Violinist, producer, and 2024 MacArthur Fellow Johnny Gandelsman’s “This Is America” commissioning project was conceived in the summer of 2020, as COVID-19, destructive fires, police brutality, and political polarization were sweeping the United States. Johnny asked American and US-based composers to reflect on these tumultuous times by writing new compositions for solo violin. The resulting anthology of 28 works represents a snapshot in time, a representative slice of the creative thought and output in our country. Featuring a broad spectrum of musical genres and composition styles, This Is America is a collection of deeply personal experiences, exploring the universal themes of uncertainty, loss, isolation, joy and love.

Program:
Justin Messina – Music for Solitude
Adele Faizullina – Dew, Time, Linger
Carla Kihlstedt – Perhaps We’ll Thank What Breaks Us
Gabriel Kahane – Body Language: Three Folk Dances
Angélica Negrón – A través del manto luminoso
Rhea Flower, Micaela Tobin – A City Upon a Hill?
Christina Courtin – Stroon
Olivia Davis – Cadenza from “Steeped”

This event is free and open to the public. Please reserve tickets here.

“This Is America stirs feelings about our country that are almost hard to recognize: pride, hope, and the simple relief of consensus reality.” – Pitchfork

“One of the important recordings of our time.” – Gramophone