Jeffrey Biegel Brings a Historic American Music Project to the Springfield Symphony Orchestra
This November, something much bigger than a single concert is coming to Springfield, Ohio.
On Saturday, November 14, pianist Jeffrey Biegel will join the Springfield Symphony Orchestra for America at 250: A Star-Spangled Celebration at the Clark State Performing Arts Center.
At the center of the evening is Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue by American composer Peter Boyer. The work is part of an ambitious national music project led by Biegel that is bringing orchestras from across the country together through one new piece of American music.
This fall, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra will be part of that story.
A Musical Project Connecting All 50 States
Biegel's Rhapsody National Initiative began in 2023 and is scheduled to continue through 2027. Its goal is to bring Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue to audiences in all 50 states.
According to Biegel's official biography, it is the first 50-state project created for a new work for soloist and orchestra.
Composer Peter Boyer wrote Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue for Biegel as a tribute to the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin's famous work premiered in 1924 and became one of the most recognizable pieces of American concert music.
A century later, Boyer's composition celebrates that musical legacy while adding a new work to the American repertoire.
The project has reached beyond live performances as well. Biegel recorded Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Boyer. The recording was released by Naxos.
On November 14, Springfield audiences will have the opportunity to hear Biegel perform the work live with our own Springfield Symphony Orchestra.
Meet Pianist Jeffrey Biegel
Biegel has built a career that combines well-known works for piano with a strong commitment to new music.
His official biography credits him with more than 30 commissioned works by living composers. He has performed with orchestras in the United States and around the world, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, and international ensembles.
His recordings have also received national recognition. In 2019, Kenneth Fuchs' Piano Concerto: Spiritualist, featuring Biegel with the London Symphony Orchestra, was included on a recording that received the Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium.
His connection to Gershwin's music goes back decades. Biegel has performed and recorded the original 1924 version of Rhapsody in Blue, making his role in this new project especially fitting.
America at 250 Comes to Springfield, Ohio
Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue is only part of the November 14 program.
America at 250: A Star-Spangled Celebration will feature music connected to the American experience as the nation marks its 250th anniversary.
Along with Boyer's Rhapsody in Red, White & Blue, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra will perform music by George Gershwin, William Grant Still, Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, and Randall Thompson.
Together, the program offers audiences a chance to hear music from composers who helped shape America's musical sound.
For those who joined us at the Springfield Arts Festival this year, November offers another opportunity to experience the Springfield Symphony Orchestra live. This time, we will be inside the Clark State Performing Arts Center for an evening centered on American music and a project connecting orchestras across the nation.
Save the Date for November 14
You do not have to travel to Columbus, Dayton, or Cincinnati to hear nationally recognized musicians and exciting orchestral programs.
On November 14, one of the country's most ambitious new music initiatives will make a stop right here in Springfield, Ohio.
Jeffrey Biegel will take the stage with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra for America at 250: A Star-Spangled Celebration at the Clark State Performing Arts Center.
Follow the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and visit springfieldsym.org for ticket announcements, concert information, and more about the 2026–2027 season.
