Nathaniel Gumbs

Nathaniel Gumbs is an organist scheduled to perform as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The program pairs Gershwin's orchestral suite drawn from his opera with works by Margaret Bonds and Carlos Simon, two composers known for blending classical forms with African American musical traditions. Listeners curious about the organ's role alongside a full orchestra will find this an unusual and colorful pairing.

This program brings together music with strong rhythmic drive and orchestral color. The Gershwin Suite, adapted from his opera, moves through scenes with jazz-inflected melodies, syncopated rhythms, and moments of bluesy lyricism that shift quickly between orchestral sections. Margaret Bonds is known for weaving spirituals and hymn-like themes into concert works, often with warm, singing melodic lines. Carlos Simon's music frequently features layered rhythms and sudden shifts in texture, drawing on gospel and jazz idioms. As the organ soloist, Gumbs would be expected to blend or contrast with the orchestra's brass and strings, since the organ can sustain long tones or punctuate with sharp chords depending on the passage.