2025-2026
Weber & Berlioz: Der Freischütz Reimagined
In 2026—200 years following the death of Carl Maria von Weber, a decisive figure in the development of German opera in the Romantic period—the American Symphony Orchestra takes on the composer’s seminal opera Der Freischütz (1821), performed with a twist: in place of the original opera, the ASO presents Hector Berlioz’s version of the work,…
Read MoreForging an American Musical Identity
For the United States of America’s 250th anniversary, the American Symphony Orchestra celebrates the forging of an American musical identity in the 19th century with a diverse program of seldom performed scores. The concert’s centerpiece is George Bristow’s massive “Niagara Symphony” in its first performance since the work’s world premiere. The program begins with two…
Read MoreRequiem & Revelation
Following last season’s sold-out concert “Bach at St. Bart’s,” the ASO returns to the venue where its founder, world-renowned conductor Leopold Stokowski, began his U.S. music career. The acclaimed Bard Festival Chorale joins the orchestra for this performance of two rarely performed scores. Peter Cornelius, known primarily for his comic opera Der Barber von Bagdad,…
Read MoreString Quartet at Minor Memorial Library
A string quartet of American Symphony Orchestra musicians performs works by Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, William Grant Still, and Antonín Dvořák, each reflecting a unique perspective on the American musical experience. Perkinson’s String Quartet No. 1 blends classical form with elements of jazz—a truly American genre—reflecting the vibrancy and depth of Black American music. Still’s Lyric Quartette…
Read MoreNew York Profiles
The American Symphony Orchestra returns to Kupferberg Center for the Arts with New York Profiles, a concert celebrating five influential American composers whose work helped define the sound of mid-20th-century America. Each composer had deep ties to New York City, a place that shaped their creative lives and musical legacies. Aaron Copland, a defining voice of American music,…
Read MoreNew York Profiles
In what has become a cherished tradition, the American Symphony Orchestra is pleased to debut our 2025-2026 season as part of Bryant Park’s Picnic Performances series. New York Profiles will showcase five American composers whose works reflect the diverse musical styles of mid-20th-century America. Each of these composers had strong ties to New York, a city…
Read MoreBard Music Festival — Program 11
“Leon Botstein, the conductor and tireless champion of overlooked works, considers Julietta an operatic masterpiece that at least deserves a place in the repertory…He has done his part by bringing a worthy and original opera to attention.” —The New York Times PROGRAM ELEVEN: The Opera of Dreams: Martinů’s Julietta Many consider Martinů’s eighth opera to be his finest…
Read MoreBard Music Festival — Program 9
PROGRAM NINE: The Epic Power of Tradition This program comprises choral and orchestral music by Martinů and perhaps his finest student, Moravia’s Jan Novák. Set to his own Latin text, Novák’s moving cantata Ignis pro Ioanne Palach commemorates a desperate young activist who immolated himself to protest the end of the Prague Spring. As a former professional…
Read MoreDalibor at Bard SummerScape
Experience the gripping drama of Bedřich Smetana’s Dalibor, a powerful Czech opera that weaves themes of revenge, love, and fate. Set against a backdrop of medieval intrigue, Dalibor follows its titular tragic hero as he faces a desperate struggle for redemption. With sweeping orchestral music and unforgettable arias, Dalibor captivates with its emotional depth and stirring melodies. Director Jean-Romain Vesperini…
Read MoreThe Music of Louis Armstrong (Jazz Ensemble) at Bryant Park Upper Terrace
ASO’s jazz ensemble has performed numerous concerts dedicated to the great jazz composers of both the past and present, including Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea, Count Basie, Charles Mingus, and many others. The ensemble’s next program will honor jazz trumpet virtuoso, and innovator, Louis Armstrong. The legendary artist was also composer of more than…
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