Program Notes
Learn more about the memorable programs offered by the Spartanburg Philharmonic through insightful anecdotes and historical notes about the composers and their works.
Mazzoli: The Diver
Growing up in Pennsylvania, Mazzoli immersed herself in rock music, played in punk bands, and eventually discovered the experimental possibilities of contemporary classical composition. For Mazzoli, these influences aren't competing styles but different ways of creating music that feels immediate, immersive, and deeply human…
Reich: Radio Rewrite
Musical inspiration rarely travels in a straight line. Sometimes it comes full circle, as it did when legendary American composer Steve Reich (b. 1936) discovered that one of the world's most innovative rock bands had been influenced by his music… and then found himself inspired by theirs.
Anderson: O Superman
In 1981, an unlikely song climbed to number two on the British pop charts. It was eight minutes long, featured almost no conventional instruments, and was built around a single, endlessly repeating vocal pulse. That song was…
Gershwin: An American in Paris
But even as he wrote hit after hit in the world of popular music, Gershwin aspired to master the complex, longer forms of classical music. He sought out lessons from…
Chris Brubeck: Confluence
Some sections of this piece could only be played by a masterful Classical guitarist. Other parts are written to feature a Blues master and are designed to turn the player loose, bringing all prior Blues knowledge into their improvisations. I come from a Jazz background, and I know there is nothing like…
John Moody: The Open Road
The Open Road bridges classical structure and jazz improvisation, drawing inspiration from the vibrant sounds of the 1970s and 80s rather than the traditional swing or bop eras. The piece opens with an extended introduction driven by…
Duke Ellington: Black, Brown, and Beige
By 1943, Ellington had pushed onto the classical concert stage, and while he continued to write for and lead his big band, much of his creative energy in the next decades was devoted to blurring the distinction between “classical” and “jazz”…
Philip Glass: Symphony no. 4 “Heroes”
The son of a Baltimore record store-owner, Glass studied flute as a child and entered the University of Chicago at age 16. He progressed from there to Juilliard and was building a solid career for himself, when at 26…
Leonard Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
Leonard Bernstein was, without a doubt, the best-known classical musician America has ever produced. Respected worldwide as a conductor and composer…
Jessie Montgomery: Hymn for Everyone
To call Jessie Montgomery “in demand” in recent years is to engage in truly comic understatement. In the past four years, she’s been Musical America’s Composer of the Year, Performance Today’s Classical Woman of the Year, Composer-in-Residence at the Chicago Symphony, has won a Grammy Award…