Aspirations An All American Program

Internationally acclaimed pianist Alexander Bernstein, professor of piano at Shenandoah Conservatory, headlines a program of American composers with Edward MacDowell’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in A Major. Known for its virtuosic piano writing and lush Romantic melodies, MacDowell’s concerto promises to be a highlight of the evening.

The concert opens with Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide,” a lively and energetic work that captures the spirit of the comic operetta and concludes with William Grant Still’s “Symphony No. 1,” a groundbreaking work that blends classical European forms with African American musical idioms. Written in 1930, it was the first symphony written by a Black composer to be performed by a major American orchestra. The symphony has since become a beloved staple of the orchestral repertoire.
Tickets for the concert are $25 for adults; students and children are free. Tickets can be purchased online at www.hyltoncenter.org, by phone at 703-993-7759 or at the Hylton Center Box Office from Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm and from 10am to 8pm on concert days.