March 22 and 24, 2026
By 1798 at age 66, composer Franz Joseph Haydn was a superstar. His body of work, which included symphonies, chamber music, string quartets and even a few operas, were known far and wide across the major cities of Europe. His benefactors, the super-wealthy Esterhazy family of Hungary, had kept him steadily employed as their Kapellmeister or household music director—yes, wealthy people employed full-time music directors back then—for over 30 years writing compositions to be performed on a weekly basis by an in-house orchestra for the entertainment of Prince Paul Anton and his family. Thanks to Haydn’s business savvy and ability to negotiate with top-tier music publishers that handled only the biggest composers of the day, these masterful compositions made their way out into the world beyond the palatial Esterhazy gates and were performed regularly in the best concert halls in London and Vienna. In the mid-1780’s, hardly a London concert did not feature work by the gifted composer.
However, Haydn, while enormously successful, still felt isolated and alone at the Esterhazy compound. He longed for exposure to the music the other composers of his time were creating. It was around this time, 1784, that Haydn began traveling regularly to Vienna. On one of his visits, he began an important friendship with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The two musical geniuses admired each other so greatly that they would often complement each other publicly. In fact, Mozart thought so highly of Haydn that he dedicated six string quartets to him.
Haydn, a humble, well-liked man from a modest background—his father was a wheelwright and his mother a cook—could not have asked for greater success and fame. So, it came as a surprise, when on March 19, 1799, at the old Burgtheater in Vienna, Haydn debuted for the public what came to be known as his masterpiece, an oratorio based on The Book of Genesis called Die Schopfung or The Creation. Unlike an opera, which is usually a secular story staged with costumes and scenery, oratorios are concerts with biblical or spiritual themes. Haydn, after hearing Handel’s monumental oratorio The Messiah, longed to create such a piece, one of lasting importance. There is no doubt among music scholars that he succeeded in doing just that.
And how lucky are we, that on March 22 and 24, 2026, South Florida audiences will be able to hear Haydn’s entire three-part magnum opus at the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. Luke Frazier, artistic director of The Symphony of the Americas will lead SOTA’s preeminent orchestra as Haydn’s glorious music tells the story of God’s creation and Adam and Eve. Joining them are three accomplished soloists: Peter Barber, Jordan Costa, and Metropolitan Opera soprano Maureen McKay. Frazier is especially excited about featuring a chorus of paid collegiate singers from across the region with several from other parts of the country. “This continues the tradition of the era–assembling fabulous soloists into a chorus to heighten the energy and emotion of the work. This also tends to lead to a more dimensional sound, a unique approach to a well-loved classic.” And wait. That’s not all. To further elevate the experience, breathtaking LED visuals will be added to the stage surrounding the orchestra and singers which will undoubtedly increase the dramatic effects of the music.
Enjoy Haydn’s The Creation this spring at The Broward Center for the Performing Arts. For classical music lovers of all ages, it is an event not to be missed. The two performances are Sunday, March 22 at 2pm and Tuesday, March 24 at 7:45pm. Tickets may be purchased by visiting the SOTA website at www.sota.org.
