Min Kwon

Pianist Min Kwon brings her visionary America/Beautiful project to Meany Center, presenting a selection of works commissioned from 70 American composers — each offering a unique variation on “America the Beautiful.” 

Spanning generations, perspectives and musical styles— from jazz, folk and hymns to contemporary classical —  this sweeping program illuminates the richness and diversity of American musical life.

America/Beautiful invites inquiry. What does America sound like today? Whose voices shape its story? Through music that reflects struggle, hope, innovation and reinvention, Kwon transforms the piano into both a sonic and visual canvas — painting a portrait of her adopted country in all its sprawling complexity.

At its heart, this program searches for beauty within the American experiment, embracing the ideal of e pluribus unum—out of many, one. It is an evening that honors difference, fosters reflection and affirms the power of art to bring people together.

A monumental statement, both about contemporary America and contemporary music, that will surely establish itself as one of the major musical works of this century.

— International Piano Magazine

PROGRAM 

The program will feature selected works from the repertoire listed below. The final selection will be announced from the stage.

REENA ESMAIL: America/Desh 

SAMUEL WARD: America the Beautiful

SAMUEL ADLER: Celebration of Our Beautiful Nation

HUANG RUO: Meditation on America 

RICHARD DANIELPOUR: Fantasy Variation (The Visible Enemy)   

NICO MUHLY: Refine

GEORGE LEWIS: America, the changing same

VIJAY IYER: Crown Thy Good 

LEILA ADU-GILMORE: United Underdog

AUGUSTA READ THOMAS: FUSION 

DONNACHA DENNEHY: New Jersey

GYAN RILEY: Endure

JOHN HARBISON: Getting the Upper Hand on America 

VICTORIA BOND: Sea to Shining Sea 

TEXU KIM: America the Dream & America the Polarized 

LIBBY LARSEN: Amber 

SEBASTIAN CURRIER: 23 Variations on America 

LEI LIANG: America the Beautiful... devastatingly quiet...

AVNER DORMAN: American Toccata 

The ENCORE program for this performance is available to READ ONLINE

Piano Series generously underwritten by Sven & Melinda Bitners and Sally Schaake Kincaid​

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