Classical

America: the land of the tunesmith, the Tin Panhandler, the cacophonous rabble-rouser and the gentle hymnodist. From urban din to the quiet majesty of rivers, come listen to and celebrate the diversity that makes American music American, in music past and present.

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.

America/Beautiful is a project by pianist and arts advocate Min Kwon, in which she has commissioned 76 of today’s leading composers to each compose a variation on “America the Beautiful”. Kwon’s hope is to paint a sonic picture of her adopted country in all of its sprawling complexity, and ultimately try to find the beauty at the core of the American experiment and its credo of e pluribus unum (out of many, one).

The impact of jazz on American Classical and Theater music is deep and rich, and in this meeting of two trios- one jazz, one classical- we will explore how jazz has entered the classical world through a host of composers who are comfortable crossing boundaries.