A multitude of percussionists (or as close as we can get!) help close the School of Music’s 100th anniversary season outdoors on the Horseshoe.
Adams’ monumental Inuksuit, intended to be performed and experienced outdoors, creates an enormous sonic landscape, both intimate and overpowering, that is unique to each performance and performance site. In Inuksuit, inspired and shaped by the stone sentinels constructed over centuries by the Inuit people as waypoints in the expanse of the Arctic, the listener is free to shape their own experience: audience members may bring a blanket, a lawn chair or wander throughout the performance area.
Co-produced by Boston-based percussionist Maria Finkelmeier, professor Scott Herring & the USC percussion studio and Southern Exposure.
John Luther Adams Darkness and Scattered Light
Vivian Fung The Ice Is Talking
Anna Thorvaldsdottir Shades of Silence
Jan Dismas Zelenka Trio Sonata No. 6 in c minor, ZWV 181
Doors open at 7pm, music at 7:30PM.
Dive into the world of John Luther Adams's Pulitzer Prize-winning Become Ocean as the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra transforms Blume Studios into an immersive soundscape with a live performance of the work, inspired by the stunning waters of the Pacific Northwest.
Featuring dynamic light projections and a 360° spatial audio experience, this multi-sensory event invites a profound meditation on the beauty and fragility of the natural world, continuing through self-guided explorations of GAIA, a breathtaking three-dimensional display of Earth, and Groundswell, an interactive installation that prompts reflection on humanity's relationship with the planet and one another.
Courtney Lewis, conductor
Dive into the world of John Luther Adams's Pulitzer Prize-winning Become Ocean as the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra transforms Blume Studios into an immersive soundscape with a live performance of the work, inspired by the stunning waters of the Pacific Northwest.
Featuring dynamic light projections and a 360° spatial audio experience, this multi-sensory event invites a profound meditation on the beauty and fragility of the natural world, continuing through self-guided explorations of GAIA, a breathtaking three-dimensional display of Earth, and Groundswell, an interactive installation that prompts reflection on humanity's relationship with the planet and one another.
Courtney Lewis, conductor
Dive into the world of John Luther Adams's Pulitzer Prize-winning Become Ocean as the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra transforms Blume Studios into an immersive soundscape with a live performance of the work, inspired by the stunning waters of the Pacific Northwest.
Featuring dynamic light projections and a 360° spatial audio experience, this multi-sensory event invites a profound meditation on the beauty and fragility of the natural world, continuing through self-guided explorations of GAIA, a breathtaking three-dimensional display of Earth, and Groundswell, an interactive installation that prompts reflection on humanity's relationship with the planet and one another.
Courtney Lewis, conductor
Embodying “undivided devotion to the musical material,” the Grammy Award–winning vocal ensemble Theatre of Voices is a go-to collaborator for many of today’s most visionary composers. In Zankel Hall alone, they have premiered new works by such artists as Arvo Pärt, David Lang, and Ingram Marshall. In this performance—in the intimate, in-the-round Zankel Hall Center Stage configuration—they sing a world premiere by the category-defying Julia Wolfe, a US premiere by John Luther Adams that takes listeners on a journey through the geological layers of the Grand Canyon, and a recent work by Michael Gordon that combines playfully direct lyrics with sumptuously scored singing.
MICHAEL GORDON A Western
JULIA WOLFE New Work (US Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
JOHN LUTHER ADAMS A Brief Descent into Deep Time (US Premiere, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall)
Join us for an enchanting evening with "Water Chants and Love," featuring music that explores the connections between nature and emotion. The concert begins with Thomas Adès's "Shanty – Over the Sea," a modern take on traditional sea shanties, followed by John Luther Adams's serene "Become River," which evokes the journey of water from stream to river. After intermission, enjoy Sergei Rachmaninoff's lush and virtuosic Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18. The evening concludes with Inocente Carreño's "Glosa Sinfónica 'Margariteña'," a vibrant tribute to Venezuela's Margarita Island, rich with folk elements and colorful orchestration.
Thomas Adès (b. 1971) Shanty – Over the Sea (2020)
Thomas Adès, one of the most prominent contemporary composers, premiered "Shanty – Over the Sea" in 2020. This work is inspired by traditional sea shanties, reimagined through Adès's innovative and modern musical language. The piece captures the essence of the sea through its rhythmic vitality and evocative melodies, painting a vivid sonic picture of maritime life. Adès's skillful orchestration and imaginative use of harmony and texture create a compelling narrative that is both haunting and exhilarating, reflecting the timeless allure and peril of the ocean.
John Luther Adams (b. 1953) Become River (2010; rev. 2015)
John Luther Adams, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer known for his environmental themes, composed "Become River" in 2010, later revising it in 2015. This meditative and immersive work is part of Adams's larger series exploring water in its various forms. "Become River" traces a journey from a small stream to a vast, flowing river, using minimalistic techniques to create a sense of organic growth and transformation. The music unfolds gradually, with delicate textures and shimmering sonorities that evoke the natural beauty and power of a river. Adams's work invites listeners to reflect on the interconnectedness of nature and music.
Intermission
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18 (1900–1901)
Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18, is one of the most beloved works in the piano repertoire. Composed between 1900 and 1901, this concerto marks Rachmaninoff's triumphant return to composition after a period of depression. The piece is celebrated for its lush Romantic melodies, virtuosic piano writing, and rich orchestration. The first movement features a dramatic opening followed by a lyrical second theme, the second movement is known for its hauntingly beautiful melodies, and the finale is a brilliant and energetic display of technical prowess and emotional depth. This concerto remains a favorite for its emotional intensity and technical challenges.
Inocente Carreño (1913-1976) Glosa Sinfónica “Margariteña” (1954)
Inocente Carreño, a distinguished Venezuelan composer, wrote "Glosa Sinfónica ‘Margariteña’" in 1954. This symphonic poem is a tribute to Carreño's birthplace, the island of Margarita. The piece is infused with elements of Venezuelan folk music, reflecting the cultural heritage and natural beauty of the island. Carreño's use of vibrant rhythms, colorful orchestration, and evocative melodies creates a vivid and dynamic musical portrait. "Margariteña" is celebrated for its ability to convey a strong sense of place and identity, making it a significant work in the Latin American orchestral repertoire.
John Luther Adams
Become Desert
Steve Reich
The Desert Music
In February, the orchestra will join the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir for a performance at Teras Beach, a beach sports and leisure centre in Tallinn. In deep winter, audiences can step onto white sands in 26-degree heat and enjoy minimalist atmospheric desert music composed by Steve Reich and John Luther Adams.
Concert organiser ERSO
John Luther Adams
Become Desert
Steve Reich
The Desert Music
In February, the orchestra will join the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir for a performance at Teras Beach, a beach sports and leisure centre in Tallinn. In deep winter, audiences can step onto white sands in 26-degree heat and enjoy minimalist atmospheric desert music composed by Steve Reich and John Luther Adams.
Concert organiser ERSO
John Luther Adams Three High Places
Evan Daitz A Balloon’s Breath
Béla Bartók Divertimento
Ruxandra Marquardt, Megan Holland, Natalie Frantz, Ana Maria Quintero, Carla Kountoupes, Lidija Peno-Kelly, Laura Steiner violin
Kim Fredenburgh, Laura Chang, Allie Norris viola
Amy Huzjak, Joel Becktell, Ian Brody, Evan Daitz cello
Sam Brown, Zachary Bush bass
David Felberg conductor
Jessica Helen Lopez spoken word
John Luther Adams In a Treeless Place, Only Snow
Philip Glass Piano Quintet no. 1 “Annunciation”
David Felberg, Ruxandra Marquardt violin
Laura Steiner viola
Dana Winograd cello
Luke Gullickson piano
Anna Hamrick harp
Jeff Cornelius, Diana Sharpe vibraphones
Malena Morling spoken word
Presented in collaboration with the University of Iowa String Quartet Residency Program and Center for New Music
The venturous quartet follows up last year’s John Zorn concert with music by John Luther Adams and Elliott Carter.
The members of JACK Quartet—champions of contemporary music and musicians of prodigious talent—return to play compositions by two towering giants. John Luther Adams—whose work Inuksuit is central to Steve Schick’s October residency—invites listeners to slow down and share a specific time and space together. Meanwhile, Elliott Carter’s fifth quartet opens a window on the compositional process.
“It's hard to think of another string quartet that plays ... ferociously contemporary repertoire with their impeccable precision.” — San Francisco Classical Voice
PROGRAM:
John Luther ADAMS: Lines Made by Walking
Elliott CARTER: String Quartet No. 5 (1995)
Following her thrilling 2023 recital debut with pianist Julius Drake, Singaporean-British mezzo Fleur Barron returns to PCMS with the “fearless, yet probingly beautiful” (The Strad) Parker Quartet. Their collaboration includes the premiere of a new song cycle for string quartet and voice by Anthony Cheung (co-commissioned by PCMS), as well as arrangements of Brahms’s and Mahler’s songs, and John Luther Adams’s stunningly serene The Wind in High Places.
Brahms: Im Herbst from Fünf Gesänge, Op. 104 (Arr. Parker Quartet)
J. L. Adams: The Wind in High Places
Cheung: The Field Remembers Philadelphia Premiere/PCMS Co-Commission
Mahler: Der Einsame im Herbst from Das Lied von der Erde (Arr. Cheung)
Brahms: String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 67
Running time: 1 hour and 45 minutes (including intermission)
A DAY OF NEW MUSIC
Art Installations, Deep Listening, Food Trucks, Beer Garden, and more!
The line-up includes performances of Dark Waves (Vicki Ray) and Canticles of the Sky (Calder Quartet).
The LA Phil's new-music marathon includes 12 hours of live performances and art installations in every corner of Walt Disney Concert Hall. This year's festival, curated by Pulitzer-prize winning composer Ellen Reid, explores the intersections of art, technology, and nature through the theme of field recordings, the act of capturing audio in natural or built environments outside of a studio setting. Noon to Midnight: Field Recordings is an invitation to experience how sound changes us by participating in deeper forms of listening.
Live at the Pulitzer
Outside In
Kaija Saariaho Six Japanese Gardens
John Luther Adams Selections from The Wind in High Places
Samuel Adams Sundial
? This concert takes place at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation
Alexander Meagher, Percussion
Liam Wooding, Piano
Program:
John Luther Adams 4,000 HOLES
Alvin Lucier NOTHING IS REAL
Thierry de Mey SILENCE MUST BE
A multi-sensory presentation for percussion and piano, accompanied by surround-sound technology and coloured light auras. The compositions draw inspiration from the Beatles' psychedelic music of the 1960s, with 4,000 Holes based on "A Day in the Life" and Nothing Is Real on "Strawberry Fields Forever".
RANDALL CRAIG FLEISCHER -
Athabaskan Prayer Song from Echoes
JOHN LUTHER ADAMS - An Atlas of Deep Time
BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 6
The piece ASO Music Director in Memoriam called "One of the highlights of my tenure (and life)," Randy's Echoes features Alaska Native and Native American indigenous music, including an Athabaskan Prayer Song.
John Luther Adams paints a mesmerizing sonic landscape of the vast expanse of geological time, evoking a sense of awe and wonder through its gradual shifts and resonant textures.
Beethoven's "Pastoral Symphony" evokes nature's beauty and tranquility and the joyfulness and energy it summons within us.
Music by John Luther Adams, Christopher Rountree, Nathalie Joachim, CJ Camerieri, Trever Hagen, and Vicky Chow
Produced by Liquid Music
On October 25, 2025, conductor Christopher Rountree known for his “elegant clarity” (New York Times), prestigious French choreographer Dimitri Chamblas, and powerhouse section leaders Sidney Hopson (percussion), Nathalie Joachim (winds), C.J. Camerieri and Trever Hagen (brass) will guide an acoustic ensemble of 36 local musicians in an ultimate rendering of Pulitzer Prize-winning environmentalist composer John Luther Adams’s Crossing Open Ground in the majestic setting of Southern Utah (site to be announced).
Ahead of this singular experience, producer Liquid Music introduces the artistic team to the Kayenta community with works by the Crossing Open Ground musicians, special guest Vicky Chow, and John Luther Adams—hosted by Rountree. Liquid Music artistic director Kate Nordstrum will share insights on the development of Crossing Open Ground for the uniquely inspiring environment of southwestern Utah.
NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic and the NFM Choir plunge into two parts of John Luther Adams' Become cycle. The choir and orchestra of the National Forum of Music in Wroclaw, Poland, present these works as a special immersive experience. DE SINGEL’s Blue Hall will be fitted with three additional stages. On them, the choir and the orchestra will surround the audience. In the midst of the sound that will be coming at you from all sides, you will experience Adams’ music even more intensely, and it will literally become a living landscape. Exactly as Adams intended. After all, in most of his works the American composer transforms the landscape into sound, structure and music. Adams wrote Become Desert for choir and orchestra after leaving Alaska for the solitude of the Sonoran Desert in Mexico.