In Washington, D.C., the National Symphony Orchestra is presenting a two-week festival at the Kennedy Center from May 7-17, “New Moves: Symphony and Dance,” that includes newly commissioned choreography for three different programs of American music, conducted by Thomas Wilkins. The festival will feature two co-commissions, including a new bassoon concerto by Marc Neikrug co-commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and National Arts Centre Orchestra in Canada. At the NSO, Neikrug’s work will feature NSO Principal Bassoon Sue Heineman and choreography by Keigwin + Company. A second co-commission, George Walker’s Sinfonia No. 4—premiered by the NSO in 2013—will be performed on a program including works by Michael Daugherty and Aaron Copland, as well as John Adams’s Violin Concerto, the latter featuring soloist Leila Josefowicz and choreography by Jessica Lang Dance. A third program will include Three Faces of Duke Ellington, choreographed by New Ballet Ensemble. Symphony magazine’s article about partnerships between orchestras and dance companies appeared in the Winter 2014 issue.
Posted May 5, 2014
