Joshua Roman

Immunity is an intimate musical exploration of cellist Joshua Roman’s life-altering, inspiring experience of ongoing long COVID, with music ranging from J. S. Bach to George Crumb to Caroline Shaw, as well as Roman’s own compositions. The program combines performance and storytelling into an emotional journey, as the cellist confronts the impact of the illness and the limitations that nearly ended his career, before progressing through a period of doubt, struggle, refocus, and renewal, culminating in a profound acceptance of self and a deeper connection to what's most important in life.

Joining Pacific Symphony for this performance is the remarkable cellist Joshua Roman. Hailed for his “effortlessly expressive tone… and playful zest for exploration” (The New York Times) and praised for his “extraordinary technical and musical gifts” (San Francisco Chronicle), Roman’s genre-bending programs and wide-ranging collaborations have earned him acclaim across the globe.

We open this evening’s performance with a piece inspired by Peruvian folklore by Gabriela Lena Frank, followed by a work by Frederick Delius depicting the lush landscape of turn-of-the-century Florida. The night concludes with Dvořák’s stormy and thematic Cello Concerto, performed by extraordinarily gifted cellist Joshua Roman.