Boston Symphony Orchestra will present a free “Concert for the City” on Sept. 21, 2024 at Symphony Hall.

The showcase will feature the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Veronica Robles and her Mariachi Ensemble, the Boston Children’s Chorus, and vocalist Renese King, among others. The program includes a new piece by Carlos Simon, the second movement of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, and music by Adolphus Hailstork and Missy Mazzoli. There will also be a performance of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu at the piano.

The performance kicks off at 3 p.m. but will be preceded by community events and performances starting at 12 p.m. outside the venue. Performers at the community showcase include Project STEP, the Spiritual Ensemble of Boston Arts Academy, Community Music Center of Boston, Four Strings Academy, members of the Boston Pops Gospel Choir, and Fidelity Young Artists Competition winners, tabla player Dilzafer Singh and jazz duo Su Yavuz and Brian Washington.

“We’re excited to welcome our friends and neighbors back to Symphony Hall for what will be our fifth ‘Concert for the City’ since the first event in February 2020,” said Boston Symphony Orchestra President and CEO Chad Smith in an official press announcement. “This fall’s concert is the most ambitious and inclusive program yet, with more than a dozen community groups participating in pre-concert and mainstage performances. We are thrilled to welcome Mayor Wu back to the stage for her performance of Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue,’ and we are grateful to our event host committee for connecting us with community organizations across the city. Symphony Hall was built as a space where community ties could be strengthened through music. This concert continues that tradition, offering an inspiring experience that reflects the spirit of our city.”

“We are so pleased that our Opening Weekend events include a free concert program that brings together our Boston community through the BSO, the Boston Pops and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus,” added Music Director Andris Nelsons. “I am honored to share this afternoon of music-making with talented local artists and my colleagues Keith Lockhart and Thomas Wilkins. It was an honor to conduct Mayor Wu in 2023, and we look forward to her return to our stage this month. I am also excited to conduct a newly commissioned work by our Composer Chair Carlos Simon and a movement from Tchaikovsky’s beloved Symphony No. 6.”