Svendsen's Romeo and Juliet, a sweeping fantasia for orchestra, opens the program with passionate music that vividly portrays the emotional highs and tragic lows of Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers. A Symphonic Picture from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess brings the love story to life, blending jazz, blues, and opera to tell a tale of love against the odds in Charleston's Catfish Row. The program concludes with Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, a reflection of the love between Tony and Maria and the conflict between their rival gangs, set against the backdrop of New York City's gritty streets. 

Program SVENDSEN Romeo and Juliet, Fantasia for Orchestra  GERSHWIN/orch. Bennett Porgy and Bess, A Symphonic Picture  BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

Artists Kwamé Ryan, conductor

 

Belk Theater