Serenading the Tempest

Experience Shakespeare’s enduring influence through a vibrant mix of chamber works that span centuries and styles. From lyric settings of the Bard’s texts to bold expressions of modernism and early Romantic charm, this performance offers a richly varied program that highlights both classic and lesser-heard voices.

Serenading the Tempest, part of the New World Symphony’s 2025–2026 season, takes place on Sunday, February 15 at the New World Center. Baritone Thomas Meglioranza joins the NWS Fellows to perform Igor Stravinsky’s Three Songs from William Shakespeare and selections from The Tempest Songbook by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, whose music explores the poetic and emotional terrain of Shakespeare’s plays.

The program also includes Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel’s Quartet in A-flat major, composed at age 16 and a testament to her talent as one of the 19th century’s overlooked voices. Other works include Ferdinand Ries’s Grand Octet, Op. 128—a robust chamber piece from the Beethoven-era—and Arnold Schoenberg’s Serenade, Op. 24, a modernist work that incorporates voice, guitar and chamber ensemble.

A highly regarded recitalist praised for his range and expressiveness, Meglioranza has performed with leading orchestras and contemporary music ensembles across the U.S. and Europe. He is joined by the Fellows of the New World Symphony, a distinguished group of young musicians selected through a rigorous audition process for a multi-year training fellowship in Miami Beach.