The Songs of America
October 18 @ 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Free – $45.00
The Songs of America
Sunday, October 18, 3 PM (Doors 2 PM)
Tickets: $45
Featuring:
- Eric Mahl
- Sarah Joyce Cooper
- And Friends
This program dives deep into the very roots of what we have come to know as the “American sound,” through song. From Africa to the British Isles, to Mezzo-America, from Spirituals to Rock and Roll, from Appalachia to Danbury, we will explore the rich traditions of music from all over space and time that have come together to create the unique and kaleidoscopic world of American music that permeates the very air we breathe.
The program will include traditional renditions of folk songs from around the world featuring the works of Samuel Barber, Charles Ives- even Claude Debussy and many more. Join us for an enlightening and entertaining afternoon of The Songs of America.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Eric Mahl
Known for his clarity, contagious energy, and passion, Mr. Mahl has solidified his place as one of the most exciting conductors of his generation. Currently, he is the Music Director with the Ridgefield Symphony, Opera Acadia, Northport Symphony Orchestra, and the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra, as well as conductor at the Charles Ives Music Festival.
Equally at home in Symphonic concerts, Opera productions, Pops concerts, popular music and more, Eric is coming off a remarkable season that has further solidified his place as a force in the conducting world. He looks back on a season of critically acclaimed Opera productions, collaborations with multiple Grammy winning artists, a slew of premiers, a number of sold out performances including of Beethoven’s 9th. He’s looking forward to a 2026-2027 that includes unique and innovative programming that explored the rich, diverse tapestry of American Music, a return to Carnegie Hall, multiple Opera engagements, further collaboration with world-class artists, and so much more.
Mr. Mahl received his Bachelor of Music Degree from Ithaca College, and continued his studies at Universite de Montreal and the State University of New York at Fredonia. He has studied with some of the foremost conducting pedagogues in the country including Marin Alsop, James Ross, Harold Farberman, and Larry Rachleff and has participated in workshops in the United States, Canada and Europe. Mr. Mahl plays trumpet and piano, and in his very limited free time continues to play in orchestral and chamber music programs. When not on the podium, his passions extend to fitness, tennis, and spending time in nature.
Sarah Joyce Cooper
Sarah Joyce Cooper is an award winning soprano known for her “passionate power” (Parterre Box) and “meltingly beautiful” (Opera News) singing. Recent highlights include her debut with Seattle Opera as Minnie Tate in the world premiere of Tazewell Thompson’s Jubilee; Carnegie Hall appearances as the soprano soloist in Mozart’s Requiem and Vesperae solennes de confessore with the New England Symphonic Ensemble; and the title role in James Kallembach’s American Jezebel:The Trial of Anne Hutchinson, a world premiere performance commissioned by Harvard University that tells the story of theologian, midwife, and co-founder of Rhode Island, Anne Hutchinson. Performances for the 2025-26 season include a return to Rochester Oratorio Society as the soloist in the highly anticipated Rochester premiere of Will Todd’s Mass in Blue, her debut with the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra as the soloist in Mahler’s Fourth Symphony, an appearance with the Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra as a soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and a soloist appearance in the world premiere performance of Mark Hayes’s Psalmos at Carnegie Hall. She looks forward to reprising the role of Violetta in La Traviata this summer with Opera Acadia and making her role debut as Nedda this fall with Opera Western Reserve in Pagliacci.
As a competition winner, Ms. Cooper has received awards from the George London Foundation, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the American Prize, the Talents of the World Competition, the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Competition, and the Montpelier Classical Recital Competition. She was also nominated for a study grant from the Sarah Tucker Foundation. Most recently, she was awarded a 2024 Emerging Artist Award from the St. Botolph Club in Boston.
As a pre-med, Ms. Cooper completed her Bachelor’s Degree in French at Princeton University. She first began to develop the foundation for her “mastery of French style” (Opera News) while conducting research for her undergraduate thesis on sacred themes in the mélodies, romances, and cantiques of Gabriel Fauré. She earned her Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College, where she received the Gwynn Moose Cornell Endowed Award, given to the student who shows the most promise for a career in vocal performance.
