The 64th season kicks off with Music Director Cristian Măcelaru leading the Festival Orchestra and audience in a powerful meditation on the distance between national ideals and lived reality. 

Vivian Fung‘s America the Beautiful? (world premiere) opens the season with a work responding to the U.S. National Anthem through the lens of her intersectional identity as a dual Canadian-American citizen with Chinese familial lineage. The piece confronts the tension between patriotic tradition and the deeply imperfect struggle to uphold democratic values for all. 

Pedro Emanuel Pereira‘s Clarinet Concerto (Festival Commission, world premiere), featuring clarinetist Carlos Ferreira, blends Portuguese musical traditions with experimental timbres and performative innovation, reimagining virtuosity for the present moment. 

The program concludes with Philip Glass‘s Symphony No. 15 Lincoln (West Coast premiere)—featuring GRAMMY® award winning baritone Zachary James—is a six-movement symphony incorporating Abraham Lincoln’s own words, including the Emancipation Proclamation and reflections on law, power, and ambition. The work resonates forcefully with the urgencies of today.  

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Nancy returns to Jakarta for a second collaboration with conductor Rebecca Tong and the Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra. This time, Nancy joins composer Vivian Fung in a workshop elaborating on the creative and interactive process of composing for a musician. The week culminates with Nancy performing Vivian's first violin concerto, a work drawing inspiration from the Indonesian gamelan music idiom.

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Performance at the 2026 Cape Cod Chamber Music Festival

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About Dreaming in North America / Rêver en Amérique du Nord

Dreaming in North America is part of The Two Faces of the Dream, a national concert series presented by Harmonaire Musique across Canada throughout 2026. The project explores the relationship between classical music and the inner psychological world of composers, inviting audiences to experience music not as distant historical art, but as deeply human expressions shaped by memory, imagination, movement, and emotional life.

This Vancouver program brings together works spanning more than three centuries, from Johann Sebastian Bach to contemporary North American voices such as Jessie Montgomery and Vivian Fung. Though separated by time, geography, and musical language, these composers share a common thread: the transformation of inner experience into sound.

At the center of the project lies the imaginative world of Robert Schumann, whose artistic identity was famously divided between the fictional figures Florestan and Eusebius. These imagined alter egos represented two opposing yet inseparable forces within the composer’s mind — passion and reflection, impulse and introspection, turbulence and lyricism. Schumann’s “two faces” serve as a symbolic framework for this series, reflecting the emotional dualities that continue to shape artistic expression across generations.

Each concert in the series combines live performance with spoken interaction before and during the performance. Through storytelling, commentary, and introduction, audiences are invited into the emotional, psychological, and physical worlds behind the music and its creators. By breaking down traditional barriers between performers and listeners, The Two Faces of the Dream seeks to make classical music more accessible, personal, and connected to contemporary life.

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Gods of the Earth explores nature not as backdrop but as divine force — elemental, mysterious, and alive with spiritual presence. Featuring songs from Mahler to Monteverdi, this program reveals what happens when humankind confronts a natural world that is sacred, untamed, and ultimately beyond our control.

A highlight of this program is the Midwestern premiere of Vivian Fung's Lamenting Earth, which was premiered in 2023 at New York’s Kaufman Music Center. The cycle is scored for tenor, string quartet, and piano. Anchored by a poem by climate activist-poet Claire Wahmanholm's "O", it’s expanded through high-school students' voices on climate change with poetry that was commissioned from the extraordinary students of the Kaufman school. It foregrounds youth perspectives often left unheard, transforming lament into testimony.

Performance by Nicholas Phan, Jasper Quartet, and Brent Funderburk.

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Wide horizons, boundless energy, and music that moves ever forward. Vivian Fung’s Pizzicato sparkles with rhythmic wit, while Christina Jennings brings brilliance and agility to Liebermann’s virtuosic Flute Concerto. Sibelius’s beloved Second Symphony unfolds like a vast landscape, drawing listeners through moments of intimacy and exhilaration before arriving at its soaring finale.

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More details coming soon!

Wide horizons, boundless energy, and music that moves ever forward. Vivian Fung’s Pizzicato sparkles with rhythmic wit, while Christina Jennings brings brilliance and agility to Liebermann’s virtuosic Flute Concerto. Sibelius’s beloved Second Symphony unfolds like a vast landscape, drawing listeners through moments of intimacy and exhilaration before arriving at its soaring finale.

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Season brochure>>>

Program

Vivian Fung: String Quartet No. 2 (2009)
Franz Joseph Haydn: String Quartet Op. 33, No. 3, “The Bird” (1781)
Lei Liang: Gobi Gloria (2006)
Johannes Brahms: String Quartet in C Minor, Op. 51, No. 1 (1873)

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Few works announce themselves with the visceral impact of Elgar’s Cello Concerto. From its arresting opening notes, this iconic score speaks with a voice of searing honesty. Composed in the aftermath of World War I, it is widely regarded as one of the great masterpieces of the early 20th century as Elgar sheds the pomp of his earlier work in favor of introspection and quiet anguish, reflecting the recent loss of his wife and his post-war disillusionment. In the expressive hands of Johannes Moser and led by Music Director Peter Oundjian, the concerto’s lyricism and emotional vulnerability will resonate with seasoned audiences and newcomers alike.

The concerto is framed by music of restless motion as Vivian Fung’s Dust Devils sweeps listeners into a world of kinetic energy and swirling momentum, with vivid textures evoking the raw power of nature and the thrill of constant movement. The sense of urgency carries forward into Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony, a work of dark intensity and dramatic sweep. Considered by many to be his greatest symphony, the Seventh channels Dvořák’s inner conflict and nationalist longing into a gripping symphonic statement you will need to see to believe.

Details and tickets>>>

Few works announce themselves with the visceral impact of Elgar’s Cello Concerto. From its arresting opening notes, this iconic score speaks with a voice of searing honesty. Composed in the aftermath of World War I, it is widely regarded as one of the great masterpieces of the early 20th century as Elgar sheds the pomp of his earlier work in favor of introspection and quiet anguish, reflecting the recent loss of his wife and his post-war disillusionment. In the expressive hands of Johannes Moser and led by Music Director Peter Oundjian, the concerto’s lyricism and emotional vulnerability will resonate with seasoned audiences and newcomers alike.

The concerto is framed by music of restless motion as Vivian Fung’s Dust Devils sweeps listeners into a world of kinetic energy and swirling momentum, with vivid textures evoking the raw power of nature and the thrill of constant movement. The sense of urgency carries forward into Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony, a work of dark intensity and dramatic sweep. Considered by many to be his greatest symphony, the Seventh channels Dvořák’s inner conflict and nationalist longing into a gripping symphonic statement you will need to see to believe.

Details and tickets>>>

Few works announce themselves with the visceral impact of Elgar’s Cello Concerto. From its arresting opening notes, this iconic score speaks with a voice of searing honesty. Composed in the aftermath of World War I, it is widely regarded as one of the great masterpieces of the early 20th century as Elgar sheds the pomp of his earlier work in favor of introspection and quiet anguish, reflecting the recent loss of his wife and his post-war disillusionment. In the expressive hands of Johannes Moser and led by Music Director Peter Oundjian, the concerto’s lyricism and emotional vulnerability will resonate with seasoned audiences and newcomers alike.

The concerto is framed by music of restless motion as Vivian Fung’s Dust Devils sweeps listeners into a world of kinetic energy and swirling momentum, with vivid textures evoking the raw power of nature and the thrill of constant movement. The sense of urgency carries forward into Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony, a work of dark intensity and dramatic sweep. Considered by many to be his greatest symphony, the Seventh channels Dvořák’s inner conflict and nationalist longing into a gripping symphonic statement you will need to see to believe.

Details and tickets>>>

Shake off the January chill and escape into a soundscape of renewal and light. As winter settles over Kansas, the Symphony offers a musical sanctuary featuring guest conductor Vinay Parameswaran and the radiant virtuosity of pianist Julie Coucheron. The program opens with the festive, rhythmic energy of Vivian Fung’s Parade, a work that captures the spirit of a community coming to life. The atmosphere builds with Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1, a masterpiece of breathless momentum and shimmering melodic grace that showcases Coucheron’s "compelling musicianship." Finally, wander through a sun-drenched landscape with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, "Pastoral." From the gentle murmur of a brook to the triumphant calm after a summer storm, this beloved symphony serves as a vibrant bridge to spring—a profound reminder of the warmth and beauty of the natural world.

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Gold medal winner of the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition, Canadian Jaeden Izik-Dzurko makes his VSO debut with Grieg’s Piano Concerto, instantly recognizable from its thundering opening chords. Maestro Tausk leads the orchestra in Liszt’s Les préludes and Richard Strauss’ poignant Death and Transfiguration. Canadian composer Vivian Fung’s Parade explores the journey from isolation to togetherness.

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Gold medal winner of the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition, Canadian Jaeden Izik-Dzurko makes his VSO debut with Grieg’s Piano Concerto, instantly recognizable from its thundering opening chords. Maestro Tausk leads the orchestra in Liszt’s Les préludes and Richard Strauss’ poignant Death and Transfiguration. Canadian composer Vivian Fung’s Parade explores the journey from isolation to togetherness.

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Program:
Ruo, Chamber Concerto No. 3: Divergence
Fung, String Quartet No. 4: “Insects & Machines”
Takemitsu, And Then I know, ‘Twas Wind
Gubaidulina, Garden of Joy and Sorrow
Ruo, Chamber Concerto No. 2: The Lost Garden

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Program

Saturday, April 3rd, 2027- 7:30 PM at Sunset Center
With a pre-concert talk at 6:30 PM.

J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750)  Two Chorale Preludes (trans. Ferruccio Busoni)  
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)  Piano Sonata No. 13 in Eb major, Op. 27 no. 1 “Quasi una Fantasia”  
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827)  Piano Sonata No. 14 in C# minor, Op. 27 no. 2 “Quasi una Fantasia” (“Moonlight”)  

Intermission

Elena Ruehr (b. 1963)  The Gork (2024)  
Vivian Fung (b. 1975) Down and Dirty (2023) – Third Movement  
Frédéric Chopin (1810 – 1849) Polonaise-Fantaisie in Ab major, Op. 61 (1846)  
Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49 (1841)  

Performers

Jon Nakamatsu, piano

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Program

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) / Ferruccio Busoni (1866 - 1924): Two Chorale Preludes
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): Piano Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2, Op. 27 “Quasi una Fantasia”
Elena Ruehr (b. 1963): The Gork
Vivian Fung (b. 1975): A Little Down-and-Dirty
Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849): Polonaise-Fantaisie, Op. 61
Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849): Fantaisie, Op. 49
Frédéric Chopin (1810 - 1849): Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante, Op. 22

Performers

Jon Nakamatsu, piano

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A program rooted in musical storytelling, featuring recorder virtuoso Vincent Lauzer. From battlefield drama to literary adventure and Celtic evocation to contemporary reflection, this concert reveals the Baroque as vivid narrative theatre, rich with character and imagination.
Presented with the Winnipeg Baroque Festival

H. I. F. Biber
Battalia à 10  

Vivian Fung
Baroque Melting (MCO commission reprise)  

Crispin Ward
Celtic Concerto for Recorder and Strings 

G. P. Telemann
Burlesque de Quichotte (Don Quixote Suite) 

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Program
Vivian Fung, String Quartet No. 1
George Walker, String Quartet No. 1
Felix Mendelssohn, String Quartet No. 6

Chamber Socials are an intimate evening out by candlelight with food, drink, and spectacular live music performed by the principal players of the PGSO.  Appetizers are included with table seats, and a cash bar is available to all. Doors open at 6:30pm and patrons are encouraged to arrive early to find a seat.

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Program
Vivian Fung, String Quartet No. 1
George Walker, String Quartet No. 1
Felix Mendelssohn, String Quartet No. 6

Chamber Socials are an intimate evening out by candlelight with food, drink, and spectacular live music performed by the principal players of the PGSO.  Appetizers are included with table seats, and a cash bar is available to all. Doors open at 6:30pm and patrons are encouraged to arrive early to find a seat.

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In the season-concluding concert of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra’s 98th season, embark on a dazzling symphonic journey showcasing nature’s profound influence across every realm of experience – from human emotion and artistic expression to the architecture we build and the technologies we create.

Fung’s mystifying and imaginative Aqua plays off of the architectural beauty and dizzying height of Chicago’s award-winning, 82-story Aqua Tower. Machover’s FLOW Symphony invites AI onto the stage to interact with the orchestra, creating unique aquatic soundscapes that transport you to an immersive experience like no other. Debussy’s La Mer evokes the splendor of the ocean’s power and majesty with shimmering orchestral color.

Lauded for his “astonishing command of keyboard tone and color” (The Guardian), pianist and 2025 International Chopin Piano Competition gold medalist Eric Lu returns to Ann Arbor to take on Brahms’ monumental Piano Concerto No. 1, widely regarded as one of the most expansive and demanding works in the piano repertoire.

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Juilliard Orchestra
Xian Zhang, Conductor

Vivian FUNG New Work (Juilliard commission, World premiere)
KODÁLY Dances of Galánta
STRAUSS Suite from Der Rosenkavalier

Music director of the Seattle Symphony Xian Zhang leads the Juilliard Orchestra in its final concert of the season. Zhang, a Grammy- and Emmy-winning conductor, has regularly performed new works by the composer and Juilliard alum Vivian Fung and gives a world premiere by Fung, commissioned by Juilliard.
 
The celebratory occasion is met with dances in the orchestra, first with Zoltan Kodály’s Dances of Galánta, which transforms central European folk music from Hungary and Slovakia into a rollicking symphonic ride. Richard Strauss, on the other hand, skews to the more elegant dance forms in his opera Der Rosenkavalier, with the suite moving between enchanting waltzes and the lush sounds of a love story.

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It took 21 years, from sketches to finishing touches, for Brahms to complete his first symphony due to pressures to match Beethoven's reputation and genius. LA Phil's harpist Emmanuel Ceysson brings special concerto written for him in 2024 by famed Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi.

Plus, Edmonton-born composer Vivian Fung's piece was influenced by Chinese plucked instruments and the energetic rhythms of gamelan.

Earl Lee, Conductor
Emmanuel Ceysson, Harp

Program
Brahms, Symphony No. 1
Hisaishi, Harp Concerto (ESO Premiere)
Fung, Pizzicato (ESO Premiere)

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It took 21 years, from sketches to finishing touches, for Brahms to complete his first symphony due to pressures to match Beethoven's reputation and genius. LA Phil's harpist Emmanuel Ceysson brings special concerto written for him in 2024 by famed Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi.

Plus, Edmonton-born composer Vivian Fung's piece was influenced by Chinese plucked instruments and the energetic rhythms of gamelan.

Earl Lee, Conductor
Emmanuel Ceysson, Harp

Program
Brahms, Symphony No. 1
Hisaishi, Harp Concerto (ESO Premiere)
Fung, Pizzicato (ESO Premiere)

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