Boston Conservatory Wind Ensemble Presents America at 250

Boston Conservatory Wind Ensemble Presents America at 250 The free event, taking place at Samuel Adams Park at Faneuil Hall, features a program of inspiring American classical works and the world premiere of a new chamber symphony.

October 16, 2026

By

Tori Donahue

Boston Conservatory at Berklee will continue its fall Center Stage season with a free performance at Samuel Adams Park at Faneuil Hall on Sunday, November 8 at 3 p.m. Boston Conservatory Wind Ensemble: America at 250 will explore significant works by four American composers, sharing their efforts to encapsulate moments in history, time, space, and life.

In a profound statement of revolution, the program will open with William Schuman's 1956 fantasy variation overture on Chester, the most popular song of the American Revolution, written by Boston-born composer William Billings. In stark contrast, the program turns next to ideas of serenity and wide-open plains, as crafted by composer David Maslanka in his Montana Music: Chorale Variations. This work was selected not only for its captivating beauty, but also to mark the anniversary of Montana's being named the forty-first state on November 8, 1889-exactly 137 years to the day of this Boston Conservatory performance.

The program then builds upon the theme of inspiring American landscapes with Boston Conservatory associate professor and composer Michael Gilbertson's Usonian Dwellings, which was inspired by the work of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Both Wright, in his construction, and Gilbertson, in his writing, evoke an America that is simultaneously forward thinking and conscious of the natural world. The performance will close with the world premiere of a new chamber symphony by acclaimed composer Kevin Krumenauer. In his work, he reflects upon our collective journey through life in today's America.

This is a very timely presentation by our students and special guests, said Matthew M. Marsit, chair of instrumental studies at Boston Conservatory and conductor for the concert. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the establishment of our nation, this program looks back at one of the first patriotic anthems of the revolution, travels through various moments in American history, and concludes with a reflection on our future. I'm tremendously grateful to the Wind Ensemble, Michael Gilbertson, and Kevin Krumenauer for their contributions to this beautiful concert.

Boston Conservatory Wind Ensemble: America at 250 will take place at Samuel Adams Park at Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 8. The event is free and open to the public; additional programmatic information can be found online.

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