Variations and Visions: Frost Symphony Orchestra

Collaborative American variations, a virtuosic cello showcase and Brahms’ compact Third Symphony shape a wide-ranging program by the Frost Symphony Orchestra at UM Gusman Concert Hall. Taking place Saturday, October 17, the concert is part of Frost Music Live’s 2026-2027 season and is conducted by Gerard Schwarz, with a Frost student cellist featured as soloist.

The program opens with Eugene Goossens’ Jubilee Variations, created for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s 50th anniversary in 1945. Built on a theme by Goossens, the work incorporates individual variations by 10 American composers, including Aaron Copland, Paul Creston, Howard Hanson and William Schuman. Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme follows, drawing on the composer’s admiration for Mozart and the Classical style while placing the cello in a demanding solo role.

Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 in F major closes the concert. The shortest of his four symphonies, the work is noted for its concentrated structure and recurring three-note motif associated with Brahms’ personal motto, “free but happy.”