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WORLD PREMIERE: Music Meets HistoryIn an unprecedented collaboration, the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra and LancasterHistory unite for Stevens & Smith—a powerful concert honoring two extraordinary Lancaster figures whose fight for freedom and equality shaped America.
What You'll Experience:
・WORLD PREMIERE of Second Founding by Lancaster composer Michael Wege: a breathtaking four-movement orchestral suite tracing the journey from Thaddeus Stevens' Vermont childhood through the Civil War to the transformative Reconstruction Amendments.
・Aaron Copland's A Lincoln Portrait: Lincoln's own words woven into stirring orchestral music—a meditation on democracy and leadership.
・William L. Dawson's Negro Folk Symphony: a groundbreaking work celebrating African American culture and resilience through the journey from bondage to triumph.
This special concert precedes the May 1, 2026 opening of the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy—making it a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of Lancaster's pivotal role in America's story.
Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith fought tirelessly for justice and equality during one of our nation's most turbulent periods. Their law office and home, right here in Lancaster, was headquarters for the fight that gave us the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
Through the universal language of music, we explore themes of freedom, equality, and democracy that feel as urgent today as they did during Stevens and Smith's lifetimes.
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Event Venue
725 Hamilton Rd, Lancaster, PA 17603, United States
Tickets
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