Enjoy this guest post from our Music Director, Bill Tonissen:
I have always been a giant fan of 20th century American music. There are so many wonderful composers to choose from whose music works well in an outdoor setting. Gershwin, Bernstein and Sousa are all amazing, but for me, Aaron Copland's music is the best. I have always been fascinated with his ability to capture the essence of our American spirit. So when I sat down to think about this summer's program, I knew that Copland needed to play a major role. It didn't take me too long to settle on "Americana" as this year's theme. When you come to hear us this summer, we will be taking you on a historical journey of American music. We will be performing pieces by masters such as Charles Ives, John Williams and John Philip Sousa juxtaposed against new and exciting composers like Michael Markowski and Jim Territo. Of course, Aaron Copland will make an appearance, too.
The summer will be here soon and I hope you will enjoy this program as much as I have enjoyed putting it together. I cannot wait to get started!
1898 music and lyrics for Stars and Stripes Forever, courtesy of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts