Daniel Weiser returns to Florida on his own this year to explore the tragically short, but incredibly productive life, of American’s greatest composer—George Gershwin. The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Gershwin grew up in the rough, chaotic streets of New York and soaked up the melting pot around him to help formulate the new, brash sound of America. Combining elements of “Jewish” music with the “Blues” and “Ragtime” brought by recent black migrants from the South, Gershwin would help produce the new “Jazz” and “Broadway” sound that made New York City a new center for musical culture. Gershwin seamlessly moved between the “classical” and “popular” worlds to help reveal the continuum of these seemingly different idioms. Dr. Weiser will play much of Gershwin’s concert music, including “Rhapsody in Blue,” “An American in Paris,” and his “Preludes.” He will also perform arrangements of many of his iconic songs, including “The Man I Love,” “I Got Rhythm,” “Love is Here to Stay,” and many more.