For nearly eight decades, the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra has been a cultural cornerstone of our region, bringing high-quality live orchestral music to Delaware County and the greater Philadelphia community. Founded in 1946, the orchestra continues to thrive as one of the oldest and most respected community ensembles in the area. Read more
Maurice Ravel (1875–1917) Ravel Tzigane Ravel is renowned for his elegance and orchestral craftsmanship, evident in works such as Mother Goose, Daphnis et Chloé and Boléro. He was also a master orchestrator, famously arranging works like Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Tzigane was inspired by Hungarian violinist Jelly d’Arányi. Drawing Read more
Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) Dvorak Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 10 (1872) Allegro moderato Adagio molto; Tempo di Marcia Finale; Allegro vivace Dvořák’s Third Symphony reflects the influence of Beethoven, Smetana, Brahms and Wagner, blending Czech folk elements with symphonic tradition. The first movement begins with a brief introduction Read more
Joanna Brouk (1949–2017) Joanna Brouk Lalinia Electra: The Awakening (1982) Joanna Brouk was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She began college on the East Coast, later transferring to Berkeley to study poetry. She was drawn to Mills College, where she explored synthesizers such as Moog and Buchla, capable of producing Read more
Berenice Robinson (1909–1990) Berenice Robinson Overture in D, Op. 13 (1940) Eagle-eared listeners may remember this piece from last season, which we plan to add to our next CD release as part of the American Romantics project, as a perfect example of the interwar Neo-Classical style in music, heard in Read more
Visit the Lansdowne Symphony at the Philadelphia Fall Arts Fest! Saturday, September 13, 2025 11AM-3PM Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Bottessini Bass Concerto Program Notes Bottessini Bass Concerto Giovanni Bottessini came from a modest family in a small town near Cremona, Italy. Although he began playing violin, he was accepted to the Milan Conservatory as a scholarship student, on the double bass! This was a fruitful choice – a diligent Read more
Lutosławski Concerto for Orchestra Lutosławski Concerto for Orchestra. The Concerto for Orchestra genre emerged, particularly, from two Hungarian composers, Zoltán Kodály (1939) and then Béla Bartók (1943), and combines the idea of a Baroque-era “concerto grosso” with the expanded instrumental capabilities of a full, modern orchestra, and features all sections. Read more
Duke Ellington Three Black Kings, Ballet for Orchestra Program Notes Duke Ellington Three Black Kings – “Three Black Kings, Ballet for Orchestra” is Ellington’s last work, and while he followed his practice of not completing works until shortly before their performance, he left detailed instructions. It’s a tribute to Martin Read more
Schumann Symphony No. 3 Program Notes Schumann Symphony No. 3 – Schumann didn’t write this symphony as his “Symphony No. 3” – it was the fourth symphony he composed, and the actual third was reworked and published as his fourth. However, its first movement draws an interesting parallel with Beethoven’s Read more