In 1996 George Walker became the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music 鈥� and tonight Joshua Ellicott joins the orchestra for the long-overdue UK premiere of the work that won the award. The beautiful Lilacs is the focus of a programme spotlighting the vibrancy of American music in the last century: two works inspired by painters, Antheil鈥檚 buoyant homage to Delacroix and Schuller鈥檚 jazz-inflected tribute to Klee, are joined by Ives鈥檚 evocation of the world鈥檚 greatest urban park and Gershwin鈥檚 indelible Rhapsody in Blue.