Temple University Orchestras Debut World Premiere at Lincoln Center Program

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The orchestras will feature Clayton's photography-inspired premiere alongside Chris Brubeck and Dave Brubeck's Ansel Adams: America.

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The Temple University Studio, Symphony and Jazz Orchestras return to Alice Tully Hall on Sunday, October 11 at 7:30 pm to perform an eclectic program of American music anchored by two pieces created with photographs and compositions that complement each other.

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TWO FIVE O, Reflections, the world premiere by bassist, composer, arranger and educator John Clayton , is performed by the GRAMMY-nominated TU Studio Orchestra (a combination of the Symphony and Jazz Orchestras) and features the photography of Joseph V. Labolito . 'The arts have always been an important part of America's growth as a nation,' Clayton writes in his program note. 'The U.S. is that famous ' Melting Pot ' of different cultures, their food, their religions, ways of life and art. I thought about those things as I composed TWO FIVE O, Reflections. [The piece was] written for symphony orchestra, jazz big band and spoken word and features the fabulous photography of Joseph V. Labolito .' Clayton uses each of the five movements—titled The Viewfinder, Through The Lens, Auto Focus, Zoom and Wide Angle—to place the audience 'behind Mr. Labolito's camera,' and offer different perspectives. Labolito, a Philadelphia native, is known for his extensive and evocative portrayal of the city's rich tapestry.

The GRAMMY-nominated TU Symphony Orchestra revisits the other photography-linked work on the program, Chris Brubeck and Dave Brubeck 's Ansel Adams: America , a symphonic tribute saluting Ansel Adams, one of America's most cherished artists; the TU Symphony performed the NY premiere in 2010. The 22-minute, one-movement piece fully integrates sweeping melodies with 102 striking images of or by Adams, who actually trained to be a classical musician, a little-known fact that greatly influenced the work.

Mezzo-soprano Kathryn Leemhuis joins the orchestra for three lesser-known songs by three iconic American composers: Aaron Copland , Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin . Copland's 'Long Time Ago' comes from a set of five Old American Songs, published in 1950 and premiered the same year by the composer Benjamin Britten on piano and his partner Peter Pears singing. Bernstein's 'Take Care of this House' comes from his unsuccessful musical, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, which is described in the program note as documenting a timely theme: 'American presidents' tepid commitments to establishing fair and equal civil rights for people of every race.' Gershwin's 'O Land of Mine, America' was the composer's entry for a national anthem competition in 1919. It didn't win, but it channels the optimism of immigrants coming to America and the anticipated opportunities it offered.

The TU Symphony Orchestra opens the program with Leonard Bernstein 's Overture to Candide, and the TU Jazz Orchestra, which twice won first-place recognition at the National Collegiate Jazz Championship at Jazz at Lincoln Center, performs John Clayton 's arrangements of two pop songs and a jazz tune, in anticipation of his new composition, which closes out the program.

Full texts for the songs and Clayton's premiere are available here .

Temple University Studio, Symphony and Jazz Orchestras

José Luis Domínguez and Terell Stafford, Directors

Sunday, October 11 at 7:30 pm

Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center

Tickets

Temple University Symphony Orchestra José Luis Domínguez, Conductor Kathryn Leemhuis, mezzo-soprano

Leonard Bernstein : Overture to Candide

Aaron Copland : 'Long Time Ago' Leonard Bernstein : 'Take Care of this House' George Gershwin : 'O Land of Mine, America'

Chris Brubeck and Dave Brubeck : Ansel Adams: America

Intermission

Temple University Jazz Orchestra Terell Stafford, conductor

Manny Curtis , Walter Kent and Al Hoffman (arr. John Clayton ): 'I'm Gonna Live Till I Die' Billy Joel (arr. John Clayton ): 'And So It Goes' Johnny Hodges (arr. John Clayton ): 'Squatty Roo'

Temple University Studio Orchestra José Luis Domínguez, conductor Photography from the Philadelphia Collections by Joseph V. Labolito Poetry and narration by Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon Projection design by Jason Norris

John Clayton : TWO FIVE O, Reflections (World Premiere) I. The Viewfinder II. Through The Lens III. Auto Focus IV. Zoom V. Wide Angle

José Luis Domínguez, Conductor José Luis Domínguez is a prominent talent on international orchestral and operatic stages. His conducting is described as 'unrivaled, magnificent and with exemplary gesturing' (El Mercurio), and he frequents prominent stages across the globe. He currently serves as music director of the Bucks County Symphony Orchestra and associate professor of orchestral studies/director of orchestras at Temple University, w here he is music director of the Temple University Symphony Orchestra and professor of conducting. He is a regular guest conductor with the Opéra Saint-Etienne and is artistic director of the Musical Encounters International Music Festival in La Serena, Chile. Domínguez was artistic director of the New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestras from 2017-2023, w here he served as a frequent guest conductor of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Full biography here .

Kathryn Leemhuis, mezzo-soprano American mezzo-soprano Kathryn Leemhuis has performed with international opera companies such as the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dallas Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Teatro Colón, Fort Worth Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Florentine Opera, and Chicago Opera Theater. On the concert stage, she has performed at the Ravinia Festival , the Grant Park Music Festival, the Boise Philharmonic, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and the Boston Symphony Orchestra at the Tanglewood Music Festival. In addition to her performing career, Leemhuis is an associate professor of voice and opera at Temple University's Boyer College of Music and Dance in Philadelphia. Leemhuis' second commercial album, Inheritance, will be released in 2026 and features compositions for mezzo-soprano voice and piano by living American composers. In 2023, she released her first commercial album, Before She Became Fire, showcasing the compositions of American women composers. Full biography here .

Terell Stafford, Director Terell Stafford has been hailed as 'one of the great players of our time, a fabulous trumpet player' by piano legend McCoy Tyner. Stafford is recognized as an incredibly gifted and versatile player, combining a deep love of melody with his own brand of spirited and adventurous lyricism. Stafford has performed with numerous groups including Benny Golson's Sextet, McCoy Tyner's Sextet, the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Carnegie Hall Jazz Band and Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Alumni Band. Stafford is a member of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and can be heard on over 130 albums. Stafford is the Director of Jazz Studies and Chair of Instrumental Studies at Temple University, and founder and band leader of the Terell Stafford Quintet. Full biography here .

The Temple University Symphony Orchestra (TUSO), under the direction of José Luis Domínguez, performs a wide range of orchestral repertoire, often featuring Temple University faculty, guest and student soloists. In addition to annual performances with the combined choirs at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, the TUSO has performed at Carnegie Hall , Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, and various venues in the Greater Philadelphia region. Three TUSO recordings released by BCM&D Records, have been GRAMMY-nominated in the 'Best Instrumental Composition' category.

Led by Terell Stafford, the Temple Jazz Orchestra (TJO) performs regularly in Philadelphia and New York City and has toured in the United States and to Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan. The band won first place recognition at the National Collegiate Jazz Championship at Jazz at Lincoln Center for the second time in 2026 and has finished in the top two in each year of the competition. Numerous notable artists have performed with the TJO including Freddy Cole , John Faddis, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath , Clark Terry , Frank Wess, Joe Wilder and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

Combining the forces of the Temple University Symphony Orchestra and Temple Jazz Orchestra, the Temple University Studio Orchestra mirrors a modern Hollywood studio orchestra, frequently performing music that bends between classical and jazz genres. Having performed in venues such as Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center, the ensemble's recording of Vince Mendoza's Constant Renaissance received two GRAMMY nominations.

The Boyer College of Music and Dance offers over 500 events open to the public each year. Students have the unique opportunity to interact with leading performers, composers, conductors, educators, choreographers and guest artists while experiencing a challenging and diverse academic curriculum. The Boyer faculty are recognized globally as leaders in their respective fields. Boyer alumni are ambassadors of artistic leadership and perform with major orchestras, opera and dance companies, teach at schools and colleges and work as professional music therapists, choreographers and composers. Boyer's recording label, BCM&D Records, has produced more than 50 recordings, five of which have received GRAMMY nominations. boyer.temple.edu

The Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts consists of the Boyer College of Music and Dance, School of Theater, Film and Media Arts, the George and Joy Abbott Center for Musical Theater and the Temple Performing Arts Center. The School of Theater, Film and Media Arts engages gifted students with nationally and internationally recognized faculty scholars and professionals. A hallmark of the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts is the Los Angeles Study Away program, housed at historic Raleigh Studios. The George and Joy Abbott Center for Musical Theater engages visiting performers, guest artists, set designers, playwrights and other Broadway professionals. The Temple Performing Arts Center (TPAC), a historic landmark on campus, is home to a state-of-the-art 1,200 seat auditorium and 200 seat chapel. More than 500 concerts, classes, lectures and performances take place at TPAC each year. arts.temple.edu

Temple University's history begins in 1884, when a young working man asked Russell Conwell if he could tutor him at night. It wasn't long before he was teaching several dozen students—working people who could only attend class at night but had a strong desire to make something of themselves. Conwell recruited volunteer faculty to participate in the burgeoning night school, and in 1888 he received a charter of incorporation for 'The Temple College.' His founding vision for the school was to provide superior educational opportunities for academically talented and highly motivated students, regardless of their backgrounds or means. The fledgling college continued to grow, adding programs and students throughout the following decades. Today, Temple's more than 30,000 students continue to follow the university's official motto—Perseverantia Vincit, or 'Perseverance Conquers'—with their supreme dedication to excellence in academics, research, athletics, the arts and more.

Photo Credit: Joseph V. Labolito

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Temple-University-Orchestras-to-Present-World-Premiere-at-Lincoln-Center-20260929)._