Sullivan Fortner, piano
Kristiina Poska, conductor

Often called “the great American opera,” Porgy and Bess has shaped American culture since 1935, inspiring artists from Maya Angelou to Miles Davis and Janis Joplin to Sublime. With George Gershwin’s unmistakable gift for melody, its music—alongside the iconic Rhapsody in Blue—blends jazz and classical styles to capture the vibrant spirit of two iconic American cities with deep musical heritage, Charleston and New York.

After intermission, the orchestra surges into Carl Nielsen’s powerful Fourth Symphony, “The Inextinguishable.” The program marks the Orchestra’s debut performances with Estonian conductor Kristiina Poska and jazz pianist Sullivan Fortner.

Part of American Panorama: Voices of a Nation at 250

“Fortner beautifully, slowly and deliberately asks the eternal question of the essence of love—his notes dance, come to a halt and resume the twirls.”—OffBeat Magazine