Rhapsody in Blue

At times pulse-pounding and at others overflowing with lush sounds of longing, the “New World” Symphony blends the diverse ideas of America into memorable musical atmospheres and unforgettable melodies. National Medal of Arts awardee Leonard Slatkin leads the LA Phil in Dvořák’s timeless favorite. Slatkin opens the night with Cindy McTee’s Timepiece, which the Los Angeles Times wrote churns with an “engaging, pulsating, grooving” energy.

Japanese jazz pianist Makoto Ozone has had a prolific and celebrated career, recording more than 40 albums with jazz royalty including Branford Marsalis and Chick Corea. When he brought his limitless energy and creativity to a performance of Rhapsody in Blue with orchestra, The New York Times raved that it was “a thrilling, virtuosic, and unabashedly personal rendition” that above all else was just plain fun for both the musicians on stage and everyone in the audience.