Celebrations of composer John Adams's 70th birthday, which began in fall 2016, including the Grammy-nominated release of the first recording of his Scheherazade.2 on Nonesuch in September, continue through 2017 with major festivities taking place in the composer's native California, organized around his birthday on February 15. Additional anniversary highlights during the winter and spring take place in New York and Chicago, and abroad in London, Berlin, and Amsterdam. Ahead of these performances, Adams spoke with BBC Radio 3's Music Matters about the role of music in America's political and cultural life and more; you can hear what he had to say at bbc.co.uk.

In Adams's home state of California, celebrations abound in February and March, led by San Francisco Symphony and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Adams curates an eclectic program for San Francisco Symphony's SoundBox series on February 10 and 11, featuring his own works along with selections from Andrew Norman, Jacob Cooper, and Ashley Fure. San Francisco Symphony next presents The Gospel According to the Other Mary (February 16–18) and Scheherazade.2 (February 22–25), featuring violin soloist Leila Josefowicz. The Los Angeles Philharmonic follows up with a brand new semi-staged production of Nixon in China directed by Elkhanah Pulitzer (March 3 and 5), conducted by the composer himself. Additional home state celebrations include Cal Performances' revival of Lucinda Childs's production of Available Light (February 3 and 4), setting Adams's Light Over Water.

Chicago Symphony celebrates the composer's birthday in March with three programs featuring his works: Scheherazade.2 (March 2–7), Slonimsky's Earbox (March 9–11), and John's Book of Alleged Dances (March 12). The New York Philharmonic also presents major Adams at 70 programming during director Alan Gilbert's final season with the orchestra, including two programs featuring Adams's works (Absolute Jest, March 9–11; Short Ride in a Fast Machine, March 15–18). Additionally, the Philharmonic will perform his works on its European spring tour in London (April 1 and 2) as part of the Barbican's Adams at 70 celebration.

The St. Louis Symphony—with whom Adams has enjoyed an especially close relationship for years, including the recent recording of Scheherazade.2—performs The Gospel According to the Other Mary with David Robertson in the orchestra's home city before bringing the monumental work to Carnegie Hall on March 31. The St. Lawrence String Quartet—another champion of Adams's works—will perform his Second Quartet in a concert presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (April 25).

The Barbican's Sounds that Changed America series spotlights Adams at 70 with a number of concerts: The Britten Sinfonia salutes the composer with a performance of Chamber Symphony (February 25), and the New York Philharmonic heads to London with a performance of Absolute Jest, The Chairman Dances, and Harmonielehre (April 1 and 2). Adams himself will conduct a concert performance of Doctor Atomic at the Barbican with the BBC Symphony Orchestra on April 25.

In Germany, Bonn Opera presents The Gospel According to the Other Mary (March 16–May 14) in the Peter Sellars production first seen at English National Opera, conducted by Joana Carneiro. Adams's extensive season-long composer residency with the Berliner Philharmoniker—which has included 15 concerts—concludes in June with a performance of City Noir conducted by Gustavo Dudamel on June 8–10.

At the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, ZaterdagMatinée presents Nixon in China in concert, performed by the Dutch National Youth Orchestra (February 11). Adams himself conducts the Dutch premiere of the Saxophone Concerto with soloist Timothy McAllister and the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra on May 6.

In France, Adams is composer-in-association with the Orchestre National de Lyon throughout the season. The orchestra presents a day of the composer's music, including John's Book of Alleged Dances and Gnarly Buttons, on April 29.

The anniversary festivities circle back to Adams's home state of California for the grand finale: the world premiere of his new opera, Girls of the Golden West, presented by San Francisco Opera in November and December 2017. The two-act opera is set during the 1850s California Gold Rush with libretto and production by Peter Sellars. To learn more about the world premiere production, read San Francisco Opera's 2017–2018 season announcement at sfopera.com.

For more performances of Adams's work around the world, visit his publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, online at boosey.com. To purchase music from Adams's Nonesuch catalog with over thirty years of recordings, visit the Nonesuch Store now.