BMOP Premieres John Aylward’s History of the World

The Boston Modern Orchestra Project continues its spring season with a rare convergence of new orchestral voices, and at the heart of it is the world premiere of John Aylward’s History of the World. Tickets for this June 21 performance at Jordan Hall are now available, marking the first opportunity for audiences to experience Aylward’s newest large‑scale work in person. Admittance to this event is free for Father’s Day and the summer solstice.

Aylward’s Triptych for a Turbulent Moment

History of the World is Aylward at his most expansive. The three‑movement meditation on myth, religion, and scientific revolution, asks big questions about the stories we inherit. The outer movements reflect on the biblical imagery in Michelangelo’s David and his depiction of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The central movement is an elegy of sorts on Galileo’s Starry Messenger, reconsidering the historic tensions between religious doctrine and scientific advancement. Across the triptych, Aylward traces how cultural narratives and histories evolve and what of these stories we tell ourselves might be worth keeping.

Under the direction of Gil Rose, the evening brings together four distinct approaches to storytelling- mythic, historical, communal, and technological.

Aylward’s Vision at Full Orchestral Scale

Aylward’s orchestral writing has been admired for its clarity, emotional depth, and philosophical reach. History of the World extends that trajectory, with a new large‑scale statement. For listeners who have followed his chamber works, operas, and films, this premiere will resonate in new ways.

Event Details

BMOP Presents Premiere⁴
Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Jordan Hall, Boston

Tickets are now available, and this program promises to be one of the season’s most compelling portraits of where contemporary orchestral music is headed.