John Williams and Kevin Puts: A Cosmic Journey

Item details

Date

Sunday, Mar 22, 2026 3:00PM

Name

John Williams and Kevin Puts - A Cosmic Journey

Description

📍 This concert takes place at Powell Hall
🕒 1 hour, 30 min (including intermission)

Stéphane Denève, conductor
Time for Three, trio (SLSO debut)
        Ranaan Meyer, double bass
        Nicolas Kendall, violin
        Charles Yang, violin

John Adams Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Kevin Puts Contact (Triple Concerto for Two Violins, Bass, and Orchestra) (First SLSO performances)
John Williams Excerpts from Close Encounters of the Third Kind
John Williams “Adventures on Earth” from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
John Williams Selections from Star Wars Suite

Music by three of America’s most respected contemporary composers comes together for a thrilling ride to the far corners of the galaxy. The orchestra blasts into space with John Adams’ driving fanfare, exploring the great beyond with selections from John Williams’ iconic film scores such as E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Star Wars. The SLSO also explores a new work by composer-in-residence Kevin Puts, who has often named John Williams as an early inspiration. Puts’ Contact features the Grammy-winning trio, Time for Three, in an otherworldly piece that contemplates the fundamental human need for contact.

A few things to know:

• Time for Three is a groundbreaking, innovative trio comprising three classically trained musicians who fuse together virtuosic classical playing with bluegrass harmonies, vocal improvisation, and unconventional arrangements.
• The SLSO first performed music by Kevin Puts in 2004; it was a moment of immediate mutual admiration, creating a bond between orchestra and composer that has spanned two decades. Throughout the 25/26 season, the SLSO celebrates Puts’ incredible musical achievements through many performances and collaborations.
• When commenting on his Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, Silent Night, Kevin Puts explained that he was “going for a cinematic quality, commenting on the action and the emotions of a scene as it unfolds as a great film composer like John Williams might do it.” (The Legacy of John Williams) And what is one of his favorite John Williams’ scores? E.T. the Extraterrestrial, of course!
• In 2026 the United States begins a monumental commemoration of our country’s 250th anniversary. The SLSO honors its own home in the American heartland by exploring American music throughout the 25/26 season.

Tickets are currently available for subscribers. Curated Series and Compose Your Own subscriptions are on sale now.