud to present compositions and soloists from different parts of the world, working together in harmony with our Community Partners to share our music with you. It’s going to be a memorable year!