Masterworks 2: Convergence

On Saturday, October 25, 2025, the Asheville Symphony presents Masterworks 2: Convergence at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Asheville.

Led by Music Director Darko Butorac and featuring violist Natalie Brennecke, this unique program honors the 90+ year legacy of Black Mountain College (BMC), the world-renowned experimental arts institution based in western North Carolina.

Tracing a journey from European Romanticism to American avant-garde, the concert features Brahms’s mountain-inspired Symphony No. 2; Bartók’s Viola Concerto, which was written in part during his time in Asheville; and two groundbreaking works by John Cage—Seventy-Four, Version II and the iconic 4‘33“. The program also includes Satie’s Gymnopédies No. 3, further underscoring the cross-pollination of tradition and experimentation.

“Black Mountain College endures because it wasn’t just a school—it was a living laboratory where art, learning, and daily life were inseparable,” said Jeff Arnal, Executive Director of the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center. “Placing Cage beside Brahms and Bartók proves BMC’s experiments belong inside the canon’s living bloodstream, not outside of it.”

“Black Mountain College was a catalyst for some of the most transformative musical developments in our region’s history, and its legacy continues to shape how art and culture are made and experienced today,” said Daniel Crupi, Executive Director of the Asheville Symphony. “By celebrating that legacy with our partners at Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, the Asheville Symphony is honoring an extraordinary chapter of innovation that is deeply authentic to Asheville and Western North Carolina.”

This concert complements the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center’s exhibition Points in Space: Performance at Black Mountain College, which explores the radical, interdisciplinary spirit that continues to resonate nearly a century later.

Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center will also present a chamber concert featuring the music of John Cage, Lou Harrison, Arnold Schoenberg, and Amy Williams. The program highlights music that reshaped 20th century sound and celebrates the experimental spirit of Black Mountain College.

“This collaboration is a cornerstone of our exhibition Points in Space: Performance at Black Mountain College.” said Arnal. “The title nods to Merce Cunningham’s 1986 dance for television, and to Einstein’s reminder that ‘there are no fixed points in space.’ It’s a perfect metaphor for how BMC’s influence moves—radiating, looping, and evolving. Pairing exhibitions and live programs with the Symphony brings that legacy into the present tense, from chamber halls to experimental stages.”

Asheville Symphony and Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center Events

Tuesday, October 21 – Music of John Cage, Lou Harrison, Arnold Schoenberg, and Amy Williams. Performed by Asheville Symphony musicians with guest pianist/composer Amy Williams. Concert begins at 7 p.m. at Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center, 120 College Street in Asheville. Tickets available through BMCM+AC at www.blackmountaincollege.org, or by phone at (828) 350-8484

Saturday, October 25 — Masterworks 2: Convergence. Darko Butorac, conductor; Natalie Brennecke, viola. The program includes Satie’s Gymnopédies No. 3, Cage’s Seventy-Four, Version II and 4’33”, Bartók’s Viola Concerto, and Brahms’s Symphony No. 2. Concerts take place at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak Street in Asheville. Tickets available at ashevillesymphony.org, or by phone at (828) 0254-7046.