​May 15, 2026

Off the top of my head, I can’t list the 7 wonders of the world, but if Ottorino Respighi’s epic tone poem, Pines of Rome isn’t on that list, maybe it’s time or whomever makes such lists to reconsider. More on that later.
 
In the realm of comings and goings, I guess a big one, my last subscription concert with the Lansing Symphony. It’s been a wonderful 20-year ride. Even though some names and faces changed over the years, I have always felt fortunate to be a part of this organization. We have had a remarkably committed, forward-looking and professional board of directors, a very talented, dedicated and resourceful staff, a supportive and appreciative audience, and a highly-gifted group of musicians.  I have loved every second with this orchestra and will miss them all greatly.
 
But it’s time for a change. Everything has its season, and I’m excited to see what the next season brings. The sky is the limit for the LSO.
 
We did really put a bow on our time together with our concert on Friday. Dvorak‘s Carnival Overture set a exuberant tone, and pianist Jon Nakamatsu joined us for Rachmaninoff Paganini Fantasy. After intermission we gave birth to an evocative new work from our Composer in Residence Jared Miller and topped if off with the apex of orchestral blow outs, the aforementioned Pines of Rome.
 
Not only was it a premiere from Jared, but this concert also marked the finale of his time with the LSO. Our composer residency runs 3 years and culminates in a new work. Once again, Jared really delivered. His is a unique voice among today’s composers. The music comes from deep in his soul and his target is deep in the listener’s. It is a musical language that is rich in innovation but grounded in tradition such that its impact is immediate and potent. He called the work House of Dreams. The piece was inspired by an actual episodic dream of his. The work is structured to reflect those episodes as if each was a room of a house through which the listener is walking. The audience seemed all-in, and the orchestra was too. I look forward to the next opportunity to do this wonderful piece.
 
I think I have worked with Jon Nakamatsu more than any other artist in my career, so it was appropriate and wonderful to have him here for my final LSO concert.  If memory serves me, he won the Cliburn right about the same time as I started with the Baton Rouge Symphony, so our careers have been somewhat on the same timeline. Jon is one of those artists that surprises audiences with what he can pull out of a work expressively, even the old warhorses. His Rach/Pag was one of the most dramatic, luscious and spirited that I have heard. He is one of my all-time favorites, and I know I am not alone.
 
About that Respighi: Pini di Roma (1924) is one of the most brilliant and celebrated symphonic poems in the orchestral repertoire. It is the second entry in the composer’s famed "Roman Trilogy," falling between Fontane di Roma (Fountains of Rome, 1916) and Feste Romane (Roman Festivals, 1928). Audiences love Pines of Rome, musicians love Pines of Rome, people who write about music, often not so much. Respighi at times got short shrift from theorists, musicologists, and critics especially in the 20th century. His innovations were not overt or shocking like Stravinsky or the Second Viennese guys (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern), but he was no less original. He worked within the realm of tonality, but extended the possibilities of color, atmosphere and expression into new realms we had not previously heard. Not as much ink was spilled about him, but he left a great legacy of masterworks.
 
This concert was presented as my “last” in Lansing but actually, I get to do one more with my wonderful LSO colleagues. This week is our annual Young Peoples’ Concert on Wednesday. Two shows, thousands of kids thrilled to hear the orchestra. Should be fun!
 
NEXT UP
 
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Wharton Center for the Performing Arts
East Lansing, Michigan
Wednesday May 20, 2026 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
 
Link Up “The Orchestra Sings”
 
#LansingSymphony #jonnakamatsu #jaredmiller