Boston University School of Music presents the Boston University Symphony Orchestra in a concert at BU's Tsai Performance Center on April 29, 2026. This event is free and open to the public.

Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man (1942) was composed during the throes of World War II, inspired by a speech by Vice President Henry Wallace declaring the dawning of the "Century of the Common Man." With its resounding brass and percussion, the work offers a noble, spacious sonority that elevates the everyday citizen to heroic stature, emblematic of Copland’s accessible American style.

Charles Ives’ The Unanswered Question, originally composed in 1908 and revised in the 1930s, stands as a radical meditation on existence, pitting a serene, slow-moving string backdrop against an ethereal solo trumpet posing a recurring "question," and increasingly agitated woodwinds attempting—and failing—to answer. Its spatially separated ensembles and philosophical depth foreshadow 20th-century modernism while questioning the very nature of musical narrative. A BU Concerto Competition winner will be featured.

Amy Beach’s Gaelic Symphony (1896), the first symphony published by an American woman, blends lush Romantic orchestration with melodies inspired by Irish folk music, reflecting her vision of forging a distinctly American voice rooted in immigrant traditions. Written during a time when women were largely excluded from the symphonic stage, Beach’s richly textured and emotionally expansive symphony represents a bold and historic assertion of artistic identity.