An Evening of Masterpieces and a Piano Concerto

Internationally recognized for his moving performances and renowned interpreter of 19th century German, Austrian and Russian repertoire, Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated conductor Gerard Schwarz leads the 100-member Frost Symphony Orchestra into three distinct programs of the classical music repertoire.

The evening opens with Maurice Ravel’s "Alborada del gracioso" (The Jester's Morning Song) from his piano suite Miroirs. In a single movement, the opulent orchestration opens with a zesty Spanish flair. Castanet-like rhythms, brilliant orchestral colors and razor-sharp wit bring to life the playful, mischievous character of the “gracioso,” or jester. Originally for piano, Ravel's orchestration of this work sparkles with sultry sounds reminiscent of strummed guitars only found in a traditional flamenco piece.

The night’s centerpiece features Latin Grammy-nominated composer and pianist Jorge Mejia joining the Frost Symphony Orchestra to perform the highly anticipated US premiere of If These Walls Could Talk, with the composer at the piano. Inspired by the 1920s Miami Beach apartment building Mejia once called home, this evocative piano concerto transforms memory and place into sound. The work unfolds across three movements—"First Floor," "Second Floor" and "Rooftop"—each paired with a poignant story tracing the lives of three former inhabitants. Following an acclaimed 2025 international tour across Europe and South America, the concerto now makes its domestic debut. Experience the profound emotional depth of a story as told through Mejia’s masterfully expressive musical voice.

Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 brings the evening to a close. Composed in the wake of Joseph Stalin’s death in 1953, this work emerged as a defiant reclamation of Shostakovich's artistic voice after years of forced suppression. Spanning four intense movements, the symphony is a haunting reckoning with the past—a musical portrait of the fear and oppression of the era that ultimately finds triumph in a cathartic release. Powerful, dramatic and visceral, this symphony stands as one of the great masterpieces of the 20th century.