Peter Boyer has composed orchestral pieces for, among other things, the inauguration of President Joe Biden, the coronation of King Charles III and the 90th anniversary season of the National Symphony Orchestra.
But a song for a city? That’s a new one for Boyer.
“I have, I guess, developed a kind of reputation as someone that people can turn to for what are generally called celebratory pieces. So I’ve written pieces for anniversaries of various kinds,” he said. “But specifically for a city, yeah, this would be the first one.”
Tuesday Musical commissioned Boyer to compose a song in honor of Akron’s 200th anniversary. On Tuesday, The Cleveland Orchestra’s brass and percussion sections will perform the world premiere of Boyer’s piece, “Festive Fanfare (For Akron’s Bicentennial),” at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall. The fanfare will open Tuesday Musical’s bicentennial concert. The performance will also feature Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” Percy Grainger’s “Lincolnshire Posy” and other selections.
The idea for the song came from Elaine Guregian. A Tuesday Musical volunteer, Guregian spent 18 years as the classical music and dance critic for the Akron Beacon Journal.
“I read that a bicentennial commission had been set up, and it just came to me,” Guregian said. “I just thought, ‘Akron needs a fanfare.’”
When she pitched the idea to Tuesday Musical Executive Director Cynthia Snider, in August 2023, Snider was immediately on board.
“It seemed just the perfect way to celebrate the bicentennial,” Snider said. “We believe that music really can bring a community together, and this is one way to do that.”
With Tuesday Musical behind her, Guregian reached out to Michael Sachs, principal trumpet for The Cleveland Orchestra, and Elaine Martone, a Grammy-winning classical producer, for their input on selecting a composer. Martone suggested Boyer.
“When I listened to his music, I thought, ‘That’s it.’ It’s stirring. It’s in the American tradition, I would say, of Aaron Copland and John Williams. Very uplifting, heartfelt, makes you want to stand up and cheer. Makes you feel good,” Guregian said.
At the time, Boyer already had a busy schedule. He had recently accepted commissions for the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026. But one meeting with Guregian, Snider and Martone convinced him to sign on.
What clinched the deal for Boyer was the involvement of Sachs and The Cleveland Orchestra’s brass and percussion sections, which he called, “so spectacularly good.” Getting the chance to record the fanfare at Severance Hall with Martone and the orchestra the day after the concert made the commission “too good to pass up.”
Coming in at four minutes, “Festive Fanfare (For Akron’s Bicentennial)” is an invigorating and joyful ode to the city. During his writing process, Boyer researched the history of Akron. And while his research isn’t a literal translation (“You most definitely won’t hear a musical motif and go, ‘Oh, there’s a polymer,’” he said), the song encapsulates the spirit of the Rubber City.
A city that Boyer described as a community that “punches above its weight.”
The recording of the fanfare will be made available for free for use at city events. Snider said she can see it being played at high school graduations, sporting events or at Akron Roundtable programs. “I think the sky’s the limit as far as how it can be used and who can use it,” she said.
For Guregian, “Festive Fanfare (For Akron’s Bicentennial)” isn’t just a celebration of 200 years. It’s a celebration of her adopted home — this year and always.
“I like the balance here in Akron of people who have lived here their whole lives, and they have deep family roots. But there’s also another segment of people who have come here from other places and said, ‘Wow, this is a very cool place.’ I think in particular for the arts,” she said. “I think it’s fitting that Akron will remember this anniversary with music, because music is so well represented in Akron and in Northeast Ohio.”
