Missouri Classical Music News and Notes

To commemorate the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition, revered composer Philip Glass was commissioned to create a piano concerto. The premiere of the work is to be performed at the Lied Center for Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Saturday, September 18th. Performing this new work will be pianist Paul Barnes of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Omaha Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Victor Yampolsky, and Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai.

This world premiere will be followed by a series of concerts of this exciting new work including September 24th and 25th at Orpheum Theater in Omaha, Nebraska, November 12th - 14th at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Washington with Northwest Chamber Orchestra conducted by Ralf Gothoni. An November 28th at Sanders Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts with Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston conducted by Kevin Rhodes.

Piano Concerto No. 2 (After Lewis and Clark) was co-commissioned by the Nebraska Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission, the Lied Center for Performing Arts, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts.