On March 21 and 22, Andris Nelsons returns to the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, leading an eclectic program that features pieces by contemporary composers Artur Maskats and Carlos Simon, as well as a beloved masterwork by Nicolai Rimsky Korsakoff. 

The program opens with Maskat’s Tango for Orchestra, a 2002 work that blends the rhythmic intensity of the tango with Maskat’s lush and cinematic harmonic language. It’s followed by Simon’s Four Black American Dances, a 2023 commission by the Boston Symphony Orchestra (where Nelsons is Music Director) that explores the rich tapestry of dance traditions within Black American communities. The program closes with Rimsky-Korsakoff’s Scheherazade, one of the composer’s most famous compositions, celebrated for its lush orchestration, vivid storytelling, and evocative use of instrumental color.