West Suburban Symphony “Rhapsodies”

We open our 80th season with George Gershwin’s spirited Rhapsody in Blue and Aaron Copland’s exuberant Symphony 3, introduced by local composer Mike McFerron’s lively Concert Fanfare. Pianist Melanie Brsan Villasenor plays Rhapsody in Blue, a spectacular fusion of classical music and jazz that captures the spirit of New York City in the Roarin’ Twenties. Copland’s symphony, generally regarded as the greatest American symphony, has the feel of the open prairie, with bright themes that reflect the national euphoria at the end of World War II. The symphony was completed in 1946, just a year before the West Suburban Symphony’s founding.