American Voices: Rhapsody in Blue
Saturday, April 19, 2025 – 7:30PM
Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville
Program:
William Grant Still – Afro American Symphony
(Symphony No. 1)
George Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue
Stewart Goodyear, piano
Florence Price – Symphony No. 1 in E Minor
Featuring George Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue, played by internationally acclaimed pianist Stewart Goodyear, this concert is sure to a be SoNA fan favorite. Proclaimed "a phenomenon" by the Los Angeles Times and "one of the best pianists of his generation" by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Stewart Goodyear is an accomplished concert pianist, improviser and composer. He has performed with, and has been commissioned by, many of the major orchestras and chamber music organizations around the world.
Also on the program for this season finale performance are works by two other American composers: Arkansas native Florence Price, and William Grant Still, known to many as the “Dean of African American Composers” and who also has Arkansas roots.
Inside of eight short years during the 1920s and ‘30s, American composers produced three masterpieces – all of them in completely different styles and each written with distinctive voices. This concert celebrates this great American explosion by combining all three of them into one special evening of music.
The program’s centerpiece is Gershwin’s Rhapsody. But first, the evening will open with William Grant Still’s Afro American Symphony (Symphony No. 1). Infused with both the blues and traditional spirituals, the tremendously emotional and satisfying work was written in 1930 and was the first symphony by a Black American ever to be performed by an established orchestra (the Rochester Philharmonic), in 1931. Two years later, Arkansas native Florence Price became the second composer to achieve that status when her Symphony No. 1 was performed by the Chicago Symphony in 1933 – this gloriously infectious piece will close out the evening’s program.
If you don’t want to miss out on the concert everyone will be talking about, this one is mandatory!
Concert sponsored by Highlands Oncology. Soloist Stewart Goodyear sponsored by The Starr Foundation.
Single Tickets: $37, $49, $62
Discount student tickets available with a student photo I.D.
Under 18 FREE with an accompanying adult (limited quantities)
Inside the Music
Listen, see, learn, and experience the music to the fullest! Go Inside the Music to get a 360-degree view of the upcoming American Voices: Rhapsody in Blue concert and the creatives who bring the music to life in advance of the show – including artist interviews, program notes, recordings, and the best places to get a bite or drink before and after the show.