Klaus Mäkelä conducts Copland, Connesson, Gershwin, Tower, and Varèse — With Vincent Lucas

Bridge the Atlantic with this eclectic program exploring the colorful musical relationship between France and the United States, with none other than unstoppable maestro Klaus Mäkelä, the Orchestre de Paris, and flautist Vincent Lucas! Copland’s soul-stirring Fanfare for the Common Man, composed in 1942 to honor American soldiers’ efforts in World War II, opens the concert in majestic fashion. The French premiere of Guillaume Connesson’s captivating flute concerto, Danses Concertantes, is followed by Gershwin’s An American in Paris: take in the sights and sounds of 1920s Paris infused with New York's jazz and blues spirit. Not one to do things by half, Mäkelä then complements his program with Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1, American composer Joan Tower’s comedic and feminist response to Copland’s flagship work. This unique, culture-blending program rounds out with French composer Edgard Varèse’s high-voltage Amériques, a musical encapsulation of the noise and energy of New York City.