Cuban Overture

Quick Facts

• Composed in 1932
• Premiered Lewisohn Stadium, New York in 1932 with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Albert Coates¹
  • Gershwin later noted about the premiere (a stadium concert of all Gershwin music with an audience of 18,000 people), “It was the most exciting night I have ever had.”²

About the Piece

• Cuban Overture was inspired by a trip that the composer took to Havana in 1932. The piece was meant to serve as an introduction to the island’s musical culture for American audiences.
• On the score’s title page, Gershwin indicates that the players of the four Cuban instruments (claves, maracas, guiro, and bongos) should be staged in front of the conductor’s stand.
• Fun fact – the piece’s original title was “Rumba.” The title was changed after the premiere to distinguish it as a symphonic work rather than a piece for dance band.³

1. “Cuban Overture,” George & Ira Gershwin, accessed June 12, 2023, https://gershwin.com/publications/cuban-overture/.
2. Orrin Howard, “Cuban Overture,” L. A. Phil, accessed June 12, 2023, https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/279/cuban-overture.
3. “Cuban Overture,” George & Ira Gershwin.