CONCORD, NH — Internationally acclaimed pianist Fei-Fei joins Music Director Roger Kalia and Symphony New Hampshire for a spectacular evening of American music at the Capitol Center for the Arts this Saturday, May 10.
The centerpiece of the program is George Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue, a work that fused classical music with jazz and defined an era.
The concert program also features Florence Price’s Piano Concerto in One Movement and Aaron Copland’s majestic Symphony No. 3, a piece long celebrated as the quintessential American symphony.
Tickets start at $36 and are available by calling the Capitol Center for the Arts box office at or visiting online.
A NIGHT OF AMERICAN MASTERPIECES
Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue burst onto the scene in 1924, blending classical and jazz idioms in a way no one had heard before. The piece catapulted Gershwin to fame and helped define the sound of the Jazz Age.
Florence Price, a ground breaking composer and the first African American woman to have her work performed by a major symphony orchestra, composed her Piano Concerto in One Movement in 1934. The score was thought lost until it resurfaced in 2019, and it is now recognized as a vital contribution to American music.
The program concludes with Copland’s sweeping Symphony No. 3, premiered in 1946 by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Serge Koussevitzky. Incorporating themes from Fanfare for the Common Man, the symphony became a triumphant post-war anthem.
A FOND FAREWELL FOR MAESTRO ROGER KALIA
This concert marks the final performance of Roger Kalia as Music Director of Symphony New Hampshire. “I wanted to end my Symphony NH tenure with a bang—by bringing in one of the most extraordinary artists I’ve worked with to perform two American masterpieces,” says Kalia.
Infusing “intoxicating grace” with “exceptional musicality” and “inconceivable virtuosity,” pianist Fei-Fei conjures a special and undeniable connectivity with her audiences that brings joy, passion, and deep understanding of the music.
Rhapsody in Blue with Fei Fei
She is known for her emotional depth and technical brilliance, adds: “Rhapsody in Blue is incredibly versatile—jazzy, grand, and intimate all at once. It’s an honor to bring this timeless piece to life with Roger and Symphony NH”
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO – Don’t miss PRELUDES – made possible by Ink Link News -one hour before the performance where Maestro Kalia and special guests will discuss the music, the composers, and why these works are so important today. PRELUDES will begin at 6:30PM at the Capitol Center for the Arts.