The spoken word orchestral work The American Rhapsody will be performed by Aaron Dworkin on Friday, April 8, 2022, at Centennial Hall on the Augustana College Campus. Blending the writings and speeches of George Washington with orchestral music written by the Black British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, the words voiced by the founding father of our country are juxtaposed with the enchanting composition Symphonic Variations on an African Air, allowing the listener to reflect on the complexity of our history, the injustices that have plagued it, and the ideal towards which we strive.
The innovative Aaron Dworkin is a classically trained violinist, spoken word performer, poetjournalist, and youth education advocate, as well as the former Dean and current Professor at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and host of the weekly show Arts Engines. A 2005 MacArthur Fellow, he was a member of the Obama National Arts Policy Committee and is the founder and former President of the Sphinx Organization, a Detroit-based non-profit social justice organization whose mission is to increase diversity in the arts.
The Augustana Symphony Orchestra is a full-size symphonic orchestra with an active and diverse performance schedule, and is conducted by Fernanda Lastra.
Listen to the conversation here with creative Aaron Dworkin about the integration of literary content with music which he has coined “musetry,” the complexity of the life of George Washington which he evokes in this work, and some unexpected parallels between his own personal life and that of the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
The performance begins at 7:30 PM and is free of charge! Reservations will not be required in advance.