JESSIE MONTGOMERY  Starburst

CARLOS SIMON  Elegy: A Cry from the Grave

MOZART  Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488

JOAN TOWER  Concerto for Orchestra

“Mozart & Now reimagines the traditional concert weekend experience with three unique performances contrasting the music of Mozart with four of today’s brightest composers, all led by Principal Conductor Peter Oundjian.

Saturday features dazzling pianist Conrad Tao as soloist on Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, among the classical period’s best works and a testament to Mozart’s musical genius, alongside the works of three modern day innovators. Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst utilizes fleeting melodies to create a multidimensional soundscape, while Carlos Simon — 2021 winner of the prestigious Sphinx Medal of Excellence, which promotes Black and Latinx musicians on the classical concert stage — dedicated Elegy: A Cry from the Grave to those “murdered wrongfully by an oppressive power.” Joan Tower’s Concerto for Orchestra offers a fitting finale in a work that leaves no doubt as to why she is one of the most significant modern composers of our time.”