Season to begin Nov. 9 with pianist Shelly Berg playing the work of Gershwin

In a powerful launch to the season, American innovation meets Italian grandeur as Palm Beach Symphony’s 2025-2026 Masterworks Series opens at 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 9 with pianist Shelly Berg and Music Director Gerard Schwarz leading the orchestra at Dreyfoos Hall in the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. This performance is generously sponsored by Patricia Lambrecht. Individual tickets to the Symphony’s 2025-2026 Masterworks Series and Symphony Sessions: Lunch & Learns are now on sale.

A master of jazz and classical fusion, pianist Shelton “Shelly” Berg will perform one of George Gershwin’s most iconic works, Rhapsody in Blue. This exhilarating season opener also features Gershwin’s An American in Paris, the meditative beauty of Alan Hovhaness’ Prelude and Quadruple Fugue and Ottorino Respighi’s radiant Pines of Rome.

“This is a very exciting season because we are playing so much American music to celebrate our nation’s 250thbirthday,” said Maestro Schwarz. “When you think about great American music, you think of Gershwin. He is known as a Broadway composer, and yet he is without question in the symphonic world, among the most popular and successful composers of symphonic repertoire. Even though he only wrote a handful of pieces, they beautifully blend jazz together with classical music.”

Berg is a Steinway piano artist and five-time Grammy Award-nominated arranger, orchestrator and producer. His newest album Alegría, released in July 2024, was recorded with bassist Carlitos Del Puerto and Dafnis Prieto. Berg’s original song “At Last” was nominated for a 2025 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition. Prior critically acclaimed albums include Gershwin Reimagined: An American in London, The Deep, The Nearness of You, Blackbird and The Will. Berg earned three Grammy nominations in the Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) category with jazz singer-lyricist Lorraine Feather and international superstar Gloria Estefan, and a fourth Grammy nomination as co-producer of Gloria Estefan: The Standards. He earned his fifth Grammy nomination as co-arranger of “I Loves You Porgy / There’s a Boat That’s Leavin’ Soon for New York” from the 2018 album Rendezvous featuring jazz singers Clint Holmes and Dee Dee Bridgewater with the Count Basie Orchestra.

“Shelly Berg is a remarkable artist on many, many levels,” Maestro Schwarz praised. “He’s a great pianist, composer, arranger, educator and improvisor.”

Berg’s other recent projects include arranging, orchestrating and co-producing the Estefan Family Christmas album, and recording and/or performing with Tony Bennett, Steve Miller, Seal, Lizz Wright, Andra Day, Monica Mancini, Kari Kirkland, Carmen Bradford, Chris Botti, Renée Fleming and Arturo Sandoval. He is also artistic director of The Jazz Cruise, artistic advisor for the Jazz Roots series at the Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center in Miami-Dade County, and music director of The Barclay and Beyond Jazz Orchestra at the Irvine Barclay Theatre.

An award-winning educator with more than 40 years of leadership in higher education, Berg has served as Dean and Patricia L. Frost Professor of Music at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami since 2007 and announced he’ll be stepping down from that position in Spring 2026. He was previously the McCoy/Sample Professor of Jazz Studies at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California and a past president of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE). In 2003, he was honored as Educator of the Year by the Los Angeles Jazz Society and in 2002 received the IAJE Lawrence Berk Leadership Award. In 2000, the Los Angeles Times named him one of three “Educators for the Millennium.”

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Boston-born Hovhaness’ death, the second half of the concert will begin with his beautiful piece called Prelude and Quadruple Fugue. A “fugue” is like the orchestral version of singing a song in rounds. “It’s taking a melody and having one instrument play and then the next instrument plays the melody, and the first instrument goes to play something else. And then, another person plays the melody and then they have two people playing something else and then a fourth person playing the melody and three people doing something else,” explained Maestro Schwarz. “It develops that way.”

To complete the program of solely 20th century compositions, Palm Beach Symphony will play Respighi’s tone poem Pines of Rome. “Respighi is one of the greatest orchestrators. He wrote three tone poems about his impressions of Rome — The Fountains of Rome, Roman Festivals and The Pines of Rome,” said Maestro Schwarz. “In The Pines of Rome, you’re going to hear birds chirping in the park. We’ll create this sound with six extra brass players off-stage at the end of the piece who will make a tremendous racket.”

The Masterworks concerts continue at the Kravis Center with Misha Dichter, piano (Dec. 16); Alisa Weilerstein, cello (Jan. 13); Vadim Repin, violin (March 2), Simon Trpčeski, piano (April 19) and Emanuel Ax, piano (May 17). The complete 2025-2026 Season schedule is available at palmbeachsymphony.org. Individual tickets and season subscriptions for the concerts are on sale now. Concert tickets range in price from $27.50 to $104.50. Tickets may be purchased online at PalmBeachSymphony.org, by phone at (561) 281-0145 and at the Palm Beach Symphony Box Office weekdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 700 South Dixie Highway, Suite 100, West Palm Beach.

Symphony Sessions: Lunch & Learns will be held the Thursday preceding each concert from noon to 1:30 p.m. On November 6, principal cellist Claudio Jaffé will lead the Lunch & Learn. Individual tickets are $125 per lunch and learn or a subscription package is available for $600 for admission to all six. These informal and informative sessions take place in the Symphony’s conference room located in the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties building, 700 S. Dixie Hwy. in West Palm Beach. Guests will enjoy a three-course gourmet lunch catered by SandyJames Fine Food & Productions and a selection of wines curated by Palm Beach Symphony sponsor Private Cask Imports while deepening their connection with the musicians and performances through a glimpse behind the curtain of how the Symphony prepares for concerts, selects repertoire and more. Attendees will learn about the subject matter and composers that will be performed during the upcoming concert, while enriching their concert experience. Complimentary valet parking is provided.

Jaffé launched his solo performance career at the age of 11 with an orchestral debut in his native Brazil. His recitals and guest solo appearances with multiple orchestras have brought him to play in prestigious artistic centers around the world including New York City, London, Tokyo, Ottawa, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Buenos Aires. The “New York Times” describes Jaffé as “an elegant and accomplished artist” of “taste, technique, musicianship and a contagious youthful enthusiasm.” He is principal cellist of the Florida Grand Opera and Palm Beach Symphony and Music Director of the Florida Youth Orchestra. A prize winner in numerous national and international competitions, Jaffé received four degrees from Yale University including a Doctor of Musical Arts. He served as dean of the Lynn University Conservatory of Music and created its Preparatory Division, began the Strings Program at St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton, has conducted the Florida Youth Orchestra for more than 25 years, performed as member of the Delray String Quartet for more than 10 seasons and taught at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He’s conducted, performed and taught at the Santa Catarina Music Festival and performs regularly at the Sunflower and Buzzards Bay Music Festivals.

Hosted by Maestro Schwarz or another Symphony member, Lunch & Learns are also scheduled for Dec. 11, Jan. 8, Feb. 26, April 16 and May 14. Tickets may be purchased at PalmBeachSymphony.org.

Proud sponsors of Palm Beach Symphony include Cindy and Jerome Canty, Mrs. James N. Bay, Carol and Harold Baxter, C. Kenneth and Laura Baxter Foundation, Inc., Kathy Lee Bickham and John Bickham, Leslie Rogers Blum, Jerey and Tina Bolton, James R. Borynack and Adolfo Zaralegui / FINDLAY Galleries, Jerome J. Claeys, Thomas and Carol Bruce, Amy and John T. Collins, The Colony Hotel, Suzanne Mott Dansby, The David Minkin Foundation, Michelle DuBois and James Roiter, Ray K. Farris, Mary and Will Demory, Herbert H. and Barbara C. Dow Foundation, Willard H. Dow and Kelly Winter, Dr. Richard and Diane Farber, Bill and Kem Frick/The Frick Foundation, Inc., Edith Hall Friedheim/Eric Friedheim Foundation, Gerry Gibian and Marjorie Yashar, Paul* and Sandra Goldner, Douglas and Jo Gressette, Irwin and Janet Gusman, Walter Harper, Thomas E. Harvey & Cathleen P. Black Foundation, Doris Hastings Foundation, Carol S. and Joseph Andrew Hays, John Herrick, Addison Hines Charitable Trust, Lisa and George Hines, HSS Florida, Charles and Ann Johnson/The C and A Johnson Family Foundation, Elaine Kay, Aban and Percy Kavasmaneck, Leonard and Norma Klorne Foundation, The Kovner Foundation, Gary and Linda Lachman/The Lachman Family Foundation, Patricia Lambrecht/The Lambrecht Family Foundation, Donald C. McGraw Foundation, The Honorable Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, The McNulty Charitable Foundation, Tish Messinger, David Moscow, Palm Beach Design Masters, Park Foundation, Patrick and Milly Park, Nancy and Ellis J. Parker, III, PNC Private Bank, Lois Pope, Provident Jewelry, Ari Rifkin/The Len-Ari Foundation, Dr. Martha Rodriguez and Dr. Jesus Perez-Mendez, Annette Urso Rickel Foundation, Karen Hunt Rogers, The Honorable Ronald A. Rosenfeld, David Schafer, Seth Sprague Foundation, Robin B. Smith, Kimberly V. Strauss, Don and Mary Thompson, Jerome and Carol Trautschold, Sieglinde Wikstrom/The Wikstrom Foundation, and The Ann Eden Woodward Foundation/James and Judy Woods.

*Deceased

ABOUT PALM BEACH SYMPHONY

Palm Beach Symphony is South Florida’s premier orchestra known for its diverse repertoire and commitment to community. Founded in 1974, this 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization adheres to a mission of engaging, educating, and entertaining the greater community of the Palm Beaches through live performances of inspiring orchestral music. The orchestra is celebrated for delivering spirited performances by first-rate musicians and distinguished guest artists. Recognized by The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County with a 2020 Muse Award for Outstanding Community Engagement, Palm Beach Symphony continues to expand its education and community outreach programs with children’s concerts, student coaching sessions and master classes, instrument donations and free public concerts that have reached more than 90,000 students in recent years. For more information, visit www.palmbeachsymphony.org.

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