Rollo Dilworth

“Freedom’s Plow,” a new choral piece by University of Missouri–St. Louis alumnus Rollo Dilworth (pictured), MEd 1994, will make its world premiere Friday in a performance at Powell Symphony Hall in St. Louis. Commissioned by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, “Freedom’s Plow” will be performed in a concert that combines the Saint Louis Symphony Chorus and Saint Louis Symphony IN UNISON® Chorus.

Robert Ray, associate professor of music at UMSL and Dilworth’s former teacher, directs the latter group. He will prepare the chorus to perform his former student’s work under the direction of Maestro David Robertson.

“To have Rollo come back home and my choir debut a piece of his conducted by the music director at the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra – it’s the best of all possible worlds for a teacher,” Ray said. Dilworth, 39, is an associate professor of choral music education at Temple University in Philadelphia. He has composed more than 200 published works.

A SoundCheck St. Louis sneak preview will take place Thursday. The preview is free for high school and college students.