“The Columbiad; or, Migration of American Wild Passenger Pigeons” was composed by Anthony Philip Heinrich in 1857 and was inspired by the spectacular migration of the wild Passenger Pigeons in the United States before their demise. Heinrich immigrated to the United in the early 19th century and ultimately settled in Kentucky where he became acquainted with John James Audubon and the American wilderness. Heinrich was a classically trained musician, and became the first symphonic composer in America. He composed a number of grand programmatic works for symphony about the American landscape. The Columbiad was composed in 1857, and was performed only once in Prague to great acclaim in the same year. The YSO performance will be both the New World Premiere and the first performance in over 150 years.