Name: The LPO Presents: Brahms Symphony No. 1
Start: 2026-01-29T19:30:00-06:00
Location: Orpheum Theater New Orleans

Prepare to join the 𝐋𝐨𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐎𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚 for a splendid program under the baton of 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐊𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫, featuring soloist 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥, Principal Clarinetist of the LPO.
📅 Thursday, January 29, 2026
🕕 7:30 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM)
📍 Orpheum Theater, 125 Roosevelt Way, New Orleans, LA
The evening opens with 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝑈𝑚𝑜𝑗𝑎: 𝐴𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑈𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦, a piece whose title means “unity” in Swahili and that evokes community through a musical tradition of call and response. Originally crafted as a simple song, it has grown into a spirited orchestral statement that weaves melody and rhythm into a celebration of shared humanity.
You will also be swept away by one of the most beloved works in the clarinet repertoire, 𝐌𝐨𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐭’𝐬 𝐶𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑛 𝐴 𝑀𝑎𝑗𝑜𝑟. Written for his friend and virtuoso Anton Stadler near the end of Mozart's life, the concerto blends luminous lyrical lines with moments of virtuosic brilliance. Its melodies unfold with warmth and elegance. This piece is a hallmark of Mozart’s genius in the Classical era.
The program reaches its pinnacle with 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐦𝐬’ 𝑆𝑦𝑚𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑦 𝑁𝑜. 1 𝑖𝑛 𝐶 𝑀𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑟, a work decades in the making. It channels Romantic era passion and architectural mastery. The music evolves through tension and release creating a deeply expressive arc. Listeners will feel the emotional richness that has made this symphony a cornerstone of orchestral tradition.
𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬
𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧 is an internationally acclaimed, Grammy-nominated composer and flutist known for her work that blends classical tradition with diverse musical influences. She founded the celebrated wind quintet Imani Winds, and her piece Umoja was chosen by Chamber Music America as one of the “Top 101 Great American Ensemble Works.” Coleman has received major honors such as Performance Today’s 2020 Classical Woman of the Year and recognition as one of the Top 35 Women Composers by The Washington Post. Her music has been performed by leading orchestras and ensembles around the world.
𝐖𝐨𝐥𝐟𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐮𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐭 (1756–1791) was one of the most influential and prolific composers of the Classical era. A remarkable child prodigy, he toured Europe from a young age, astonishing courts and audiences with his virtuosity and effortless command of form. Over the course of his short life, he produced more than 600 works that span every major genre of his time, including symphonies, operas, concertos, chamber music, choral works, and keyboard compositions. His writing is marked by extraordinary clarity, expressive depth, and a gift for melody that continues to resonate today. In his final years, Mozart explored new emotional and harmonic territory, creating music that feels both intimate and transcendent. The Clarinet Concerto in A Major, written in 1791 for clarinetist Anton Stadler, exemplifies this late style. Its lyricism and gentle radiance reveal Mozart’s mastery of instrumental color and his ability to write with profound humanity. (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica)
𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐡𝐦𝐬 (1833–1897) was a central figure of the Romantic era and one of the most revered symphonic composers in Western music. Born in Hamburg and later based in Vienna, Brahms combined rigorous classical structures with the expressive intensity of the nineteenth century. His music is known for its architectural strength, rhythmic vitality, and emotional richness, traits that earned him early comparisons to Beethoven.
Brahms approached large-scale composition with meticulous care, often revising works over many years. His Symphony No. 1 in C Minor is a powerful example of this slow, deliberate craftsmanship. After working on the piece for more than a decade, Brahms created a symphony that moves from dramatic tension to glowing resolution, a journey that has solidified the work’s place as a cornerstone of the symphonic repertoire. (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica)