Masterworks 02: Rhapsody in Blue
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Masterworks 02: Rhapsody in Blue
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Featuring Willis Delony, Piano
Conductor, Timothy Muffitt
Immerse yourself in a celebration of jazz’s profound legacy in American music and the world, marking the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue." The concert opens with William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 2 “Song for a New Race,” echoing jazz’s roots in African and African American traditions, crafting a narrative of integration and optimism. Guest pianist Willis Delony takes center stage in the "Jazz Concerto for Piano and Orchestra" by Greg Yasinitsky, a piece Delony commissioned and premiered, alongside Timothy Muffitt, which bridges jazz's improvisational spirit with symphonic depth. The evening crescendos with "Rhapsody in Blue," a timeless fusion of jazz vibrancy and classical structure, celebrating a century of this groundbreaking work’s influence on American music culture.
-
Program
-
Symphony No. 2 “Song for a New Race”
WILLIAM GRANT STILLJazz Concerto for Piano and Orchestra
GREG YASINITSKYRhapsody in Blue
GEORGE GERSHWIN -
Preview Conversatons with Jody Knol
-
Preview Conversations begin at 6:45 PM before each Masterworks series performance.
Jody Knol blends insightful information about the featured composers, music, and guest artists. Preview Conversations give you a chance to hear selected passages of music, learn some of the histories of the music, and listen to the artists performing. PreViews are an excellent opportunity to feel more connected to the evening’s program and the musicians performing it.
Jody Knol began announcing classical music on 90.5 WKAR while a student at MSU in 1982. After receiving his degree in Interdisciplinary Humanities-music, theater, and political science. Jody worked as chief announcer for WMUK in Kalamazoo for two years before returning to WKAR in 1986. He currently hosts the morning classical program from 9:00am to 1:00pm on weekdays. Jody’s association with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra began in 1986 when he hosted LSO broadcasts on 90.5 Classical. Lansing Symphony recordings are now part of Great Lakes Concerts which Jody produces and hosts. Great Lakes Concerts air Saturday s at 12:00pm on 90.5 FM and WKAR.org, Sundays at 10:00am on WRCJ, Detroit, and Mondays at 6:00pm on Classical IPR, Interlochen. This is Jody’s fifteenth year hosting Lansing Symphony PreView Conversations.LSO PreView Conversations are generously sponsored by WKAR.