Often, orchestral concerts are viewed as repositories of history, places where we gather to respect and enjoy the sounds and traditions of music firmly in the past.

This perspective couldn’t be further from the truth. Orchestras are living, breathing organisms, filled with artists whose skill and knowledge bring new life to classic pieces, and inspire brand-new works. To this day, classically trained composers receive commissions meant to celebrate an orchestra or specific members, a considerable investment that requires immense time and creative energy to execute.

“When you commission a [new piece], it’s for specific players that they feel are worthy of spending this enormous amount of time and money to commission,” says Cynthia DeAlmeida, principal oboe for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Hence, it is particularly noteworthy that the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will conclude its season with not one, but two original commissions. The first, the premiere of Canadian composer Samy Moussa’s “Adgilis Deda, a Hymn for Orchestra,” and the second, the inaugural performance of American composer Michael Daugherty’s “Songs of the Open Road for Oboe, Horn and Orchestra.”

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Canadian composer Samy Moussa. Photo courtesy of Genevieve Caron.

Born and raised in Montreal, Moussa has never been to Pittsburgh, but he knows the PSO well.

“I was always a fan of the orchestra, having listened to their older recordings from the ’60s and ’70s,” says Moussa.

Moussa would get to know the orchestra personally when it programmed his Violin Concerto in 2022. PSO Music Director Manfred Honeck conducted Moussa’s work, leading to the two developing a working relationship. The idea for “Adgilis Deda” spawned from a 2023 meeting between Honeck and Moussa in his adopted homeland of Germany.

“[Honeck and I] met in Berlin, where I live, to get to know each other, with no plan at the time,” says Moussa. “We spoke a lot about Bruckner, a favorite composer for both of us, and we knew from that moment that we would write a new piece.”

However, trying to write at home, Moussa found himself overcome by writer’s block, and needed to get out of town to find inspiration. Moussa spent two wintry months in the nation of Georgia, nestled in the Caucasus Mountains between Russia and Turkey.

There he found the creative spark he needed, and the piece flowed quickly. Consequently, he gave the piece a Georgian title, “Adgilis Deda,” which translates loosely to “mother place.”

“It’s the concept of protection, somehow. It’s a place where you feel protected, and I thought that was a beautiful idea for the piece,” says Moussa.

This message feels timely considering the current political situation between Russia and Ukraine, especially in light of the fact that 20 percent of Georgia’s territory has been annexed by Russia. However, Moussa rejects the idea that his work reflects modern struggles, instead aiming to achieve something much simpler, much more innately human.

“I never work based on contemporary events or politics, I’m very distanced from those things,” says Moussa. “My role as an artist is not to change society or send a political message. My job is to bring some beauty to the world, and people can take it or leave it. I have no more ambition than that.”

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American composer Michael Daugherty. Photo courtesy of Yopie Prins.

Near the end of the season, the premiere of Daugherty’s “Songs of the Open Road for Oboe, Horn and Orchestra” will highlight the talents of the symphony’s principal oboe player Cynthia DeAlmeida and principal horn player William Caballero.

Each has had an illustrious, three-decade-long career, earning glowing reviews the world over. They’re also a married couple, making them uniquely fascinating and worthy as the focal point of this commission. This original work is the culmination of more than two years of collaboration and creative energy, and one the duo had a significant level of input in.

“It’s a long process, getting to the point where they decided to present a commission for us, and then the choice after that was finding a composer, someone that we liked, someone we respected,” says Caballero. “We chose Michael Daugherty, as we’ve done some recent repertoire with him, and we’ve known his repertoire for over 20 years. Michael is just remarkable with his vision and how he connects with the audience.”

From there, the trio sat down together to collaborate, working on specifics of structure as well as providing Daughtery with scenes and background from their lives together.

“Over a year ago, we were having dinner with Michael, discussing the themes he wanted to work with,” says Caballero.

“He knows he’s writing for a married couple, and that’s unusual, and so he decided to center the concept on a road trip, like a couple taking a road trip across America,” says DeAlmeida.

Over six movements, “Songs of the Open Road” will transport listeners from California to Key West, telling stories of a pair traversing this nation’s highways and byways. Through their conversations with Daugherty, Caballero and DeAlmeida’s real life inspired the piece. The couple were married in upstate New York, the same region where comedy icon Lucille Ball was born and raised. Daugherty imaginatively used that link as the foundation for the concerto’s fourth movement:

“Sure enough, he decided that fourth movement is taking place [in upstate New York], and it’s just the oboe and horn with some percussion that’s reminiscent of Ricky Ricardo’s band, and it’s the two instruments arguing,” says DeAlmeida.

“Songs of the Open Road” includes movements set in Michigan, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Continental Divide, each sure to transport audiences to a state of wonder and enjoyment.

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will perform Moussa’s “Adgilis Deda” on April 26, 27 and 28, alongside selections by Bruckner and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Daugherty’s “Songs of the Open Road for Oboe, Horn and Orchestra” will be performed on June 7, 8 and 9, alongside Jessie Montgomery’s “Coincident Dances” and Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. Tickets are available online.

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