Amos Lee with the Grand Rapids Symphony

With one foot in the real world and the other in a charmed dimension of his own making, Amos Lee creates rare music: emotionally raw yet touched with a certain magical quality. He intimately documents his real-world struggles on 2022’s Dreamland—an outpouring born of deliberate, often painful self-examination. He collaborated with producer Christian “Leggy” Langdon on itsunpredictable, endlessly imaginative sound—a prime showcase for Lee’s warmly commanding voice and soul-baring songwriting. The first song they created together, “Hold You” set Dreamland’s standard for open-hearted confession. Its delicate convergence of exquisite sonic details—luminous guitar tones, ethereal textures, tender toy-piano melodies—finds Lee looking inward and uncovering a deep urge to provide comfort and solace. Throughout Dreamland he embraces an unfettered honesty, shedding light on the darkest corners of his psyche. Last fall Leeunveiled the 16-song My Ideal (A Tribute To Chet Baker Sings), which pays tribute to his musical hero, reflects on the Billboard chart-topper's deep jazz roots, shines a light on his Philadelphia music community, and toasts the excitement of returning to the road and releasing new music. Chet Baker Sings, a record Lee always loved, holds even deeper meaning as a source of light in the pandemic’s darkest days—where Lee’s daily routine included waking up, meditating, and playing the 1954 jazz epic front to back, diving deep into its nuances.

GRAND RAPIDS SYMPHONY

Recognized nationally for the high quality of its concerts and educational programs, the Grand Rapids Symphony has been an important cultural resource in Grand Rapids and the West Michigan community for almost a century.

Led by Music Director Marcelo Lehninger, Principal Pops Conductor Bob Bernhardt, and Assistant Conductor Duo Shen, the orchestra presents more than 400 performances each year, enriching the lives of approximately 200,000 people. Thousands of those who benefit are students, senior citizens, and people with disabilities who are reached through the orchestra’s extensive education and community service programs.

The Grand Rapids Symphony released its 13th professional recording, Strauss & Villa-Lobos, a collection of live performances under the direction of Lehninger, in late 2021. Another notable recording, Invention & Alchemy, featuring jazz harpist Deborah Henson-Conant, was nominated for the Grammy for Best Classical Crossover Album during the 49th annual Grammy Awards.

The orchestra boasts longstanding partnerships of over 60 years with the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus and the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony & Classical Orchestra, and more recently has formed an additional affiliate in the Grand Rapids Bach Festival.

The Grand Rapids Symphony made its Carnegie Hall debut in 2005 and returned in 2018 for a triumphant performance with the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus under Lehninger’s baton.