A New Orchestra Work by composer Curtis Stewart premieres this January with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra.
HAMPTON ROADS, VA [December 18, 2025] Renowned composer Curtis Stewart will be premiering his new work, I wouldn’t stop there: in the words of a KING, with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra at its performances of Gershwin’s an American in Paris & Copland’s Rodeo on January 16th and 17th. Stewart’s new work for chorus and chamber orchestra is inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Mountaintop” Speech, a meditation on the last public words he spoke in 1968 before his assassination.
“This work depicts a struggle to feel ownership of our moment in history,” Stewart says. “It explores a will to resist the impulse to fast forward, to pause, or to be stuck looking to the past for relief; the music provides moments to breathe, alongside dreamlike atmospheres—akin to nightmares, the energy of running in what feels like a quicksand of forward motion.”
The piece will not only feature vocalists from the Norfolk State University Choir, but permission was granted by the King estate to use the recording of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Mountaintop” speech during the piece, which will be heard throughout the concert hall. I wouldn’t stop there: in the words of a KING was commissioned by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Conducted by VSO Music Director Eric Jacobsen, The Macon & Joan Brock Chair, the program also includes Jennifer Higdon’s Harp Concerto with VSO Principal Harpist Alexis Colner, George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, and Aaron Copland’s Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo.
“Over the past few years, the VSO has built a meaningful artistic relationship with Curtis Stewart through his orchestrations and arrangements, and it’s incredibly exciting to now collaborate with him on an original work,” says Jacobsen. “This piece, bringing together chorus and orchestra and inspired by the transformational words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., is exactly the kind of bold, thoughtful, and socially resonant music that the Virginia Symphony Orchestra thrives on. Returning to work with Curtis feels both like a continuation of a shared journey and a powerful step forward and I’m so excited to welcome him back.”
In addition to the new work, a free panel discussion, Black Religious Music and the American Experience, will be held before each concert. Hosted by WHRO Public Media and Virginia Humanities, the discussion will trace the evolution and impact of Black religious music from slavery to the modern day, celebrating it not only as a profound artistic tradition, but also as an oral history and vital expression of resilience, identity, belonging, and community. Panelists include Barbara Hamm Lee, Curtis Stewart, Eric Jacobsen. Harlan Zackery, Dr. Cassandra Newby Alexander, Dr. Antipas Harris, Rev. Dr. Geoffrey Guns and Rev. Jerome Barber This series is FREE, however tickets are required for entry and can be attended separately from Gershwin’s an American in Paris & Copland’s Rodeo.
Stewart has been commissioned to compose new solo, chamber, and orchestral works by the Seattle Symphony, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall’s Play/USA, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo and members of the New York Philharmonic, The Knights, La Jolla Music Society, Sybarite5, the New York Festival of Song, Newport Classical Festival, the Royal Conservatory of Music, the Eastman Cello Institute, Orlando Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and more. In 2022, he was named Artistic Director of the American Composers Orchestra, a national organization dedicated to the creation, celebration, performance, and promotion of orchestral music by diverse and innovative American composers.
Gershwin’s an American in Paris & Copland’s Rodeo will be held on January 16th and 17th 2026, at 7:30PM, at Chrysler Hall, 215 St Pauls Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23510 and Christopher Newport University’s Ferguson Center,1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA 23606, respectively. Black Religious Music and the American Experience is included in ticket purchases for the concerts. Learn more at: https://virginiasymphony.org/gershwin-copland/
Black Religious Music and the American Experience will be held on January 16th and 17th 2026, from 6:15-7:05PM, at Chrysler Hall, 215 St Pauls Blvd, Norfolk, VA 23510 and Christopher Newport University’s Ferguson Center,1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA 23606, respectively. This event is FREE, however tickets are required for entry, and can be attended separately from Gershwin’s an American in Paris & Copland’s Rodeo. Visit: https://tickets.virginiasymphony.org/overview/behindthenotes2026
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As the region’s most celebrated musical, educational, and entrepreneurial arts organization, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra continues to challenge expectations and push the boundaries of what an American orchestra can be. Innovation and excellence are at the heart of the VSO’s narrative. The VSO has received national attention for its unique mission serving a home area of 1.7 million across the diverse communities of southeastern Virginia. Through appearances at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall and its commitment to adventurous programming, the VSO and its musicians have been highlighted in the media including The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Public Radio, and BBC Worldwide News.
As the largest performing arts organization in southeastern Virginia, the VSO and VSO Chorus present more than 150 concerts and events annually for more than 100,000 residents and visitors. Since 2019, the VSO has been recognized nationally for striving to reflect the region’s ethnic and racial diversity in its members, programming, and leadership. The Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s Fellowship Program for up to 4 early-career, underrepresented orchestral musicians work to advance the goal of increased diversity of orchestral musicians nationwide. This initiative is a continuation of the VSO’s commitment to creating extraordinary musical experiences with and for our entire community.
Celebrating his fifth year, Music Director Eric Jacobsen, The Macon and Joan Brock Chair, continues to expand the VSO’s vision to attract wider and larger audiences with engaging concert experiences and creative and relevant programming. Rounding out the artistic leadership team is Connie and Marc Jacobson Music Director Laureate JoAnn Falletta and Norfolk native Thomas Wilkins in the role of Principal Guest Conductor, reflecting the VSO’s commitment to tell its community’s stories and advance the important conversations that will promote understanding and belonging among all residents.
