By Charles Baran
On Tuesday, February 25, 2025 in the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, three monumental nineteenth century works by American composers will be presented in concert by the Symphony of the Americas (SOTA). Of the three, two are mainstays of the classical repertoire and are widely performed internationally, “An American in Paris,” (1928), by George Gershwin and “Rodeo” (1942), by Aaron Copland. The third, “Violin Concerto,” (1945), by Erich Wolfgang Korngold is an underappreciated masterpiece that fits perfectly in the American-themed program. Conducting the evening will be SOTA Resident Conductor, Scott Flavin. In addition, the Korngold will feature rising-star violinist Hina Khuong-Huu, First-Prize winner of the 2023 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition.
Both Korngold and Gershwin had strong ties to Hollywood, with Korngold becoming one of the most influential film composers after fleeing Austria in the 1930s to escape Nazi persecution. However, working in Hollywood troubled Korngold who felt that as a film composer he would not be taken seriously when he returned to composing for the concert hall after Hitler’s defeat. The Violin Concerto was the first work he composed after the war and it remains Korngold’s most popular piece.
Gershwin, who was influenced by the work of Maurice Ravel, traveled to Paris in 1926 to study with the composer. But Ravel turned him down saying, “Why be a second-rate Ravel, when you can be a first-rate Gershwin?” “An American in Paris” is a jazz-influenced symphonic poem for orchestra. Gershwin’s intention was to “portray the impressions of an American visitor to Paris as [they] stroll around the city.” Most people are familiar with the piece from the 1951 Gene Kelly film, An American in Paris. The dance sequence that was based on an arrangement of Gershwin’s composition was the most expensive musical number ever filmed at the time, costing a reported $500,000 ($5.87 million in 2023 dollars.)
Copeland’s “Rodeo” has had an equally impressive history. The piece was commissioned by choreographer Agnes de Mille for the Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo after the dance troupe relocated to the United States during World War II. De Mille was heavily involved in the creation of the piece, and upon its premier on October 16, 1942—de Mille herself danced the lead—received a record-breaking 22 curtain calls. “Rodeo” would alter the course of de Mille’s career.
With so much American music greatness on the program, it’s fitting that SOTA includes a contemporary American composer in mid-career. “Three Latin American Dances,” (2004) by Gabriela Lena Frank will open the program. Frank, born in 1972, is a Latin Grammy Award winning composer and a California native of mixed descent, her father is of Lithuanian Jewish heritage while her mother is Peruvian, of Chinese descent. Her work often includes sounds of Latin American instruments, especially those of her mother’s Peruvian heritage. Her work has been performed by such prominent artists as Yo-Yo Ma and Dawn Upshaw.
In keeping with SOTA’s superb level of orchestral performance, this promises to be a spectacular evening. Ticket prices begin at $40 and are available by visiting SOTA’s website at sota.org. Curtain time is 7:45 PM at the Amaturo Theater in the Broward Center.
