Philip Glass Symphony No. 15, a portrait of Abraham Lincoln using the presidents own words, premiered at Tanglewood with the Boston Symphony Orchestra after Glass withdrew it from the Kennedy Center due to concerns over the institutions politicization under its current leadership. The symphony, part of a Lincoln-themed program that included John Williams *Lincoln* suite and Aaron Coplands *Lincoln Portrait*, was conducted by Karen Kamensek and featured baritone Zachary James as Lincoln. Glass, 89, aimed to highlight Lincolns visionary leadership and timeless relevance amid the nations 250th-anniversary year, while performers emphasized the emotional weight and plainspoken power of Lincolns rhetoric.
Original Article Source Link:
https://www.npr.org/2026/07/06/nx-s1-5342928/philip-glass-lincoln-symphony-bso