Ellis Island: The Dream of America
Actors from Tupelo Community Theatre, Guest Artists
The NMSO opens the season with a night of soaring imagination, luminous beauty, and the enduring spirit of the American dream. Celebrating America at 250, the program presents works of three dynamic living American composers, opening with Arethusa, a beautiful and evocative work representing a waterfall in New Hampshire and also reflecting the story of Arethusa from Greek mythology. The exquisite and deeply movingblue cathedral — one of the most beloved orchestral works of our time — by Pulitzer Prize–winning composer Jennifer Higdon is an ethereal, soaring, and profoundly beautiful modern classic that presents moments of reflection, wonder, and emotional resonance. The program culminates in Peter Boyer’s powerful Ellis Island: The Dream of America. Combining orchestra with spoken narratives drawn from real immigrant stories and delivered by actors from the Tupelo Community Theatre, this work brings history to life with emotional immediacy and cinematic sweep. The program is a tribute to resilience, hope, and the diverse voices that shaped a nation.
