Rhapsody Historic Initiative/Rhapsody in Red White & Blue by Peter Boyer

With currently 72 orchestras in all 50 United States, the Rhapsody Historic Initiative was initially created to celebrate the centennial of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". The initiative is the largest consortium ever assembled for a new work focused on orchestras taking part in the first free of buy-in commissioning project. The World Premiere Recording with the London Symphony Orchestra, with the composer, Peter Boyer conducting, is released on the Naxos label. 58 endorsements available upon request, including Kim Noltemy, Emanuel Ax, Denyce Graves, Leonard Slatkin, Betty Buckley, JoAnn Falletta, David Foster, Jennifer Higdon, Adolphus Hailstork, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich,  David Hyslop, Henry Fogel, Betty Buckley, Marc Gershwin, Melissa Manchester, Neil Sedaka, Lucie Arnaz, Charles Strouse, Ann Hampton Callaway, Mark Clague, Catherine Cahill, Paulo Szot, Danny Burstein, Aaron Diehl, Michael Butterman, Donna Pescow, Dan Lauria, Laurence Tribe and others.

 

Never before in the history of music has there been a project allowing orchestras to take part in a 50 state project without paying a share fee to the composer. The roster of orchestras from 2023 through 2028 is listed and updated in every conductor score, in perpetuity. They will be respected by future generations of orchestras and conductors as contributing orchestras toward this 50 state initiative. Contact: biegel88@yahoo.com

 

History and Creation of the Initiative:

 

"I began the Rhapsody National Initiative in November 2019 to celebrate the centennial of George Gershwin's 1924 "Rhapsody in Blue". The "Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue" for piano and orchestra by Peter Boyer brings forth an exciting new work for the repertoire, celebrated by orchestras in all 50 states. Having created commissioning projects for living composers since 2000, some which have been co-commissioned with orchestras in Canada and Europe, the Rhapsody Historic Initiative defines America through the strength of its orchestras, collectively joined to celebrate new music by one of its most important composers while honoring one from the past - George Gershwin. Peter Boyer tips his hat eloquently to George Gershwin in this exciting new composition."

- Jeffrey Biegel

 

The Rhapsody Historic Initiative continues to add orchestras for performances through the 2027-28 season.

 

Video from London Symphony Recording, Air Studios, London:

 

 

Audio Recording:

 

 

Biegel/Boyer “Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue” project

Orchestras and conductors as of July 5, 2026 (72 orchestras in ALL 50 states)

ALABAMA
Montgomery Symphony Orchestra
Jamie Reeves, conductor
ALASKA
Juneau Symphony
Tigran Arakelyan, conductor
ARIZONA
Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra (Tucson)
Linus Lerner, conductor
ARKANSAS
South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra (El Dorado)
Kermit Poling, conductor
CALIFORNIA
Pacific Symphony
Carl St.Clair, conductor
COLORADO
[1] Symphony of the Rockies (Littleton)
Devin Patrick Hughes, conductor
[2] Boulder Symphony
Devin Patrick Hughes, conductor
CONNECTICUT
Greater Bridgeport Symphony
Eduardo Leandro, conductor
DELAWARE
Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (also Maryland)
Michael Repper, conductor
FLORIDA
[1] Brevard Symphony Orchestra (Melbourne)
Christopher Confessore, conductor
[2] Gulf Coast Symphony (Fort Myers)
Andrew Kurtz, conductor
GEORGIA
Augusta Symphony Orchestra
Dirk Meyer, conductor
HAWAII
Kamuela Philharmonic
Brian Dollinger, conductor
IDAHO
Idaho State-Civic Symphony
Nell Flanders, conductor
ILLINOIS
[1] Evanston Symphony Orchestra
Lawrence Eckerling, conductor
[2] Illinois Symphony Orchestra
Taichi Fukumura, conductor
INDIANA
[1] South Bend Symphony Orchestra
Alastair Willis, conductor
[2] Whiting Park Festival Orchestra
Robert Vodnoy, conductor
IOWA
Muscatine Symphony Orchestra
Brian Dollinger, conductor
KANSAS
Wichita Symphony Orchestra
Daniel Hege, conductor
KENTUCKY
Paducah Symphony Orchestra
Raffaele Ponti, conductor
LOUISIANA
Shreveport Symphony
Michael Butterman, conductor
MAINE
New England Music Camp (Sidney)
Simon Gollo, conductor
MARYLAND
Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (also Delaware)
Michael Repper, conductor
MASSACHUSETTS
Springfield Symphony Orchestra
Peter Boyer, conductor
MICHIGAN
[1] Traverse City Philharmonic
Kevin Rhodes, conductor
[2] Michigan Philharmonic
Nan Washburn, conductor
MINNESOTA
Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra
Dirk Meyer, conductor
MISSISSIPPI
North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra
Steven Byess, conductor
MISSOURI
The Missouri Symphony (Columbia)
Wilbur Lin, conductor
MONTANA
[1] Missoula Symphony Orchestra
Nikolas Caoile, conductor
[2] Glacier Symphony Orchestra
John Zoltek, conductor
NEBRASKA
Orchestra Omaha
Kenneth Meints, conductor
NEVADA
UNLV Symphony Orchestra
Taras Krysa, conductor
NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra (Salem)
Mark Latham, conductor
NEW JERSEY
New Jersey Youth Symphony
Helen Cha-Pyo, conductor
NEW MEXICO
Santa Fe Symphony
Conductor TBA
NEW YORK
[1] Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
[2] Orchard Park Symphony Orchestra
S. Shade Zajac, conductor
[3] Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra
Daniel Hege, conductor
NORTH CAROLINA
[1] Western Piedmont Symphony (Hickory)
Matthew Troy, conductor
[2] Greensboro Symphony Orchestra
Chelsea Tipton, conductor
NORTH DAKOTA
Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra
Christopher Zimmerman, conductor
OHIO
[1] Springfield (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra
Peter Stafford Wilson, conductor
[2] Butler Philharmonic (Hamilton)
Scott Woodard, conductor
[3] Central Ohio Symphony (Delaware, OH)
Jaime Morales-Matos, conductor
OKLAHOMA
Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra
Lauren Green, conductor
OREGON
Rogue Valley Symphony (Medford)
Martin Majkut, conductor
PENNSYLVANIA
[1] Endless Mountain Music Festival (Mansfield)
Stephen Gunzenhauser, conductor
[2] Hershey Symphony Orchestra
Gregory Woodbridge, conductor
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra
Aram Demirjian, conductor
SOUTH CAROLINA
North Charleston Pops
Nick Palmer, conductor
SOUTH DAKOTA
Aberdeen University/Civic Symphony
Christopher Stanichar, conductor
TENNESSEE
[1] East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra (Collegedale)
Jeremy Francisco, conductor
[2] Memphis Symphony Orchestra
Robert Moody, conductor
[3] Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra
Ian Passmore, conductor
TEXAS
[1] Mid-Texas Symphony (Seguin)
Akiko Fujimoto, conductor
[2] Lubbock Symphony Orchestra
David Cho, conductor
[3] Marshall Symphony Orchestra
Kermit Poling, conductor
[4] El Paso Symphony Orchestra
Bohuslav Rattay, conductor
[5] Symphony of the Hills
Eugene Dowdy, conductor
UTAH
[1] Utah Symphony (Deer Valley Music Festival)
Benjamin Manis, conductor [PREMIERE]
[2] Southwest Symphony (St. George)
Lucas Darger, conductor
VERMONT
Vermont Youth Orchestra (Colchester)
Mark Alpizar, conductor
VIRGINIA
[1] Fairfax Symphony Orchestra
Christopher Zimmerman, conductor
[2] Loudoun Symphony Orchestra (Leesburg)
Hayden Denesha, conductor
[3] Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic (Alexandria)
Anna Binneweg, conductor
WASHINGTON
[1] Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra
Juan Felipe Molano, conductor
[2] Lake Washington Symphony Orchestra (Bellevue)
Julia Tai, conductor
[3] Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra
Nikolas Caoile, conductor
WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia State Philharmonic Orch. (Institute, WV)
Scott Woodard, conductor
WISCONSIN
Peninsula Music Festival (Ephraim/Fish Creek)
Rune Bergmann, conductor
WYOMING
Wyoming Symphony Orchestra (Casper)
Jerry Hou, conductor

 

Endorsements for the Rhapsody National Initiative
Jeffrey Biegel, Pianist . Peter Boyer, Composer

Steve Brosvik

Betty Buckley

Julie Budd

Danny Burstein

Catherine Cahill

Ann Hampton Callaway

Vincent Caruso

Mark Clague

Michael Dawson

Aaron Diehl

Jed Distler

JoAnn Falletta

Henry Fogel

Elliott Forrest

David Foster

Jamie Reeves

Seth Rudetsky

Neil Sedaka

Charles G. Sims

Leonard Slatkin

Donald Sosin

Billy Stritch

Charles Strouse

Paulo Szot

Preston Trombly

Matthew Troy

Scott Woodard

Christopher Zimmerman

Ellen Taaffe Zwilich

Melissa Manchester

Sylvia McNair

Dirk Meyer

Kim Noltemy

Ilona Oltuski

Emanuel Ax

Marc George Gershwin

Donna Pescow

Denyce Graves

P. Joelle Graves

Stephen Gunzenhauser

Adolphus Hailstork

David Hyslop

Roslyn Kind

Dan Lauria

Richard Lewis

Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill

Martin Majkut