The Concert Hall Becomes American: Exploring Twentieth Century Icons, with Jamie Bernstein

The Concert Hall Becomes American: Exploring Twentieth Century Icons, with Jamie Bernstein
February 1, 2024 @ 2:45-4:00pm

As the 20th century got under way, American music in the concert hall was finding its own musical identity; it would no longer be merely a pale imitation of Europe. The exciting new compositions reverberating in concert halls across the US allowed audiences to hear their nation's own unique musical tributaries merging together to form a bold, new, identifiably American musical current. Thanks to the invention of recorded sound, we can actually hear American music coming into being, all these years later. We can marvel at the way American composers reflected their nation's values through inclusivity and activism. Jamie explores four iconic 20th century composers who helped create a uniquely American flavor of classical music. Session #1: Gershwin and Ellington – Jazz Moves Into the Concert Hall. Two young outliers, one African American and one the son of Jewish immigrants, each soaking up the music from the sidelines of the Cotton Club in Harlem. Session #2 Feb 8 is on Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland. Jamie is the author of the memoir, Famous Father Girl, and is a narrator, broadcaster, and filmmaker.