Rhapsody in Blue

Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Aaron Diehl Trio (SLSO debut)
Jeffrey Siegel, piano

Paul Turok A Joplin Overture
Mary Lou Williams Selections from Zodiac Suite
John Alden Carpenter Krazy Kat
George Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue

• This performance is currently SOLD OUT. You might also enjoy Musical Fables with Film and Live Animation on January 27-28.
• This concert takes place at Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
• Let us do the driving! Reserve your seat on the Symphony Shuttle from Plaza Frontenac. Shuttle tickets are $15 per passenger and depart 75 minutes prior to the concert.

We return to jazz’s American home for a program featuring Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The Aaron Diehl trio makes its debut in Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite. John Alden Carpenter was an early classical composer to incorporate jazz in his ballet Krazy Kat, while Paul Turok channels a past St. Louis resident in A Joplin Overture.

A few things to know:

• American pianist Aaron Diehl tours the world, receiving acclaim for both jazz and classical performances. “They are both part of my musical DNA,” he says. “Both genres speak and resonate heavily with me.”

• Zodiac Suite began life as 12 songs for jazz trio. Each song is inspired by an astrological sign, and by musicians born under the sign. The collection was soon performed with full symphony orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Zodiac Suite was “the beginning of a real fulfillment of one of my ambitions,” said Williams.

• John Alden Carpenter wanted to capture the spirit of America. He wrote several patriotic works and was among the first classical composers to incorporate jazz into his music. He was vice president of his family’s business, a shipping supply company, for almost 30 years, composing in his spare time.

 

This concert is currently sold out. Please call the Box Office at 314-534-1700 for current availability.