A Journey: Frost Symphony Orchestra
Mar 28, 2026
Starting: 7:30 PM
A sweeping orchestral program moves from Hungarian dance rhythms to Jewish lyricism and late-Romantic opera.
A Journey: Frost Symphony Orchestra takes place Saturday, March 28 at the University of Miami’s Gusman Concert Hall. Conducted by Gerard Schwarz, the ensemble performs three works that showcase vibrant folk influences and richly textured orchestration.
Zoltán Kodály’s Dances of Galánta opens the evening with a virtuosic showpiece inspired by verbunkos melodies the composer recalled from his childhood near the town of Galánta. Written to mark the 80th anniversary of the Budapest Philharmonic Society, the piece blends nostalgic themes with brilliant orchestral color.
Ernest Bloch’s Suite Hébraïque, originally composed in 1951 for viola and orchestra, follows with music shaped by Jewish liturgical and folk traditions. A Frost student soloist, to be announced, will bring Bloch’s expressive, modal lines to the forefront.
The program concludes with Richard Strauss’s Symphonic Fantasy from Die Frau ohne Schatten, a concert adaptation of his 1919 opera. Once met with mixed critical reception, the score has since earned recognition for its luminous orchestration, contrapuntal detail and dramatic sweep.
Presented by the Frost School of Music, the concert highlights the orchestra’s range while tracing a path through diverse cultural and musical landscapes.