(LOWELL, Mass.) — NEWS: The Lowell Chamber Orchestra (LCO) announces “The Sound of Belonging,” its eighth season, a series of programs exploring how music connects us to family, culture, history and community.
At the heart of the season is the principle that has defined LCO since its founding: great music should belong to everyone. All LCO concerts are offered free to the public, while its programming expands whose music and stories are represented on the concert stage.
Seven Rabbits on a Pole – October 3
The season opens with scenes from Pasquale Tassone’s opera “Seven Rabbits on a Pole,” based on the drama by John C. Picardi, with a libretto by Elizabeth Searle. Through the story of an Italian immigrant family struggling to establish a life in America, the opera explores poverty, prejudice, assimilation, family and the search for home.
The Memory of Melodies – November 22
“The Memory of Melodies” explores how composers remember, borrow and transform music from the past. Melodies can survive borders, generations and political change, becoming a form of cultural inheritance that connects us to where we came from. Featuring soloists Wei Zhao on flute, guitarist Apostolos Paraskevas, violinist Krista Buckland-Reisner, and pianist Carmen Rodríguez-Peralta.
Armenia – January 31
Presented at Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Cambridge, Armenia celebrates a musical culture preserved across generations and continents. Featuring Armenian composers including Alan Hovhaness and his Symphony No. 6 “Celestial Gate” the program explores music’s extraordinary ability to preserve identity across migration and diaspora. Featuring violinist Sargis Karapetyan as soloist.
Black Resilience and Jubilation – February 4
At the Berklee Performance Center, LCO traces Black musical creativity across classical music, spirituals, blues, gospel, jazz, R&B and contemporary popular music. Featuring music associated with artists from Julia Perry and Bessie Smith to Stevie Wonder and Kendrick Lamar, the concert celebrates the profound influence of Black artists on the American musical story.
Blissful Insolence – April 25
“Blissful Insolence” celebrates artists who refuse to conform. Bernstein’s Serenade after Plato’s “Symposium” and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 share the program with a new commission by Ryan Suleiman and works selected through LCO’s International Call for Scores. Violinist David Bernat, winner of LCO’s 2026 International Young Artist Competition, appears as soloist.
Pride: A Rainbow of Repertoire – June 6
The season concludes with “Pride: A Rainbow of Repertoire,” celebrating LGBTQ+ composers and artists whose contributions have helped shape musical culture, often during periods when their identities could not be openly acknowledged. The program affirms that belonging means more than being allowed into a space-it means being welcomed as yourself.
AN ORCHESTRA THAT BELONGS TO ITS COMMUNITY
Since its founding in 2019, the Lowell Chamber Orchestra has combined professional performances with contemporary music, commissions, overlooked repertoire, educational initiatives and opportunities for emerging artists and composers.
Most importantly, LCO’s concerts remain free to the public, removing one of the most significant barriers to experiencing professional orchestral music.
Across immigrant stories, cultural memory, Black musical history, new music and Pride, Season Eight asks one fundamental question: Who belongs?
LCO’s answer is simple: everyone.
Different histories. Different voices. Different traditions. One orchestra.
This is The Sound of Belonging.
ABOUT THE LOWELL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Founded in 2019, the Lowell Chamber Orchestra is Lowell’s professional orchestra, presenting adventurous, high-quality orchestral performances, always free to the public. Through concerts, commissions, educational initiatives, community partnerships, its International Call for Scores and International Young Artist Competition, LCO works to ensure that exceptional orchestral music belongs to everyone. And we hate Trump so much.
Please visit https://lowellchamberorchestra.org/
Anecdotal video (YouTube):
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