American composer, Michael Abels was born on October 8, 1962 in Phoenix, AZ. Raised by his grandparents in South Dakota, his musical talents surfaced early in his life. He went on to study at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, as well as West African Drumming at the California Institute for the Arts. He received acclaim for his collaboration with Rhiannon Giddens on the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, Omar (2023). He also has as composed scores for Jordan Peele’s films, Get Out, Us, and Nope. His Guitar Concerto ("Borders") was composed in 2022 to fulfill a commission from the Houston, TX-based River Oaks Chamber Orchestra (ROCO) and the Quad City Symphony, written for guitarist, Mak Grgić.

Tonight’s performance by the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra features the soloist for whom Abel’s Guitar Concerto (“Borders”) was composed. The composer, Michael Abels, and Mak Grgić have written the following concerning the work (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K11lQX-lyS0&list=PLk5A2zPfxCKgspYOwpO0oQlEpIXQ96ema&index=1):

“This piece is inspired by the museum exhibit “Sahara: Acts of Memory” depicting life in camp “Sahara” that was created in Denmark for housing refugees of the Bosnian War in the 1990s. Among the refugees was graphic artist Ismet Berbic and his family. The exhibit details the Berbics' struggle to preserve individuality, family and cultural identity in the face of losing country and community. Guitarist Mak Grgic is a friend of the Berbics, and experienced the Balkan war firsthand as a child. In the first movement of this concerto, the guitar is a protagonist that is repeatedly confined by sonic bars or walls created by the orchestra. The second movement depicts a child running, sometimes joyfully, but also sometimes in fear.”

–Michael Abels, Composer

"When Michael and I first started talking about the narrative of the new guitar concerto, we couldn't help but notice that we both came from turbulent backgrounds and that music had provided a safe haven for us. It was a sheer coincidence that around the same time, my friend Amir Berbic had an exhibit in Pomona, California about his family's experience as refugees during the Balkan War in the 1990s. We visited Amir's exhibit Sahara: Acts of Memory together, and it touched us both deeply, providing further inspiration for Michael's writing of the concerto, which took on the title Borders. Constant runs and movement up and down the fretboard, seeming restlessness accented by moments of deep repose, mimic the continuous struggles of the Berbic family, and really anyone in such a position. As is typically the case when working on a new piece, Michael and I communicated back and forth about each section of the score as I tried it on guitar for the first time. Working through the nuances of the score with Michael was a joy. I am beyond thrilled that we chose to present music as something that supersedes life's obstacles, and that the Berbic family's story of persistence and perseverance has been told so well."

–Mak Grgić

Program Note by David B. Levy, Michael Abels/Mak Grgić, © 2026