On Oct. 10, 2026, the Odyssey Opera and Gil Rose will open the company’s 2026-27 season with a glimpse into the Second New England School.

The concert will be held at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall and will include three rarely heard works written at the turn of the 20th Century: “Lamia (1908),” a lush orchestral tone poem by Edward MacDowell; “Jephthah’s Daughter (1903),” a dramatic concert aria by Amy Beach featuring acclaimed soprano Sarah Coburn; “Il Padrone (1912),” the Boston premiere of the opera by George Whitefield Chadwick featuring a stellar cast including soprano Toni Marie Palmertree, mezzo-soprano, Kate Aldrich, baritone Troy Cook, mezzo-soprano Sarah Heltzel, tenor John Viscardi, and soprano Sarah Coburn.

The Second New England School was a circle of prominent 19th Century Boston-based composers determined to give a young United States its own concert-hall pedigree.

In a statement Rose said, “The Second New England School was pivotal in the development of American classical music. It elevated the spirit of New England’s music and created the foundation on which American classical music was based. We are honored and thrilled to salute these pioneering composers, and we hope Boston audiences gain a deeper appreciation for the profound impact our local artists had on defining our nation’s musical identity.”

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