Foothills PAC doors open at 6:30pm with cash bar. Concert begins at 7:30pm.

Students always FREE and accompanying parents, guardians, or chaperones only $10.

The Catskill Symphony Orchestra opens its 2026-2027 season with an evening celebrating America's greatest composers and the transformative power of artistic vision across centuries. The concert begins with Aaron Copland's A Lincoln Portrait, where the American master's populist orchestration brings Abraham Lincoln's words on unity and democracy to vivid musical life through Mayor Daniel Buttermann's narration. The evening then ventures into contemporary territory with Glen Cortese's world premiere Apparitions, Ghosts and Spirits, a composition that adds new colors to the orchestral palette while showcasing that American compositional innovation is alive and thriving in 2026.

Following intermission, the concert reaches its pinnacle with Antonin Dvorak's New World Symphony, a masterpiece composed by a Czech immigrant who arrived in America seeking freedom and found inspiration in the American landscape and spirit. Featured soloist Lisa Leonard, an internationally celebrated pianist known for her interpretive depth and technical brilliance, performs alongside the orchestra's full dramatic power. Dvorak's New World stands as a testament to how immigrant artists have shaped American cultural identity, with the symphony guiding audiences through an emotional journey from its evocative opening through its tender movements to its triumphant finale.

The evening presents three distinct musical voices—Copland's populist vision, Cortese's contemporary voice, and Dvorak's immigrant perspective—united by their shared commitment to American artistic achievement and the boundless possibilities of orchestral music.

Tickets subject to all terms and conditions of the CSO's ticket policy. See catskillsymphony.org/ticket-policy for more information.

Concert I: American Legends

Sept. 26, 2026: Three centuries. Three visionary composers. One conversation about who America is.