Symphony review: Final Masterworks concerts of season celebrates nation, immigrants with ‘To America’ – Sun, 10 May 2026 PST

The past weekend saw the final concerts in the 80th concert season of the Spokane Symphony – a remarkable and gratifying achievement. In designing the program, Music Director James Lowe had the excellent idea of taking the occasion to celebrate not only Spokane’s success in supporting its flagship arts organization, but also the 250th anniversary of our country’s founding. To do this in a way appropriate to a symphony orchestra, he decided to perform works by immigrants who, oppressed and harried by circumstances in their native countries, responded to America’s promise of individual freedom and prosperity, assigning to the program the plain-spoken title of “To America.”