Lansing Symphony Orchestra: Rhapsody in Blue

Immerse yourself in a celebration of jazz’s profound legacy in American music and the world, marking the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” The concert opens with William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 2 “Song of a New Race,” echoing jazz’s roots in African and African-American traditions, crafting a narrative of integration and optimism. Guest pianist Willis Delony takes center stage in the “Jazz Concerto for Piano and Orchestra” by Greg Yasinitsky, a piece Delony commissioned and premiered, alongside Timothy Muffitt, which bridges jazz’s improvisational spirit with symphonic depth. The evening crescendos with “Rhapsody in Blue,” a timeless fusion of jazz vibrancy and classical structure, celebrating a century of this groundbreaking work’s influence on American music culture.

Conductor

Timothy Muffitt

Featured Artists

Willis Delony

Piano

Program

Symphony No. 2 “Song of a New Race”

WILLIAM GRANT STILL

Jazz Concerto for Piano and Orchestra

GREG YASINITSKY

Rhapsody in Blue

GEORGE GERSHWIN