Events & Tickets
Monday, September 27 at 1PM and 7PM[EST]
Copland House...UNDERSCORED: Selections from John Harbison, Songs America Loves to Sing
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John Harbison is one of America’s most honored and formidable composers, having received the Pulitzer Prize, MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, Heinz Award in the Arts and Humanities, Harvard Medal, four honorary doctorates, and much more. In his music, he often looks backward to revered masters while blazing a wide, deeply-expressive, and engaging musical trail forward. For the backdrop of his Songs America Loves to Sing, he evokes a bygone image: “it is a distant, quaint vision,” he writes, “the family around the piano singing familiar songs, a Currier and Ives print, an album of sepia photographs. But I remember it well (or did I imagine it?).” And for his widely-varied riffs on beloved songs in this popular instrumental anthology (without words!), he also harkens back to the German Baroque as a model for what he calls “common melodies ... embedded in the composer's invention (strict against free); if we know the tunes, our enjoyment of the pieces is enhanced.” Songs America Loves to Sing has become a modern classic, and Music from Copland House features six selections from this entertaining set: “Amazing Grace,” “Aura Lee,” “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” “Ain’t Going to Study War No More,” “We Shall Overcome,” and “Anniversary Song (Happy Birthday).” In addition to Music from Copland House’s performance of the piece, this free hour-long program also includes a brief introductory conversation and a post-performance, live Q&A with viewers. |
Friday, October 8, 2021 at 7:30PM [EST]
A STANDING WITNESS
The World Premiere of A Standing Witness, a major collaboration between composer Richard Danielpour and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove. Commissioned for Music from Copland House and renowned mezzo-soprano Susan Graham by Music Accord, this cycle of 14 songs is a sweeping retrospective on pivotal historical events and moments in the U.S. over the past half-century. The program – a celebration of the American spirit – also includes Pierre Jalbert’s Crossings (a Copland House commission) and selections from John Harbison’s Songs America Loves to Sing. With Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano; Carol Wincenc, flute; Benjamin Fingland, clarinet; Suliman Tekalli, violin; Melissa Reardon, viola; Alexis Pia Gerlach, cello; and Michael Boriskin, piano.
UChicago Presents
Mandel Hall, 1131 E 57th St, Chicago, IL 60637
Friday, October 29, 2021 at 7:30PM [EST]
A STANDING WITNESS
A Standing Witness is a major collaboration between composer Richard Danielpour and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove. Commissioned for Music from Copland House and renowned mezzo-soprano Susan Graham by Music Accord, this cycle of 14 songs is a sweeping retrospective on pivotal historical events and moments in the U.S. over the past half-century. The program – a celebration of the American spirit – also includes Pierre Jalbert’s Crossings (a Copland House commission) and selections from John Harbison’s Songs America Loves to Sing. With Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano; Carol Wincenc, flute; Benjamin Fingland, clarinet; Suliman Tekalli, violin; Melissa Reardon, viola; Alexis Pia Gerlach, cello; and Michael Boriskin, piano.
Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT
Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 7:30PM [EST]
A STANDING WITNESS
The Washington Premiere of A Standing Witness, a major collaboration between composer Richard Danielpour and Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove. Commissioned for Music from Copland House and renowned mezzo-soprano Susan Graham by Music Accord, this cycle of 14 songs is a sweeping retrospective on pivotal historical events and moments in the U.S. over the past half-century. The program – a celebration of the American spirit – also includes Pierre Jalbert’s Crossings (a Copland House commission) and selections from John Harbison’s Songs America Loves to Sing. With Susan Graham, mezzo-soprano; Carol Wincenc, flute; Benjamin Fingland, clarinet; Suliman Tekalli, violin; Melissa Reardon, viola; Alexis Pia Gerlach, cello; and Michael Boriskin, piano.
The Kennedy Center
Terrace Theater, 2700 F St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20566
Monday, December 6, 2021 at 1:00PM and 7:30PM [EST]
UNDERSCORED: HILOS BY GABRIELA LENA FRANK
Hilos (“Threads”), a kind of Peruvian "pictures at an exhibition," was inspired by the beauty of the country’s textiles, both in their construction and in their pictorial content of everyday life. Drawing on sounds that evoke indigenous instruments, this vivid score evokes a wide range of regional music and dance, and scenes of everyday regional life. This free, hour-long program begins with a fascinating conversation about Incan and other ancient civilizations and their music, features MCH’s complete performance of Hilos, and concludes with a live Q&A between viewers and the composer.
(Co-presented by The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and filmed by Jeremy Tressler)
Online Registration Available Soon
Streaming Online
NPR Tiny Desk (at Home) Concert
NPR Tiny Desk (at Home) Concert
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NPR's popular Tiny Desk (at Home) Concerts come to Copland's beloved studio (with his not-so-tiny desk in view!) for a short program featuring Music from Copland House performing selections from the Duo for Flute and Piano (composed in that very room!), Sonata for Violin and Piano, and Three Moods for Piano. The program is available for streaming beginning on November 13th, and then accessible indefinitely. Music from Copland House artists: Carol Wincenc, flute; Curtis Macomber, violin; and Michael Boriskin, piano. |