Stars & Stripes — America at 250 • Copland at Miami: 50 Years Later
The Miami University Symphony Orchestra celebrates America’s 250th anniversary while honoring a remarkable chapter in Miami’s own musical history: the 50th anniversary of Aaron Copland’s 1976 residency at the university, when he conducted the university orchestra himsel

The celebration opens with John Philip Sousa’s iconic "The Stars and Stripes Forever", followed by Vaughan Williams’s colorful "English Folk Song Suite" and Copland’s beloved "Appalachian Spring"—performed five decades after Copland himself came to Miami and conducted the Miami University Symphony Orchestra.
After intermission, the program crosses the Atlantic for Rossini’s sparkling "Overture to The Barber of Seville" followed by Benjamin Britten’s witty and brilliant "Matinées musicales," a dazzling reimagining of Rossini’s music. A festive evening celebrating America, musical heritage, and the enduring power of great music to be rediscovered and transformed.