America: A Portrait In Sound

Granite Church | August 7, 2026

What does America sound like? Surely it’s the sound of Rock n Roll…and Blues…and Jazz.

But then there’s Bluegrass and Folk. And Tin Pan Alley. And Pop. And Hip Hop.

It’s not easy to capture what America sounds like. Our music is as diverse as our country is, with musical artists in every genre finding a way to express the lived experiences of everyday Americans.

In the world of Classical music, composers of the twentieth century began to create a body of work that sounded like American Classical music. Now in this twenty-first century, composers have expanded just what that means, making use of the many genres of music that help define America in sound.

As we continue to celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary in 2026, the Granite offers a series of four chamber concerts, America: A Portrait in Sound, that dive into the ways American classical music first emerged and continues to evolve.

America: A Portrait in Sound begins on Sunday, September 27 with a concert by Quantum Collective, who offer a program entitled Each Melodious Measure. This concert features a diverse range of works from Connecticut-based composers. Works by  Charles Ives, Dave Brubeck, Gwyneth Walker, Marc Chan, and others celebrate the diverse strains inherent in American music.

On October 18, Ridgefield Symphony’s Maestro, Eric Mahl, and Soprano Sarah Joyce Cooper shine a spotlight on The Songs of America. The repertoire Eric and Sarah Joyce have selected will traverse wide geographies and eras to reveal how composers have used texts and lyrics to express the American experience.

On November 8, we turn to an extraordinary project initiated by New York-based pianist Min Kwon. America/Beautiful is a collection of variations of the iconic song, America the Beautiful, penned by 76 of today’s leading composers and all commissioned by Min Kwon. The program of variations she selects for our afternoon together promises to be a fascinating dive into the complexity and beauty of our country.

Our series concludes with Write it Down or Improvise? Jazz Meets Classical. Join us as we present both a classical piano trio and a jazz piano trio playing the music of Dave Brubeck, Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan, Leonard Bernstein, Joan Tower, and other American composers. Featuring the David Morgan Trio and Andrew Levine, Lana Auerbach, and Miriam Liske Doorandish.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andrew Levine, our Resident Artist for classical music, has enjoyed a multifaceted career in the performing arts, working as a musician, arts administrator, educator, and producer.

Andrew served as managing director of The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, and as the executive director of The York Theatre Company. Currently, he is an adjunct faculty member at Western Connecticut State University, where he teaches theater management, and The Hartt School at the University of Hartford, where he is an on-staff coach in the musical theater division.

At The Granite, Andrew curates, produces, and performs concerts and activities within the classical music, cabaret, and musical theater worlds.