Violinist and composer Curtis Stewart, a six-time Grammy nominee known for his innovative blend of tradition and experimentation, opened his 2025–2026 concert season with a landmark event that drew national attention. On September 20, at The Music Center at Strathmore, Stewart joined the National Philharmonic under conductor Michael Repper for the first public performance of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade, Op. 4. The evening marked an important milestone in the revival of Coleridge-Taylor’s music, bringing to the stage a work that has lingered in archives for more than a century but had never been performed publicly in an orchestral setting.
The concert program was carefully curated to emphasize both rediscovery and continuity. Alongside the premiere of the Ballade, audiences were treated to Coleridge-Taylor’s Toussaint L’Ouverture, a rarely performed orchestral work that draws inspiration from the life of the Haitian revolutionary leader. Also included was Sussex Landscape by Avril Coleridge-Taylor, Samuel’s daughter, whose own career as a composer and conductor has only recently begun to receive overdue recognition. The program concluded with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, a familiar staple of the repertoire that underscored the contrast between well-established classics and works that are only now beginning to receive the attention they deserve.
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Stewart’s decision to spotlight Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade was no accident. Known for championing under-recognized voices, he has built his career on the principle that the concert stage should reflect both historical breadth and contemporary relevance. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, often referred to in his time as the “African Mahler,” achieved acclaim in the early 20th century for works such as the cantata Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast. Yet despite his considerable output and influence, many of his pieces were neglected by mainstream programming for decades. By presenting the Ballade for the first time, Stewart and the National Philharmonic are contributing to a broader movement in classical music that seeks to expand the canon and give long-overlooked composers their rightful place in performance halls.
The performance itself was a triumph of artistry and scholarship. Preparing a work that has never been played in public required close collaboration between Stewart, Repper, and musicologists who reconstructed the orchestral score from archival sources. Stewart’s interpretation of the violin passages was noted for its warmth, expressivity, and precision, while Repper’s leadership brought out the dramatic contrasts and lush orchestrations that characterize Coleridge-Taylor’s style. Audience members responded with enthusiasm, with many describing the work as both hauntingly beautiful and surprisingly modern in its harmonic language.
The choice to pair Coleridge-Taylor’s compositions with Tchaikovsky was particularly striking. By presenting these works in the same program, Stewart emphasized that the music of historically marginalized composers can stand shoulder to shoulder with the most beloved works in the symphonic tradition. The juxtaposition also highlighted how the struggles and triumphs of Coleridge-Taylor’s life resonate with themes of resilience and passion in Tchaikovsky’s own music. For many listeners, the concert was not only a celebration of artistry but also an invitation to reconsider what has been excluded from the classical canon.
Stewart’s 2025–2026 season promises to continue in this vein, blending rediscovered works with new commissions and iconic pieces. Among his major projects is the ongoing creation of 24 American Caprices, a series of newly commissioned works intended to reimagine what American violin repertoire can be. Supported by institutions such as American Public Media and Juilliard Pre-College, these caprices draw on diverse cultural influences and seek to redefine the technical and expressive possibilities of the violin. Stewart has described the project as a way of weaving together tradition and innovation, creating a body of work that reflects the multiplicity of American voices.
The season also highlights Stewart’s commitment to collaboration and accessibility. He has spoken openly about his belief that music must serve as both a bridge to history and a living force for contemporary audiences. By pairing premieres of newly discovered or newly written works with beloved symphonies, he seeks to create concerts that feel at once familiar and adventurous. This programming philosophy was on full display in Bethesda, where the audience could move seamlessly from an unfamiliar piece by Avril Coleridge-Taylor to the sweeping drama of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, discovering in the process that these works share emotional intensity and artistic ambition.
The significance of Stewart’s premiere extends beyond the concert hall. Reviving Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade is part of a larger cultural reckoning with whose voices are heard and celebrated in classical music. For decades, many composers of color and women composers were systematically excluded from mainstream orchestral programming, leaving their works forgotten in archives or dismissed as curiosities. By bringing these works to the stage, Stewart and his collaborators are not only expanding the repertoire but also reshaping the narrative of musical history.
Audience members in Bethesda responded with standing ovations and praise for both the performance and the programming vision. For some, the concert was an introduction to Coleridge-Taylor’s music; for others, it was an affirmation of a growing movement within classical music to broaden the canon and create space for voices that history overlooked. Critics noted that Stewart’s performance balanced technical brilliance with a deep sense of emotional connection, a hallmark of his approach to both violin playing and composition.
As Stewart’s season unfolds, it is clear that he intends to continue challenging expectations and broadening horizons. His blend of rediscovered repertoire, newly commissioned works, and iconic masterpieces offers a model for how orchestras and soloists might engage audiences in the 21st century. For Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, whose Ballade was finally given its long-awaited public premiere, the concert represented a step toward long-overdue recognition. For Curtis Stewart, it was another chapter in a career defined by innovation, inclusivity, and the belief that music has the power to bridge past and present.
