Presented By: Charlotte Symphony Orchestra

Kwamé Ryan, conductor

SVENDSEN                                  Romeo and Juliet, Fantasia for Orchestra
GERSHWIN/orch. Bennett    Porgy and Bess, A Symphonic Picture
BERNSTEIN                                Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

Svendsen’s Romeo and Juliet, a sweeping fantasia for orchestra, opens the program with passionate music that vividly portrays the emotional highs and tragic lows of Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers. A Symphonic Picture from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess brings the love story to life, blending jazz, blues, and opera to tell a tale of love against the odds in Charleston’s Catfish Row. The program concludes with Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, a reflection of the love between Tony and Maria and the conflict between their rival gangs, set against the backdrop of New York City’s gritty streets.