The Akron Symphony opened its 2026 programming on Jan. 17 with a concert at E.J. Thomas Hall that paired canonical orchestral works with music by an emerging local composer. Music Director Christopher Wilkins framed the program around themes of hope and optimism, featuring the premiere of “Clearing of Snow” by Sarah Hegenderfer, a composition student at the University of Akron.

Hegenderfer’s six-minute work was performed alongside Duke Ellington’s “Three Black Kings” — a tribute that carried resonance on the weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day — Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, and Leonard Bernstein’s “Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.” The concert also featured saxophonist Christopher Coles, electric bassist Jordan McBride, and percussionist Adriana Harrison, with pianist Theron Brown appearing for a surprise encore.

The Akron Symphony’s decision to platform a student composer in a full-orchestra program represents a continued institutional investment in emerging regional talent. The orchestra performs its main-stage season at E.J. Thomas Hall on the University of Akron campus in downtown Akron.

Source: Cleveland Classical