Oct
30
6:00 PM
Renaissance to Rock-n-Roll, A Frightful Fusion of Sound
Dvořák’s New World Symphony
Saturday, September 19, 2026, 7:00 pm
Included in Season Subscription Purchases
Barbara W Nelson Fine Arts Center, Bay High School, Panama City, Florida
A Powerful Opening to Our Season of Discovery
Join Panama City Symphony as we launch our 31st season with one of the most beloved and stirring masterpieces in the orchestral repertoire: Antonin Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World.” Witness the dawn of a new era. Feel the resonance of the strings, the triumph of the horns, and the magic of a community coming together for an unforgettable night of music.
Written during Dvořák’s residency in America, this symphony is a breathtaking fusion of European tradition and the soul-stirring melodies of American spirituals and Native American folk music. From the haunting English Horn solo of the Largo—the melody that became the legendary “Goin’ Home”—to the thunderous, cinematic brass of the finale, the “New World” Symphony is a celebration of exploration, nostalgia, and the pioneering spirit.
Mystery Finalist Number One is Revealed! This high-stakes performance serves as a live audition for a premier candidate vying to become our next Music Director and Conductor.
Ludwig van Beethoven Overture to Egmont, Op. 84
Florence Price Piano Concerto in One Movement Willis Delony, piano
Duke Ellington (arr. Maurice Peress) New World A-Comin’ Willis Delony, piano
Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95 (“From the New World”)
FINALIST NUMBER ONE REVEALED!
RACHEL WADDELL WILL TAKE THE BATON!
Experience Panama City Symphony’s performance under the direction of our first premier candidate for Music Director and Conductor, Dr. Rachel Waddell, as she leads the symphony in a live, high-stakes performance.
CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT RACHEL WADDELL
GUEST PIANIST, Willis Delony
Pianist Willis Delony has spent over four decades establishing himself as a premier classical/jazz crossover artist. His extensive discography includes five albums in his “Connections” series on Centaur, along with collaborations featuring artists like violinist Joana Genova, trumpeter Brian Shaw, and oboist Jared Hauser. His newest album, Standards and Improvisations, debuted on Centaur in 2026.
Delony has performed internationally as a soloist, arranger, and conductor across the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Latin America. A champion of contemporary music, he has premiered works including Stephen Dankner’s Piano Concerto, Greg Yasinitsky’s award-winning Jazz Concerto, and his own 2025 composition, Ebbs and Flows.
As Boyd Professor of Piano and Jazz Studies at Louisiana State University since 2000, Delony’s teaching legacy earned him SEC Professor of the Year honors for LSU in 2020 and induction into the Steinway & Sons Teachers Hall of Fame in 2025.
Learn More About Willis Delony
