2026 AMERICAN MUSIC FESTIVAL
The American Music Festival is a bold, five-day festival of innovative concerts and artistic happenings across Troy, NY, with select events offered free and open to all. Experience thrilling new works by living American composers and cross-genre artists.
Witness for yourself how the GRAMMY® Award-winning Albany Symphony and Music Director David Alan Miller are reshaping the nation’s musical future!
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
David Alan Miller, conductor
A concert showcasing over 30 years of innovative works exclusively commissioned for Dogs of Desire. Founded in 1994, Dogs of Desire has earned a national reputation as an incubator for the most inventive musical creations of our time. Experience the highlights of over 200 works commissioned for this ensemble.
VIET CUONG:Re(new)al
CELKA OJAKANGAS: Un Sogno
CAROLYN YARNELL::Dreamer
DANIEL BERNARD ROUMAIN (DBR) : Grace
DANIEL WORLEY: Tongues
KEN EBERHARD: Five Haikus for Daytime Television
EVAN HAUSE: US Lowball
GABRIEL IAN GOULD: Puja
ROSHANNE ETEZADY: Start it up
David Alan Miller, conductor
The Dogs of Desire invite you to an open rehearsal, an exclusive chance to step inside the creative process. Experience firsthand how your favorite pieces take shape, from first notes to final polish, and discover what really happens behind the scenes. Led by David Alan Miller, this free event offers a rare and engaging glimpse into the art of rehearsal.
Join Sandbox Percussion and Viet Cuong for a listening party at EMPAC to celebrate the highly anticipated release of Re(new)al on CD.
Join other orchestra enthusiasts to support your Albany Symphony at the Summer Soiree, the Albany Symphony's annual fundraising event.
David Alan Miller, conductor
Dogs of Desire, the orchestra’s electrifying, genre-bending new music group, presents newly penned works by some of today’s most adventurous American composers.
VIET CUONG: Re(new)al
LUKE HAAKSM : Broadcasts from the Bubble
BEN MORRIS: Life Springs Blue
JACL FRERER: Arrangements of pop songs & American classics
It’s past your BHED time! Fear not, vocalist/electronic sound artist Britt Hewitt and flutist/ performance artist Emily Duncan will tell you stories. BHED creates, commissions, and performs genre-defying music that merges contemporary music, theater, technology, and participatory ritual
David Alan Miller, conductor
Daniel Matsukawa, Bassoon
Sandbox Percussion
CLARICE ASSAD: Terra, Concerto for Bassoon & Orchestra
CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS: Drum Circles
VIET CUONG: Concentric Circles (World Premiere)
BRITTNEY BENTON: With Liberty and Justice For All?
MAX VINETZ: This isn’t working
By participating in this event you will be unable to attend the BHED recital and Late Night Lounge events
We’ve partnered with Sea Smoke Waterfront Grill to turn your evening into a seamless, unforgettable night out. From dinner to the final applause, every detail is taken care of—so all you have to do is relax and enjoy.
Settle in for a late night gathering filled with vibrant music and spontaneous collaboration. Clarice Assad and special guest come together for a relaxed, lounge-style performance that blends genres, sparks creativity, and invites you into the moment.
David Alan Miller, conductor
From the composer’s imagination to the concert hall, watch as emerging composers have their newest works performed for the first time. Music Director David Alan Miller, composer Christopher Theofanidis, and musicians of the Albany Symphony guide each new voice through the challenges of composing in the 21st Century. In between the readings, sample new craft beverages from SingleCut.
