Ulysses Simpson Kay

Of New Horizons

Premiered in 1944 by conductor Thor Johnson and the New York Philharmonic, Ulysses Kay's bold and engaging orchestral overture Of New Horizons envisioned a brighter future for mankind following the end of World War II. His 8-minute piece, replete with spectacular fanfares for the orchestral brass, contrasts these with pensive lyrical passages showcasing the refinement of Kay's compositional technique. One of his most highly acclaimed works, Of New Horizons was selected by Kay to represent his music on a 1958 concert of American music organized in Moscow by the U.S. State Department for the purposes of cultural exchange. As the youngest of four sent in this first-ever delegation of U.S. composers to visit the Soviet Union, he attended a performance of the piece by the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra under Gennady Rozhdestvensky. The full score is now available for sale as part of the Peters Contemporary Library.