Route 66 
Michael Daugherty (1954)

Michael Daugherty’s Route 66 is a fast-moving orchestral tribute to America’s legendary highway. Daugherty evokes the energy of the open road with driving rhythms, bright brass, jazz and Latin influences, and vivid percussion writing. The piece opens with a propulsive burst of rhythmic energy, led by a canon in the trumpets and a metallic pulse that suggests the constant motion of the highway. As the journey unfolds, Daugherty layers in a soaring string melody, syncopated woodwinds, mallet percussion, bongos, and a brief tuba solo that functions like a stop at a traffic light before the music accelerates again. The result is a vivid and playful musical portrait that balances nostalgia with forward motion, capturing both the romance and the exuberance of the open road. As we celebrate US Route 66’s 100th anniversary, it is only fitting we commemorate one of America’s most enduring icons with Daughterty’s masterpiece. 

Premiere Rhapsodie CD 124
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Claude Debussy composed Premiere Rhapsodie for clarinet and piano at the end of 1909 and beginning of 1910 as an examination piece for competitions at the Paris Conservatory. The orchestral version was first heard a year later. Debussy, who was also on the competition jury, thought the candidates quite poor – an assessment not to be made here with the wonderful competition winner tonight. The Rhapsody, whose first performance direction is “dreamily” slow (reveusement lent), begins with a preliminary measure consisting just of the note F, played in different combinations of instruments, breathing delicate life into a musical gesture whose pitch content is minimal. The clarinet has languorous lines that quickly develop into tumbling, jester-esque phrases; the tactful placement of each orchestral accompanying note finely frames and supports the lines of the solo clarinet, so as to allow the soloist to move with finesse. This is one of Debussy’s loveliest pieces, and it allows the clarinet to reveal its various personality traits with deft skill. 

Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 77; III Passacaglia - Cadenza, IV Burlesque
Dmitri Shostakovich

After completing his first symphony at the age of nineteen, Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was widely recognized as Soviet Russia’s most brilliant talent. Much of his career, however, was heavily dictated by the Soviet state’s particular demands for music that was accessible to the masses and – whenever possible – glorified Russia and the Soviet political system. The death of Stalin in 1953 brought about a gradual liberalization which first showed itself in Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony. Only after that work had been accepted by the Soviet Composers Union did Shostakovich bring out the Violin Concerto, a piece he had composed long before Stalin’s death but had chosen to withhold. Throughout the concerto, the soloist is required to play virtually without pause. The third movement is a somber passacaglia, a form built on a repeating bass line, one of Shostakovich’s preferred techniques. The soloist must carry the entire burden of responsibility in the lengthy and very difficult cadenza – substantial enough to be regarded as a separate movement in its own right – linking the third and fourth movements. The last movement, Burlesque, brings the work to an effective and satisfying close with rhythmic energy and brilliant color. The work is a tribute to the technique and expressive skill of the great violinist David Oistrakh, for whom the piece was written. 

An American in Paris
George Gershwin (1898-1937)

Gershwin’s tone poem An American in Paris consists of five sections, each with its own principal theme or themes. These themes reappear through the piece, usually seamlessly juxtaposed with one another. The first two sections portray the “sauntering” American – the first section quotes a popular tune from 1905 known by various names but most popularly parodied in America as “My ma gave me a nickel, to buy a pickle”; followed by a slow blues and a fast blues, meant to depict his “blues,”; the final section: a cheerful resignation. The piece is scored for a large orchestra, featuring a contingent of saxophones and an extensive percussion section, including four taxi horns. A heavily reorchestrated version of the piece was featured on the silver screen for the climactic sequence of the 1951 blockbuster MGM musical, also titled An American in Paris. 

Written by violinist SSG Freya Liu

The Stars and Stripes Forever (1896)
John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever remains one of the most enduring works in the American concert band repertoire. Composed in 1896, it quickly became a defining piece of Sousa’s output and a lasting symbol of American ceremonial music. Its clear formal structure, memorable themes, and brilliant scoring have secured its place at the center of patriotic programming for well over a century.

The march follows traditional form, moving from energetic opening strains to a broad, lyrical trio, culminating in the famous reprise crowned by the iconic piccolo obbligato. At its center is the well-known “dogfight” section, in which instrumental groups trade fragmented thematic material in a lively contrapuntal exchange before the final return.

In 1987, the march was designated the National March of the United States, reflecting its status as both a cultural emblem and a cornerstone of the repertoire. As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, Sousa’s music continues to serve as a fitting celebration of tradition, precision, and national spirit.

Though not standing tonight, the presence of the flutes and piccolo will be no less heightened, carrying the brilliance and clarity that have made this passage one of the most recognizable moments in the repertoire.

Written by cellist SFC Aaron Ludwig

Daniel Xu , a dedicated young clarinetist, began musical studies at the age of five on piano and clarinet at age of ten. Daniel has been recognized as a YoungArts Winner with Distinction in Classical Music/Clarinet for the 2025 YoungArts national competition, Grand Prize winner of ENKOR International competition (Wind & Percussion), a two-time Pennsylvania MTNA Woodwinds competition winner, as well as the finalist of International Clarinet Association (ICA) Junior Young Artist Competition 2023, United States Navy Band Young Artist Solo competition 2024, United States Marine Band Concerto Competition 2025, the NPR’s “From The Top” and been featured on “Daily Joy Series.” As an orchestral musician, Daniel performed with National Youth Orchestra (NYO2) 2024, PMEA All-State Band/Orchestra 2024-2026, Delaware County Youth Orchestra and Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. This summer, Daniel is honored to have been selected on full scholarship to participate in the National Symphony Orchestra Summer program, where he looks forward to further developing his musical skills through intensive training and performance opportunities. An advocate of classical music and woodwind education, Daniel is the founder of Empowering Woodwinds , a nonprofit organization dedicated to community engagement through music, connecting like-minded musicians, empower and inspire young musicians. For the past two years, Daniel has volunteered his time teaching free fundamental clarinet lessons to elementary and middle school students and leading live performances at local retirement homes and memory care centers. Daniel will continue sharing his passion for music and hope to use his music to lift spirits and bring joy to the world.

Raymond Lim is an 11th-grade violinist at Poolesville High School in Maryland. He began studying the violin at age seven and currently studies with Ryan Meehan of the Calidore String Quartet and Ying Fu of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO). Since 2023, he has been a full-scholarship recipient of the NSO Youth Fellowship Program, working closely under the mentorship of NSO musicians. A 2026 National YoungArts Winner, Raymond received the Grand Prize at the 2025 International Dvořák Classical Music Competition, along with top prizes at the Camerata Artists International Concerto Competition and the Asian American Music Society International Music Competition, and First Prize in the MTNA Competition for the Virginia State Senior String Division. Raymond has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the National Gallery of Art, and has appeared as a concerto soloist with multiple orchestras, including the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra. He has been a member of the Maryland Classical Youth Orchestra for the past nine years and performs regularly as a chamber musician through the NSO Youth Fellowship Program at the Kennedy Center. He has participated in master classes with leading artists including Michael Klotz, Almita Vamos, Derek Powell, Philip Setzer, Stella Chen, Danielle Belen, and Benjamin Beilman, and has attended the Heifetz International Music Institute, the Rushmore Music Festival, and Center Stage Strings at the University of Michigan. He will attend the Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program at New England Conservatory on full scholarship this coming summer in 2026. He aspires to pursue a music major and become a professional orchestral musician.

Violin 1
SSG Charles Gleason, Concertmaster (Columbus, OH)
SSG Jordan Hendy, Assistant Concertmaster (Berkeley Heights, NJ)
SFC Sergey Prokofyev (Brooklyn, NY)
MSG Catherine Gerhiser (Savannah, GA)
SFC Judy Cho (Brooklyn, NY)

Violin 2
SFC Patrick Lin (Fargo, ND)
SSG Allison Smith (Dublin, OH)
SSG Freya Liu (San Jose, CA)
MSG Annette Barger (Atlanta, GA)
MSG Robert Martin (Philadelphia, PA) 

Viola
SSG Rebecca Barnett (Baltimore, MD)
SFC Erica Schwartz (Albany, NY)
SSG Austin Simmons (Arlington, TX)

Cello
SFC Hrant Parsamian (Plovdiv, Bulgaria)
SSG James Hettinga (Elyria, OH)
SFC Aaron Ludwig (St Louis, MO)
MSG Benjamin Wensel (Rochester, NY)

Bass
MSG Regan Brough (Orem, UT)

Flute
SFC Jennifer Zhou (Columbus, OH)
MSG Megan Trigg (Oak Lawn, IL)
SFC Carol Joe Inglis, picc (Los Angeles, CA)

Oboe
SSG Audrey Yu (Dallas, TX)

English Horn
SFC Janice Kim (Seoul, South Korea)

Clarinet
SSG Kenji Bellavigna (Corte Madera, CA)
SSG Samantha Frenduto (Durham, NC)
MSG Martin Gold, bass clarinet (Sarasota, FL)

Bassoon
SGM Dean Woods (Dalton, GA)
MSG Patricia Morgan (Glenn Dale, MD)

Saxophone
MSG Michelle Acton (Plano, TX)
SFC Matthew Evans (Kokomo, IN)

Horn
SFC Patrick Furlo (Clarkston, MI)
SSG Jacob Wiggins (Baton Rouge, LA)
SSG Miles Teague (Downers Grove, IL)
SSG Benjamin Ruiz (Flower Mound, TX)
SSG Matthew Meadows (Jasper, AL)

Trumpet
MSG Erik Ramos (Saint John, IN)
MSG Kelley Corbett (Fincastle, VA)
MSG Drew Fremder (Cedarburg, WI)
SGM Troy McKay (Richmond, MO)

Trombone
SGM Samuel Woodhead (Northport, ME)
SFC Adam McColley (Tampa, FL)
SFC Kyle Gordon (Harlan, IA)

Tuba
SSG Brandon Benson (Missouri City, TX)

Percussion
MSG Kristopher Keeton (Russellville, KY)
SFC Timothy Perry (Lakeland, FL)
SFC Peter Soroka (Richmond, VA)
SSG Oni Lara (Edinburg, TX)

Timpani
SSG Jonathan Milke (Wamego, KS)

Harp
MSG Nadia Pessoa (Miami, FL)

Piano/Celeste
MSG Daniel Roberts (Cookeville, TN)

Violin 1
Raymond Lim
Yuto Shimomura
Kanami Shimomura
Lindsey Lee
Eric Cho
Leah Pang
Nighao Zhan

Violin 2
Madison Bae
Maylea Alhajj
Joshua Yoon
Sunon Jones

Viola
Kewku Adusei-Poku
Claire Kim
Mary Stein
Allison Kim
Kerala Ryan
Lina Youn

Cello
Amelia Baisden
Eileen Zhang
Aaron Hwang
Matias Blandino
Zoie Chu

Flute
Eileen Zhang
Ian Gonzalez

Oboe
Eric Myung

Clarinet
Daniel Xu
Juniper Brinegar

Bassoon
Muyang Zhang
Alexander Ulreich

Trumpet
Sam Charen
Cecilia Patrick
Lukas Steinhelper