American Rhapsody

Overview

As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, Chicago Sinfonietta closes our IGNITE season with a salute of the many voices that built—and continue to shape—the American soundscape.

Chicago Sinfonietta commissioned a thrilling new symphonic tribute honoring the 100th birthday of jazz icon and American musical legend Miles Davis—born in Alton, Illinois and raised just outside Chicago. Composed by Chicago Sinfonietta’s very own Assistant Principal Violist Seth Pae, this formidable premiere reimagines the boundary-pushing spirit of a legend who forever changed the sound of American music.

Guest pianist and fiery talent Clayton Stephenson (lauded by Gramophone as “not just a remarkable virtuoso, but a poet, a dramatist and a master story-teller”) was the first Black finalist in the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, lights up the stage with irresistible charisma and thrilling virtuosity in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue— a genre-bending classic bursting with jazz swagger, lyrical blues, and unmistakable American flair. It’s a full-circle moment for Stephenson and Mei-Ann Chen, who first crossed paths when she conducted him as a Junior Cliburn finalist.

We close the season with William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony—a towering, emotional masterpiece rooted in African American spirituals and traditions. Once hailed as a defining contribution to the American symphonic voice, Dawson’s work remains a stirring tribute to resilience, heritage, and hope.

Ignite a bold, inclusive vision of America—one note at a time.