Dvořák’s New World Symphony anchors this soulful celebration of cultural identity and belonging, with works by Courtney Bryan and William Grant Still.
Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” is one of the most beloved works in classical music—but its story is often told without naming the people who shaped it. During his time in America, Dvořák found his deepest inspiration in the musical traditions of Black Americans and Indigenous peoples. Spirituals and Black church music guided his belief that America’s musical voice should grow from these roots. This program centers the traditions that influenced him.
William Grant Still’s music captures the rhythms, depth, and imagination of Black American life, offering a vivid portrait of the cultural landscape that shaped generations of composers.
The concert also features Courtney Bryan, the NHSO’s Composer-in-Residence and one of today’s most compelling American composers. Rooted in the sound of the Black church, improvisation, and contemporary classical writing, Bryan’s Visual Rhythms invites listeners to hear music as movement, color, and spiritual expression. (Throughout this season and the next, she will work closely with New Haven residents, young musicians in the Young Composer Project, and the NHSO in creating new artistic connections.)
Heard alongside Bryan and Still, Dvořák’s New World Symphony reveals the rich cultural lineage that captivated him. The familiar “Goin’ Home” theme will take on new resonance when placed with the musical traditions that helped inspire it.
Adult tickets start at $15 and youth under 18 go free with an adult ticket. Learn more at NewHavenSymphony.org.
This concert is sponsored by Yale University Office of New Haven Affairs, NewAlliance Foundation, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, and Frontier, a Verizon Company.
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