John Williams and Kevin Puts

A Cosmic Journey

📍 This event takes place at Powell Hall

🕒 1 hour, 30 minutes (including intermission)

Friday, Mar 20, 2026, 10:30am Get Tickets Sunday, Mar 22, 2026, 3:00pm Get Tickets

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Program

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

About this Concert

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.

- 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.

Artists

Meet the people that make the music.

Stéphane Denève

Conductor

Time for Three

Trio (SLSO debut)

Musicians of the SLSO

Special Thanks

Coffee Concert Series Supported by EverTrue
Friday morning complimentary refreshments courtesy of Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. and Eddie’s Southtown Donuts

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Travel to the far corners of the galaxy in this stellar soundscape with music from John Williams’ greatest film scores and ethereal new music by Kevin Puts.

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John Williams and Kevin Puts

A Cosmic Journey

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Program

About this Concert

A few things to know

Artists

Stéphane Denève

Time for Three

Musicians of the SLSO

Special Thanks

Plan Your Visit

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