The Ottumwa Symphony Orchestra will open its 2026–2027 season with a patriotic evening of music celebrating America’s 250th birthday and the orchestra’s 40th season.
MASTERWORKS #1: A Salute to America! will be held Saturday, October 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bridge View Center. The concert will be conducted by Dr. William LaRue Jones.
The evening will feature music from two American composers, including Charles Ives’ Variations on “America” and Symphony No. 2.
Ives wrote Variations on “America” in 1891 when he was just 17 years old and working as an organist at a Methodist church in Brewster, New York. The piece takes the familiar tune “America,” also known as “My Country, ’Tis of Thee,” and gives it a playful and imaginative treatment.
Ives later described the work as “a boy’s work, partly serious and partly in fun.” Even at that young age, however, his creativity and willingness to experiment were already evident.
The program will also feature Ives’ Symphony No. 2, written between 1897 and 1902. The work combines traditional European symphonic music with familiar American tunes, reflecting Ives’ interest in creating a distinctly American musical identity.
The symphony was not performed publicly until 1951, when conductor Leonard Bernstein led the New York Philharmonic in its premiere. Nearly five decades after it was written, the performance helped bring greater attention to Ives and his music.
Another highlight of the evening will be Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait, featuring prominent Ottumwan Alex Morley as narrator.
Copland composed Lincoln Portrait in 1942, during World War II. The work combines orchestra and narration, using words from Abraham Lincoln’s speeches and writings to tell his story and reflect on the period in which he lived.
The concert will give audiences an opportunity to hear some of America’s most recognizable musical traditions while celebrating two major milestones for the Ottumwa Symphony Orchestra and the nation.
The orchestra will continue its 2026–2027 season with:
- MASTERWORKS #2: A Salute to Youth! — February 20, 2027
- MASTERWORKS #3: A Salute to Masterworks! — April 24, 2027
Children age 12 and under are admitted free to all concerts. Students can also attend free with a valid student ID.
Tickets and season information are available through the Ottumwa Symphony Orchestra.
Source: Ottumwa Symphony Orchestra, 2026–2027 season announcement and program information.
