Sunday, October 26, 2025 | 4:00 pm

Philadelphia Ethical Society

1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia

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We open our 48th season with a look back at some of the most celebrated works we’ve commissioned through the years, which showcase both the group’s enduring legacy and the strengths of our individual members.

Arturo Márquez is one of today’s most widely-performed composers, and perhaps we foresaw this when we asked him to write a work for us in 1996. Octeto Malandro is filled with infectious rhythmic sway, hummable melodies and kick-up-your-heels fun, and has maintained its place in our repertoire as an audience favorite. A native of Cyprus, Sophia Serghi wrote Pleiades for us in 2005, and these depictions of Greek mythological sisters are challenging and fun; listen for the funky tango!
 

Leslie Savoy Burrs composed Voyeuristic Absurdities for us in 2001, and we recorded it several years later on our CD 8-Point Turn. It’s a piece we love to play: Its jazzy, upbeat feel is balanced with beautiful harmonies and a meaningful social message. One of the original pillars of Relâche, accordion innovator Guy Klucevsek, wrote many pieces with and for us during his tenure as a member and for decades afterward. We’ll highlight his mesmerizing solo piano writing on this program.
 

When making a list of the most-recognized names in our commission library, the brilliant Michael Nyman often is found near the top. His catchy, infectious style was exactly what we were looking for when we asked him to write H.R.T. for us in 1995, and the piece did not disappoint, quickly becoming one of the central pieces of our repertoire. We included this in the first of our CD-only recordings, 1997’s Pick it Up.