An American Classic

Led by conductor Kevin John Edusei, star Japanese jazz pianist Makoto Ozone joins Oregon Symphony to take you for a journey through George Gershwin's timeless Rhapsody In Blue! The captivating, jazz-tinged composition vividly depicts the essence of New York City and is a true American classic, with Gershwin himself described it as "a musical kaleidoscope of America" with its "metropolitan madness".

Debuting in 1924 to a star studded audience with fellow classical great Sergei Rachmaninoff in attendance, by 1927 Rhapsody in Blue had already sold one million copies, proving to be one of the early megahits of recorded music. A work like no other, stands the test of time today as one of the greatest pieces of American classical music. Also to be performed is Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin, written in the same year as Gershwin's classic, whose scandalous themes initially got it banned from the Cologne Opera on moral grounds following its premiere.