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Press Releases

Jeffrey Biegel Marks Twenty-Five Years of Commissioning New Music

January 30, 2025 | By Naturally Sharp Inc.

Pianist Jeffrey Biegel celebrates an unprecendented 25 years of commissioning 30 new works for piano and orchestra, with three specifically for piano, orchestra and chorus. The list of 122 orchestras and 30 projects are below. Works by James Lee III and Daniel Perttu are now accepting orchestras into the no buy-in consortiums, details below, while music by Peter Boyer continues to add orchestras to the 50 states Rhapsody National Initiative and orchestras can program a new concerto by Adolphus Hailstork in 2025-26 and 2026-27.

2025 sees three exciting world premieres: First up is Adolphus Hailstork's "Concerto #3 - 'The way things really are'", with the Pacific Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Carl St. Clair conducting in Segerstrom Hall, February 6, 7 and 8. Through 2025, the 50-states Rhapsody National Initiative featuring Peter Boyer's "Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue" will have more state premieres and continues to list added orchestras to the roster through the 2026-27 season celebrating 'America at 250'. July 2025 sees the World Premiere of Melissa Manchester's "AWAKE!" for Piano and Orchestra, with Stephen Gunzenhauser conducting the Endless Mountain Music Festival, and in October 2025, the World Premiere of James Lee III's "Concerto in A" celebrating America at 250, with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Matthew Kraemer conducting. Orchestras are now invited to join the exclusive consortium without cost to join the commissioning project, listed in all Conductor Scores as Inaugural Performances for the 2025-26-27 seasons.

For 2026-27, the fast-rising respected American composer, Daniel Perttu, will deliver a new work for piano and orchestra at Mr. Biegel's request, titled, "Animali! Carnivali!" - a new rendering of the familiar topic of animals and music set forth by Camille Saint-Saens in his 'Carnival of the Animals'. Mr. Perttu's new work will feature different animals, including a segment devoted to the newly annointed National bird - the American Bald Eagle - set to 'America the Beautiful' for America at 250. Orchestras are now invited to join the exclusive consortium without cost to join the commissioning project, listed in Conductor Scores as Inaugural Performances for the 2026-27-28 season.

Please contact Mr. Biegel through his website http://www.jeffreybiegel.com

122 orchestras - 30 projects - 25 years:

Aberdeen University/Civic Symphony (SD)
Acadiana Symphony Orchestra LA)
Alabama Symphony Orchestra
Albany Symphony Orchestra (GA)
American Symphony Orchestra
Anchorage Symphony Orchestra
Arapahoe Philharmonic (CO)
Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra
Augusta Symphony (GA)
Austin Symphony
Bangor Symphony Orchestra
Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra (2002, World Premiere, "Concerto America" by Charles Strouse)
Brevard Symphony Orchestra (FL)
Buffalo Philharmonic
Butler Philharmonic (OH)
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (Canada, 2011, Canada Premiere, "Prometheus" by William Bolcom)
Canton Symphony Orchestra (2022; "A Planets Odyssey", by Dan Perttu)
Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra
Central Ohio Symphony
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (2000, World Premiere, "Millennium Fantasy" by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich)
Colorado Symphony (2016, World Premiere, "Concerto for Simply Grand Piano and Orchestra", by P.D.Q. Bach)
Columbus Symphony Orchestra (GA)
Dallas Symphony Orchestra (2021, World Premiere, "Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg", by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich; "Reflection of Justice: RBG" by yours truly, orchestrations by Harrison Sheckler)
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Duluth Supoerior Symphony Orchestra
East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra
El Paso Symphony Orchestra
Empire State Youth Orchestra
Endless Mountain Music Festival (PA)
Etowah Youth Orchestra
Evanston Symphony Orchestra
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra
Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra
Florida Philharmonic
Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra
Greater Bridgeport Symphony (CT)
Greeley Philharmonic
Gulf Coast Symphony (FL)
Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra (2018, World Premiere, "Concerto no. 2" by Christopher Theofanidis)
Hartford Symphony Orchestra
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra
Huntington Symphony (West VA)
Huntsville Symphony Orchestra
Idaho Falls Symphony Society
Idaho State Civic Symphony (2021, World Premiere, "Shadows for Piano and 7 Players" by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich)
Juneau Symphony
Jyvaskyla Sinfonia (Finland; European Premiere, "Concerto for Simply Grand Piano and Orchestra" by P.D.Q. Bach)
Kamuela Philharmonic (HI)
Kenosha Symphony
Key Chorale (2024; US Premiere, "Legend of Bijan and Manijeh", Farhad Poupel)
Key West Symphony Orchestra
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra (2013, World Premiere, "Piano Concerto: In Truth" by Lucas Richman)
Lancaster Symphony (PA)
Lake Washington Symphony Orchestra (WA)
Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra
Lawton Philharmonic Orchestra
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (2011, World Premiere, "Shadows" by Ellen Taafffe Zwilich; 2013, World Premiere, "Dreams of the Fallen" by Jake Runestad)
Lubbock Symphony Orchestra
Mansfield Symphony Orchestra
Memphis Symphony Orchestra
Meridian Symphony Orchestra
Mid-Atlantic Symphony
Mid-Texas Symphony
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (2006, World Premiere, "Concerto no. 3" by Lowell Liebermann
Missoula Symphony
Montgomery Symphony Orchestra (AL)
Moravian College Community Orchestra (PA)
Muscatine Symphony Orchestra (IA)
Music in the Mountains Festival (CA)
Niagara Symphony (Canada Premiere, "Shadows" by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich)
New England Music Camp
New Hampshire Music Festival (2022, World Premiere, "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra" by Jim Stephenson)
New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra, Inc.
New Jersey Youth Symphony (NJ)
New Mexico Symphony Orchestra
New Philharmonic (Newton, MA)
North Charleston Pops (SC)
North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra
Norwalk Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra Kentucky (World Premieres of: "Moderato ma non troppo" by Peter Tork; "Peanuts Concerto" and "Burt Bacharach Concerto" by Dick Tunney
Orchestra Omaha (NE)
Paducah Symphony Orchestra
Pacific Symphony Orchestra and Pacific Chorale (2010, World Premieres: "Mirrors" by Richard Danielpour; "Prometheus" by William Bolcom; 2024-25: World Premiere, "Piano Concerto" by Adolphus Hailstork)
Philharmonia Northwest
Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey
Peninsula Music Festival (WI)
Plymouth Philharmonic (MA)
Portland Columbia Symphony Orchestra (Oregon)
Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra (Boston, MA)
Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra
Rogue Valley Symphony (OR)
San Diego Symphony
Schleswig-Holstein Landestheater Symphony Orchestra (2006, European Premiere, "Concerto no. 3" by Lowell Liebermann)
Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra (WA)
Shreveport Symphony Orchestra
Signature Symphony (OK)
South Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
South Bend Symphony (2003; World Premiere, "Dreaming the Rag Waltz Blues' by Marjorie Rusche)
South Dakota Symphony
South Florida Symphony
South Shore Symphony Orchestra
Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra
Southwest Symphony Orchestra (UT)
Space Coast Symphony Orchestra (2022; "Thanksgiving Variations", by Christopher Marshall, and, "Three Reflections" by yours truly)
Springfield Symphony Orchestra (MA; World Premiere, "Piano Concerto: Spiritualist" by Kenneth Fuchs)
Sun Cities Symphony Orchestra (AZ)
The Missouri Symphony
Traverse Symphony Orchestra
University of Kentucky at Lexington
Utah Symphony
Vermont Youth Orchestra
Virginia Arts Festival
Vocal Essence (Minneapolis, MN)
West Virginia State Philharmonic Orchestra
Western Piedmont Symphony (NC)
Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra
Wheeling Symphony Orchestra
Wichita Symphony Orchestra
Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (2022, World Premiere, "Legend of Bijan and Manijeh", by Farhad Poupel)
Wyoming Symphony Orchestra
Youth Orchestras of San Antonio

1: Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Millennium Fantasy (2000; 27 orchestras, 25 states; Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra premiere, Jesus Lopez-Cobos conducting; Naxos recording with University of Florida Symphony Orchestra, Tallahassee)

2: Charles Strouse: Concerto America (2001; Boston Pops premiere, Keith Lockhart conducting; intended first 50 state project without buy-ins from orchestras)

3: Marjorie Rusche: "Dreaming the Rag Waltz Blues" (2003; South Bend Symphony premiere, Tsung Yeh conducting)

4: Lowell Liebermann: Concerto no. 3, Opus 95 (2006; Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra premiere, Andreas Delf conducting, 17 other orchestras, first American project with a Europeans orchestra, Schleswig-Holstein State Symphony Orchestra, Gerard Oskamp conducting)

5. Daniel Dorff: Piano Concerto (2007; composed for me separate from my projects; Etowah Youth Orchestra premiere, Mike Gagliardo conducting)

6: Richard Danielpour: Mirrors (2010; Pacific Symphony premiere, Carl St. Clair conducting)

7: William Bolcom: Prometheus, for piano, orchestra and chorus (2010; Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale premiere, Carl St. Clair conducting; Naxos recording Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale; Canadian premiere Calgary Philharmonic and Chorus)

8: Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Shadows (2011; Louisiana Philharmonic premiere, Carlos Miguel Prieto conducting; Canadian premiere Niagara Symphony, Bradley Thachuk conducting)

9: Lucas Richman: Piano Concerto: In Truth (2013; composed for me separate from my projects; Knoxville Symphony premiere, Lucas Richman conducting; recording with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, composer conducting)

10: Jake Runestad: Dreams of the Fallen, for piano, orchestra and chorus (2013; Louisiana Philharmonic and Chorus premiere, National WWII Museum, James Paul conducting; recording May 2023, True Concord Voices & Orchestra, Eric Holtan conducting)

11: Jeremy Lubbock: Moods, for Piano and Orchestra (2015; Moravian College Orchestra premiere, Pennsylvania, Donald Dpieth, conducting)

12: Dick Tunney: 'Monkees' Concerto (2015; Orchestra Kentucky of Bowling Green, Kentucky, premiere, Jeff Reed conducting)

13: Peter Tork: Moderato ma non troppo, for piano and orchestra (2015; Orchestra of Bowling Green, Kentucky premiere, Jeff Reed conducting)

14: P.D.Q. Bach: Concerto for Simply Grand Piano and Orchestra (2016; Colorado Symphony premiere, Christopher Dragon conducting, other US orchestras, European premiere in Finland w/Jyvaskyla Sinfonia, Eero Lehtimaki conducting)

15: Kenneth Fuchs: Piano Concerto "Spiritualist" (2016; Springfield Symphony Orchestra (MA) premiere, Kevin Rhodes conducting; 2018 Grammy for Best Classical Compendium, London Symphony Orchestra JoAnn Falletta conducting)

16: Giovanni Allevi: Piano Concerto (2017; Orchestra of Bowling Green, Kentucky, premiere, Jeff Reed conducting; composed for me, separate from my projects; 2017 recording with Giovanni Allevi conducting the Sinfonica Italiana)

17: Dick Tunney: Burt Bacharach Concerto (2018; Orchestra of Bowling Green, premiere, Jeff Reed conducting)

18: Christopher Theofanidis: Concerto no. 2 (2018; Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra premiere, Stuart Malina conducting)

19: Dick Tunney: Peanuts Concerto (2019; Orchestra of Bowling Green, Kentucky, premiere, Jeff Reed conducting)

20: Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for mezzo-soprano, piano and orchestra (2021; Dallas Symphony Orchestra, premiere, Lidiya Yankovskaya conducting, Denyce Graves, mezzo-soprano)

21: Dan Perttu: A Planets Odyssey (2022; Canton Symphony Orchestra premiere, Gerhardt Zimmermann conducting)

22: Jim Stephenson: Piano Concerto (2022; New Hampshire Music Festival premiere, Paul Polivnick conducting)

23: Farhad Poupel: The Legend of Bijan and Manijeh, for piano, orchestra and chorus (2022;Windsor Symphony Orchestra and Chorus premiere, November 2022, Robert Franz conducting; Key Chorale, US premiere, February 2024, Joseph Caulkins conducting)

24: Christopher Marshall: Thanksgiving Variations (2022; Space Coast Symphony Orchestra premiere, November 2022, Aaron Collins conducting; composed for me separate from my projects)

25: Peter Boyer: Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue (2023; revival of first 50 state project without buy-ins from orchestras)

26: Melissa Manchester: AWAKE, for Piano and Orchestra (2023; orchestras to be announced for 2024-26)

27: Adolphus Hailstork: Piano Concerto (2024-25; Pacific Symphony, World Premiere)

28: James Lee III: Concerto in A (2025-26-27; celebrates the centennial of George Gershwin's Concerto in F in 2025 and America at 250 in 2026)

29: Daniel Perttu: New work for 'America at 250' NEA PA grant (July 2026; Endless Mountain Music Festival, PA, Stephen Gunzenhauser, conducting)

30: Daniel Perttu: Animali! Carnivali! (fall 2026; world premiere to be decided)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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