Gershwin’s music lives at the crossroads of concert hall brilliance and American popular song, instantly recognizable and endlessly fresh. Under Ron Spigelman, the BPO celebrates Gershwin’s birthday with vocalist Alexandra McArthur bringing favorites to life, including I Got Rhythm, Summertime, I’ve Got a Crush on You, and The Man I Love. Expect swing, romance, and rhythmic sparkle, all elevated by the full sound of the orchestra. It is a feel good night built on melody and style, the kind of concert that makes the room smile and sends you back into the world a little lighter.

Program

Ron Spigelman, conductor
Alexandra McArthur, vocalist
Eric Huebner, piano
William Amsel, clarinet

Jazz trio:
Harry Graser, piano
John Bacon, drum set
Stephen Parisi, bass

INTERMISSION

About Alexandra McArthur

Alexandra McArthur is a Buffalo-based vocalist, educator, composer, and artistic collaborator whose work spans jazz, choral music, musical theatre, arts education, wellness, and interdisciplinary performance. Over the past decade, she has built a multifaceted career in Western New York rooted in expressive musicianship, emotionally honest storytelling, and a deep respect for the histories, traditions, and people that shape the music she engages with, regardless of genre or tradition. She believes the most meaningful musical experiences invite us to listen, communicate honestly, discover something true within ourselves, and create together what no individual could achieve alone.

A four-time JazzBuffalo Female Vocalist of the Year (2018, 2021, 2022, 2023), Alexandra has performed throughout Western New York at venues and cultural institutions including Kleinhans Music Hall, PAUSA Art House, the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Asbury Hall, and the Burchfield Penney Art Center. She is a longtime collaborator with the Buffalo Jazz Collective and the Historic Colored Musicians Club & Jazz Museum, and a featured vocalist and concert host with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s Education Program. Some of her career highlights include opening for Gregory Porter with Bob Sneider at Kleinhans Music Hall in 2026, composing and arranging original music and hymns commissioned by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo with Jessie Downs and Caroline Mallonee as mentors in 2025, portraying Billie Holiday alongside Grammy Award-winning pianist and longtime artistic collaborator George Caldwell in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill with MusicalFare Theatre in 2023 and 2026, and collaborating with legendary saxophonist Bobby Militello from 2015–2022.

Alexandra has maintained longstanding relationships with Vocalis Chamber Choir and the Toronto-based Nathaniel Dett Chorale since 2018 and is a current member of both ensembles, reflecting her deep commitment to choral artistry and collaborative music-making. She was recently brought on as Alto Section Leader for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo’s choir. She studied musical theatre and classical vocal performance at the University at Buffalo and is an active music educator and teaching artist. She teaches music at Cardinal O’Hara High School and works with private voice students, in addition to leading workshops, masterclasses, and educational programs for students and communities of all ages.

Performing with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is the realization of a lifelong dream, and Alexandra gives thanks to God, her guardian angels, and all of the people and opportunities that have brought her to this moment. She is especially grateful to her parents, Raymond and Beverly, whose faith, love of music, distinct musical influences, and the many ways they shaped her life helped lay the foundation for the artist she has become.

Alexmcarthurmusic.com

The Pops Series is presented by

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