In February 1924, George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue was premiered in New York City, capturing the exuberant essence of what Gershwin called “a musical kaleidoscope of America.” 100 years later, American pianist Lara Downes reimagines Gershwin’s masterpiece to reflect on a century of immigration and transformation. Downes has commissioned a radical new arrangement of Rhapsody In Blue by Puerto Rican composer Edmar Colón that reverberates with the multicultural, kaleidoscopic sounds of America today. Rhapsody In Blue Reimagined, a 30-minute piece featuring Downes at the piano, was recorded with the dynamic young musicians of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Orchestra.

Inspired by a desire to offer my own kids a fresh guide to the orchestra, Philharmonia Fantastique was created to showcase both the artistic and technical wonders of the medium. Like its predecessors Peter & the Wolf and Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, it colorfully presents the instruments of the orchestra in the medium of a film soundtrack. Philharmonia Fantastique uses both musical genre and electronic sounds for characterization: noir-ish jazz for the woodwinds; bending lyricism in the strings; dark techno for the brass; drum-corps in the percussion; and, for our Sprite protagonist, a simple yet harmonically wandering piano melody.