2025 - 2026 Program

Visions of Peace

JOSE WHITE: La Bella Cubana

CLARICE ASSAD: Selections from Impressions
                  II. Fusion, Dança Brasileira
                  IV. Precision, Perpetual Motion

JESSIE MONTGOMERY: Work TBA ‡

WILLIAM GRANT STILL: Suite for Violin or Cello and String Orchestra (Arranged by Randall Goosby) *†

SOLOIST: Sterling Elliott, Cello (Fall 2025)
SOLOIST: Randall Goosby, Violin (Spring 2026)

QUENTON BLACHE: A Vision for Peace**

SERGEI PROKOFIEV: Sonata No. 7 “Stalingrad” (Arranged by Rubén Rengel) *

ALBERTO GINASTERA: Concerto for Strings
                  IV. Finale


In a unique convergence of musical voices, this program beckons us into a realm where music becomes an emissary of peace and unity. On this journey, we hope to lift every voice and remember our complex history while looking toward our shared journey toward a brighter tomorrow. We explore peace while remembering the conflict of past and present, and recognizing the repeated history and the resilience of the human spirit. From William Grant Still, celebrated as the “Dean of African American Composers,” to Jose White's stirring Cuban melodies, every note resonates with our collective aspirations for harmony and understanding without borders. This is a collection of new voices, those that have already shaped our canon and those that we hope will continue to be celebrated long after our time together. As Alberto Ginastera's Concerto for Strings takes us toward a triumphant crescendo, you will join us in a jubilant celebration of the human spirit's indomitable resilience and our unwavering commitment to the pursuit of peace. We reflect on themes of war, anguish, and loss through Ruben Rengel's setting of Prokofiev's "Stalingrad" Sonata.  Jessie Montgomery's music helps us transcend boundaries and borders, while our vision for shared humanity is brought together through Quenton Blache's title composition.  

* - Commissioned by the Sphinx Organization
** - Co-commissioned by the Sphinx Organization, Carnegie Hall, and New World Symphony
† - Suite for Violin or Cello and String Orchestra was commissioned with a gift from the Keith and Renata Ward Emerging Composer Fund
‡ - Co-commissioned by the Sphinx Organization, the New York Philharmonic, and Bravo! Vail