About the Event

Step into a moment of reflection and renewal with Echoes of a New World, a concert that opens Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra’s six-part journey through the United States of America’s 250 years of spirit, struggle, and triumph. From emotional turbulence to triumphant resolution, Echoes of a New World reflects the arc of a country shaped by its past, inspired by its people, and driven by the eternal hope of a brighter future. Here personal passions and national ideals converge in music that echoes across time. 

The evening begins with the stormy intensity of Brahms’s Tragic Overture, a powerful reflection of inner conflict and resilience. From there, you are transported into the intimate world of Clara Schumann’s Three Romances: tender and lyrical works arranged for orchestra by William C. White, giving voice to a composer whose artistic brilliance often stood in the shadow of her husband, Robert, and her close companion Johannes Brahms. Their complex love triangle—marked by admiration, longing, and creative synergy—adds emotional depth to the program, a reminder that the pursuit of identity and expression is deeply human, and often, heartbreakingly intertwined. The concert concludes with the soaring optimism of Howard Hanson’s Symphony no. 2, Romantic—a lush, quintessentially American work that captures the forward-looking spirit of a nation redefining itself. 

Program 

Johannes Brahms: Tragic Overture 

Clara Schumann: Three Romances (arr. William C. White) 

Joshua Facello, violin soloist 

Robert Schumann: Overture and Finale 

• Intermission 

Howard Hanson: Symphony no. 2, Romantic 

Associated Event 

Join Scottsdale Symphonic Orchestra for Behind the Baton preceding the concert at 3:15 p.m. as Artistic Director Desmond Siu shares the stories behind the music. Behind the Baton is included in the price of your ticket and is open seating.