Omaha Symphony Presents Ankush Kumar Bahl’s Inaugural Season as Music Director

2021-22 Season Features Music by an Array of Living Composers, Including the World Premiere of a new Violin Concerto by Martin Kennedy.

The Omaha Symphony, under the leadership of President and CEO Jennifer L. Boomgaarden, announces programming for the Symphony’s inaugural season with its new music director, Ankush Kumar Bahl. The 2021-22 season marks the orchestra’s 101st, with Bahl leading five of the Symphony’s seven Master Works series programs at its home, Peter Kiewit Concert Hall at the Holland Performing Arts Center. Bahl will also conduct four of the Symphony’s six programs on the Joslyn Museum series in the Witherspoon Concert Hall, as well as community and family programs throughout the season.

“What better way to usher in a new era for the orchestra than welcoming Ankush Kumar Bahl to the Omaha Symphony,” said Jennifer L. Boomgaarden, President and CEO. “After bringing the music to our audiences through their screens or in reduced capacity performances, it feels like we’ve been waiting a long time for this moment. Live music is finally returning in its fullest expression, and under Maestro Bahl’s baton we are reminded why so many of us turned to the arts to find beauty, comfort and inspiration during the pandemic. The energy that he brings to the podium is palpable, and his musical chemistry with the musicians breathes new life into the classics we know and love. I can think of no better way to begin the story of our second century than to launch this partnership. The Omaha Symphony Board, staff, and musicians all know that it will have been worth the wait!”

“I felt an instant and intense connection to the artists and administration within Omaha Symphony as well as the Omaha community as a whole,” said Maestro Bahl. “Their impressive musical talent is matched only by their kindness, openness, honesty and sincerity. I knew this was the right fit and I am so looking forward to joining the Omaha Symphony family. Together, we’ll bring unforgettable musical experiences to the Omaha community and beyond.”

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Bahl’s programming features a rich array of music spanning the 17th to 20th centuries, as well as music written by today’s composers. Across the season, his programs feature works by dynamic American composers, including William Grant Still, Jennifer Higdon, Adam Schoenberg, Michael Daugherty, Gabriela Lena Frank, Michael Tilson Thomas, Sarah Kirkland Snider, John Adams, and George Walker, the first Black composer to win a Pulitzer Prize for music. The robust offering of repertoire, which includes the world premiere of a new violin concerto by Martin Kennedy, features composers both familiar and less well-known, from Bach, Dvořák, Respighi, and Tchaikovsky to Britten, Martinů, and Pärt.

Nine distinguished musicians and ensembles make their debuts with the Omaha Symphony in the 2021-22 season.

Omaha Symphony includes violinists Simone Porter, Blake Pouliot, and Lara St. John, genre-mixing trio Time for Three, jazz pianist Aaron Diehl, clarinetist Anthony McGill, pianist Gabriela Martinez, soprano Susan Lorette Dunn, and Omaha Symphony bassoonist Nichols Nelson.

Throughout the season, four of the Symphony’s own musicians appear as soloists: Alexandra Rock (oboe d’amour), trombonist Jason Stromquist, and bassoonists Jim Compton and Nelson.

Guest conductors include Kazem Abdullah (making his Omaha Symphony debut), JoAnn Falletta, Alasdair Neale, and Larry Rachleff.

For ticketing information, contact the Omaha Symphony at 402 345 0606, or visit omahasymphony.org.

Photo courtesy: Omaha Symphony Orchestra