Opening Night: The Incomplete History of the World in Ten Pieces

Music lives within history—and it also creates its own.

As SummerFest marks its 40th year, this season explores both: composers responding to the world around them, and the turning points that reshaped the course of music itself. From works born in moments of upheaval to rediscoveries, landmark commissions, and bold new collaborations, SummerFest celebrates the past—and the new chapters we continue to write.

Part of our Synergy Series, this boundary-crossing opening night blends music, storytelling, and theatrical narration in a fast-moving journey through history. Legendary actor Simon Callow joins festival artists for a vivid time-travel adventure—from medieval chant to modern revolution—where each piece becomes a portal to a defining moment in the story of music.

This performance is part of the Synergy Initiative, a series co-produced by Inon Barnatan and Clara Wu Tsai that invites artists to collaborate across their different genres to produce performances that inspire audiences in unexpected ways.

Purchase a Premier or Flex Package

REPERTOIRE

*Program, artists, and timing subject to change.