Boston Symphony Orchestra with Prokofiev, Bernstein, and more

Founded in Boston (1881), top U.S. symphony rooted in German tradition; famed RCA & DG recordings, Tanglewood. Premiered Stravinsky/Bartók; played Spielberg films with John Williams.

Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian and Soviet composer, pianist, and conductor who is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century. A graduate of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, he initially made his name as an iconoclastic composer-pianist with ferociously dissonant and virtuosic works. He achieved international success across numerous music genres, creating celebrated masterpieces such as the children's classic Peter and the Wolf, the ballet Romeo and Juliet, the opera War and Peace, and the Classical Symphony. Despite periods living in the United States and Europe, he returned to his homeland in 1936, where he became a leading figure in Soviet culture before facing censure for "formalism" in his later years.

Leonard Bernstein, born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, was an iconic American conductor, composer, and educator. He seamlessly blended classical, jazz, and Broadway styles. Celebrated for "West Side Story," "Candide," and his symphonies, he garnered 16 Grammys, 7 Emmys, and 2 Tonys. As New York Philharmonic's first American-born music director, he championed music education and collaborated notably with Jerome Robbins.

Aaron Copland was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and conductor who was referred to by his peers and critics as the "Dean of American Music." Known for creating a distinctly American sound by incorporating jazz and folk elements, his most famous works include the ballets Appalachian Spring, Billy the Kid, and Rodeo, as well as Fanfare for the Common Man.

Beijing-born virtuoso pianist Yuja Wang: Deutsche Grammophon star famed for Russian repertory, dazzling technique & bold fashion; played Chopin/Liszt/Ligeti, collab’d with Gautier Capuçon.