American Tapestry- a concert of American music for string quintet

Join us at Highlight Gallery for an evening celebrating the rich musical traditions that have shaped the American story. In honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary program weaves together beloved folk songs, Broadway classics, jazz, ballet, and concert music into a tapestry of American sound. Featuring music by George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Cole Porter, and Dvořák, along with familiar favorites like America the Beautiful, This Land Is Your Land, and My Country, ’Tis of Thee, this concert celebrates the many cultures and communities that have contributed to our nation’s artistic voice.

Surrounded by the artwork of Highlight Gallery, we’ll celebrate America’s musical landscape through beloved melodies, spirited dances, and timeless classics. Each piece offers its own glimpse into the American story and the many voices and traditions that continue to define the American experience.

This program traces the many musical traditions that have shaped the American sound over the past two and a half centuries. We begin with folk songs that have been sung across generations and continue through Broadway, jazz, African American dance traditions, immigrant influences, and American concert music.

George Gershwin and Cole Porter helped define the American Songbook by blending classical music, jazz, and popular song into a distinctly American style. Rodgers and Hammerstein transformed Broadway by creating musicals in which songs became an essential part of the storytelling.

Florence Price drew deeply from African American musical traditions, incorporating spirituals, dances, and folk rhythms into her concert music at a time when Black composers were largely excluded from the classical establishment. Her vibrant Juba celebrates a dance tradition that developed in Black and Brown communities throughout the American South.

Jay Ungar’s Ashokan Farewell, though written in 1982, evokes the spirit of American folk fiddling and has already become part of the nation’s shared musical memory. Aaron Copland looked to frontier fiddle tunes and rural dance music when composing Hoedown, creating one of the most iconic musical portraits of the American West.

Together, these works reveal that American music has never been the product of a single tradition. Instead, it is a tapestry woven from many cultures, communities, and generations, each contributing its own voice to the evolving American story.