The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra will perform the 21st-century premiere of “Caprice,” a newly discovered 1967 composition by Native American composer Boyd Eagle, on Friday, Feb. 28 at 3:30 p.m. at the Broome County Forum Theatre.
The short orchestral piece was written by Eagle, grandfather of the Philharmonic’s Music Director Maestro Daniel Hege, and contains lyrical melodies and vibrant rhythms reflecting his roots straddling jazz, classical and Native American musical traditions.
Eagle, a prolific jazz musician, conductor and composer, was a citizen of the wal-lam-wat-kain band of Nimi:pu: (Nez Perce), led in the early twentieth century by legendary warrior Chief Joseph. Hege is a member of the Chief Joseph Band of Nez Perce of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. The performance of “Caprice” was made possible by a grant from the Racial Justice and Equity Fund of the Community Foundation for South Central New York.
The concert, titled “Canons and Cannons: Pops at the Forum,” features sweeping cinematic scores, musical theater favorites and light symphonic classics. Programming includes music from Gladiator, The Wizard of Oz and Victory at Sea, plus Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with its iconic cannon booms.
The Binghamton Philharmonic is the Southern Tier’s largest and longest-serving professional symphony orchestra, founded by cellist and conductor Fritz Wallenberg and his wife, violinist Marianne Wallenberg, in 1955 as the Binghamton Symphony and Choral Society.
Hege became Principal Guest Conductor in 2016 and was appointed Music Director in 2018. In 2024, the Binghamton Philharmonic was awarded the American Prize for Orchestral Performance, recognizing the ensemble’s artistic excellence among American professional symphony orchestras.
Tickets are $29 to $73, with kids 17 and under attending free, thanks to Pops Series Sponsor Visions Federal Credit Union. The concert will take place at the Broome County Forum Theatre at 236 Washington Street in Binghamton.
For tickets and more information, contact the Binghamton Philharmonic Box Office at 607-723-3931 or visit binghamtonphilharmonic.org.
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