In the fall of 2002, my mentor, Louis Lane, called me and said that an orchestra from Nanning, China was planning a tour in the United States and that it was their desire to create a cultural exchange with the Tupelo Symphony Orchestra and to have the Tupelo Symphony be their host for the tour. The Nanning ensemble, the Guangxi Symphony Orchestra, would invite the conductor of the Tupelo Symphony to come to China and conduct them in a concert, and to also conduct the orchestra in concert when they came to the United States.

Mr. Lane asked me, as Principal Guest Conductor of the Tupelo Symphony Orchestra, if I would accept this invitation and go to China, on behalf of the Tupelo Symphony, to conduct the Guangxi Symphony Orchestra. I agreed, with great enthusiasm, and I will travel to the beautiful country of China on January 8, 2004. Many, many thanks and deep gratitude must go to Renee Chen, who has been extraordinary in assisting with my communications and planning with the Guangxi Symphony Orchestra, and also to Margaret Anne Murphey, the Executive Director of the Tupelo Symphony Orchestra, for her perseverance to make this collaboration a reality.

The Guangxi Symphony orchestra requested that I suggest some American pieces that they could perform on the concert in Nanning. I submitted many pieces to them, and they chose two of the most popular American pieces in the orchestral repertoire. We will also perform the brilliant and exciting Red Cape Tango by my friend, and one of America's greatest living composers, Michael Daugherty, a Romance for violin and orchestra by Dvorak, and I will conduct the premiere of the work Liu Sanjie written by the Nanning composer Du Mingxin. After much consideration, I have decided to play an "encore" of a few short symphonic arrangements by Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington. I feel quite certain that this will be the first time that Nanning, China will hear their orchestra swing! After all, what could possibly be more American?

It is my great hope that the members of the Guangxi Symphony Orchestra, as well as the people of Nanning, will enjoy and love this music as much as I. May this concert be the first of many collaborations between our two orchestras.

PROGRAM:

LEONARD BERNSTEIN — Overture to Candide
ANTONIN DVORAK — Romance in F minor for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 11
MICHAEL DAUGHERTY — Red Cape Tango

INTERMISSION

DU MINGXIN — Liu Sanjie
AARON COPLAND — Rodeo
DUKE ELLINGTON
— Don't Get Around Much Anymore
— Do Nothin' "Till You Hear From Me
— Sophisticated Lady
— It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)