Rhapsody in Blue: Behind the Music

A Spark of American Genius Meets Two Rising Stars

When George Gershwin stepped onto the stage of New York’s Aeolian Hall on February 12, 1924, he did so almost sheepishly. The audience, restless and drifting after a long experimental program, had no idea that the next sixteen minutes would change American music forever. What followed was the premiere of Rhapsody in Blue, a work so electrifying that the hall erupted in what critics described as “tumultuous,” “wild,” and “even frantic” applause.

Gershwin had composed the score in just three feverish weeks, prompted by bandleader Paul Whiteman’s invitation to write a new piece that would prove American jazz “had come to stay.” Brave, brash, and unabashedly modern, Rhapsody in Blue fused classical form with the pulse of a new century: blues, ragtime, city noise, and the restless energy of a country finding its voice. One hundred years later, that sound remains unmistakable.

Music Director Aram Demirjian describes Rhapsody in Blue as a piece that still feels startlingly fresh:

“The opening clarinet solo, there’s nothing else in music that was written like that. Rhapsody in Blue reaches out and touches you. It puts a smile on your face, and you can’t help but feel closer to the people around you when you’re in a joyous spirit.”

The uniqueness of Rhapsody in Blue makes it a fitting centerpiece for a November Masterworks program built on color, rhythm, and cultural influence. It also sets the stage for two rising stars, pianist Chaeyoung Park and conductor Michelle DiRusso, to bring their own artistic spark to Gershwin’s iconic score.

New Delaware Symphony Music Director Michelle DiRusso returns to lead the KSO.

DiRusso’s background as a professionally trained dancer gives her an especially intuitive connection to dance-infused repertoire, and her multicultural roots – Argentinian-born, Italian family – give her a deep affinity for music shaped by cultural identity and folk tradition.

This concert marks DiRusso’s Masterworks debut with the KSO, following her successful appearance last season with the Chamber Orchestra. It also comes just weeks after she began her new tenure as Music Director of the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, only the sixth in its 119-year history.

The South Korean-born Park was raised in Lawrence, Kansas, and is a graduate of The Juilliard School.

At the center of this program, pianist Chaeyoung Park brings both technical mastery and expressive freedom to Rhapsody in Blue. Known for playing “not a single note without thought or feeling,” Park relishes the creative possibilities the piece offers.

“I love this piece because I’m not a jazz musician, but I can sort of pretend to be one for 20 minutes. The score gives you so much freedom—to add harmonies, little ornaments, or change a few notes. It’s really fun to play.”

For Park, Rhapsody in Blue contains a whole world of sound – jazz swagger, urban energy, bluesy melancholy, and folk spirit – all in a tight, 20-minute arc. Park and DiRusso will meet for the first time just days before stepping onstage together. For DiRusso, that unpredictability is part of the magic:

“I haven’t collaborated with Chaeyoung yet, so it’s going to be like a blind date—in a really good way. That moment when you meet and find each other musically is one of my favorite parts of this work.”

Their collaboration, two young female artists from different cultural backgrounds interpreting one of America’s most iconic works, embodies exactly what Rhapsody in Blue represents: innovation, synthesis, curiosity, and creative spark.

Background on Rhapsody in Blue is adapted from the KSO program notes by Ken Meltzer.