ProMusica Chamber Orchestra’s Opening Weekend to Feature Grammy Award-Winning Banjo Virtuoso Béla Fleck
Béla Fleck will join the orchestra for the first time since 2006 for “Béla Fleck’s Rhapsody in Blue”
(Columbus, OH) – ProMusica Chamber Orchestra will kick off its 47th season at the Southern Theatre with Grammy Award-winning banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck for Béla Fleck’s Rhapsody in Blue on Oct. 18-19 at 7 p.m. Led by Music Director David Danzmayr, the orchestra’s opening weekend will feature the world premiere of Paul Rissmann’s FLOW: Variations Over Time* and Beethoven’s Symphony No.1, in addition to Fleck’s rendition of Rhapsody in Blue.
“We are thrilled to open our 2025-26 season with longtime friends and collaborators, presenting an exciting evening of orchestral music that spans generations,” said Janet Chen, CEO. “Opening with our 73rd commission by friend Paul Rissmann, to welcoming the return of banjo extraordinaire Béla Fleck—who last joined the orchestra in 2006—it will be an evening full of energy and enlightenment!
The first half of the concert will feature the world premiere of ProMusica’s 73rd commission, a new work by Rissmann, composer and host of ProMusica’s beloved NAKED CLASSICS. Titled FLOW: Variations Over Time, the piece is an educational work that will introduce audiences to musical styles of the 20th and 21st centuries and break down the barriers of understanding modern orchestral music. The concert will also highlight Béla Fleck and his arrangement of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The program will conclude with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1, a classical example of traditional symphonic form that will contrast with the contemporary works performed earlier in the concert.
Fleck is a 19-time Grammy Award winner known for his work as a banjo player, composer, and bandleader. For more than 30 years, he has led Béla Fleck and The Flecktones, a quartet blending jazz, funk, and bluegrass influences. Fleck has composed three concertos for banjo and symphony orchestra and explored the instrument’s African origins in the 2009 documentary Throw Down Your Heart. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading banjo players.
Hailing from Scotland, Rissmann is a composer, presenter, and music educator. His works have been commissioned and performed by orchestras across the world, including the New York Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and London Philharmonic. He currently holds the position of Artistic Advisor and Lead Animateur with the London Symphony Orchestra and Children’s Composer in Residence for Music in the Round.
Additional information about Béla Fleck’s Rhapsody in Blue is available at https://promusicacolumbus.org/event/bela-flecks-rhapsody-in-blue-2025/.
*Support for Paul Rissmann’s commission is made possible by an anonymous donor.
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TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for Béla Fleck’s Rhapsody in Blue range from $25-$70, and subscriptions for the 2025-26 ProMusica season are still available. Student tickets are $15 with a valid ID. Tickets are on sale now through the ProMusica Box Office at 614.464.0066 ext. 101 and online at promusicacolumbus.org.
ABOUT PROMUSICA
ProMusica Chamber Orchestra delivers a world-class and unique classical music experience through innovative chamber orchestra programming, education outreach, audience intimacy, and artistic excellence. Recognized for its commitment to performing new and contemporary repertoire, ProMusica has commissioned 73 new works and has presented more than 130 world and regional premieres.
Founded in 1979, ProMusica is known for its exceptional artistry, audience intimacy, and community engagement. The orchestra is creative collective of 37 musicians united by love for music and committed to sharing it with the world, with performances that bend the boundaries of imagination, curiosity, and discovery. Beyond the concert hall, the orchestra is equally at home throughout the community, serving thousands of individuals through key education and outreach programs. Known for its dual traditions of artistic integrity and fiscal responsibility, ProMusica is now in its 47th season. ProMusica’s 2025-2026 season is supported by the Greater Columbus Arts Council, The Columbus Foundation, the Ohio Arts Council, the Reinberger Foundation, and the ProMusica Sustaining Board.
