May 8, 2027
What better way to celebrate American musical icons than a night of the best American standards made famous by the great American crooners? Join singing sensation Steve Lippia, who has mastered the songbook of America’s favorite classic singers—from Frank Sinatra to Bobby Darin to Tony Bennett. Join us for an unforgettable night of the best of American crooners and the songs that they made famous.
Hit songs made famous by
Tony Bennett
Vic Damone
Bobby Darin
Frank Sinatra
April 3, 2027
An American Hymn brings sacred music to our concert hall in an evening of religious works by great American composers that invite us to reflect on the sacred and holy. We will present American composer Leonard Bernstein’s moving setting of psalms in his choral masterwork Chichester Psalms. Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring features the delicate beauty of the Shaker hymn Simple Gifts as its central theme in a uniquely American sacred song, and contemporary American composer Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst gives us a sparkling fanfare reflecting the great cosmos to round out our evening of contemplative and spiritual song.
Jessie Montgomery – Starburst
Bernstein – Chichester Psalms
Copland – Appalachian Spring Ballet
February 20, 2027
Our season continues with spectacular pizzazz with the distinctly American rhythms in Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s New Orlean’s-influenced Night in the Tropics and jazz great Duke Ellington’s mini-symphony Black, Brown and Beige. We also welcome back audience-favorite Alexander Tutunov for George Gershwin’s flashy, jazzy Piano Concerto in F.
Louis Moreau Gottschalk – A Night in the Tropics
Duke Ellington – Black, Brown and Beige
Gershwin – Piano Concerto in F With Alexander Tutunov
January 23, 2027
Czech composer Antonin Dvořák came to the United States to lead the new National Conservatory of Music in New York and to discover “American Music.” It was in Spillville, Iowa, that Dvořák fell in love with the grandeur of the American plains. He urged American composers to take inspiration from African American music. On this concert we will play Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, that he conducted in Chicago, as well as Adolphus Hailstork’s 3 Spirituals for Orchestra. We will also feature our own violinist Isaac Villaroya’s composition, It Is, Isn’t It.
Adolphus Hailstork – 3 Spirituals for Orchestra
Isaac Villaroya – It Is, Isn’t It
Dvořák – Symphony No. 8
Young Artist Competition Winner
December 16, 2026
Come get into the spirit of the holiday season with music from the most iconic Christmas movies that Hollywood has brought to the screen. We’ll play music from classics like the jazzy tunes from It’s Christmas, Charlie Brown and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas to modern favorites like the Elf soundtrack and even a medley from Disney’s smash hit Frozen. And we’ll wrap it all up with our annual sing-a-long, one of our favorite holiday traditions here at the symphony.
Guaraldi – Music from Charlie Brown
Silvestri – Suite from The Polar Express
Debney – Suite from Elf
Lopez – Music from Frozen
Hague – Medley from How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Goeller – Christmas Carol Sing-Along
And Other Holiday Favorites
November 7, 2026
Hop in the car for the great American road trip! We’ll hear music depicting the most iconic sights across the nation—from the Mighty Mississippi to the Grand Tetons and the Grand Canyon, we’ll cruise across Route 66 and beyond to hear both new and old pieces celebrating the great American landscape. And we’re very excited to bring Xavier Foley to Topeka for a concerto for bass and orchestra!
Daugherty – Route 66
Xavier Foley – Soul Bass Concerto with Xavier Foley
An American Road Trip Suite
October 3, 2026
Kick off our season of American icons with music from New York, by New Yorkers! We’re featuring music by George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, and Aaron Copland, all New Yorkers who created some of the most quintessentially American music of the 20th century. From their apartments in The Big Apple, they captured the sounds not just of New York but the American West and beyond. We’re also bringing Brooklyn- based Sandbox Percussion Ensemble to perform their audience-thrilling Re(new)al, a ground-breaking piece by Vietnamese-American composer Viet Cuong that is a treat for both the eyes and the ears.
Hanson – Fanfare for the Signal Corps
Viet Cuong – Re(new)al with Sandbox Percussion
Copland – The Red Pony Suite
Gershwin – An American in Paris