Copland with Boston Symphony Orchestra and Xian Zhang

Boston Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1881, is a leading U.S. symphonic ensemble. Known for 20th-century RCA Victor recordings and for Koussevitsky’s premieres of Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, plus Tanglewood.

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.

Xian Zhang, a Chinese-American conductor born in Dandong, China, is renowned for her dynamic classical music interpretations. She serves as Music Director for the New Jersey Symphony and Seattle Symphony. Zhang was the first woman to lead a major Italian symphony orchestra and hold a titled role with a BBC orchestra. Her Grammy-winning album "Letters for the Future" highlights her collaborations. She champions Chinese composers.