Music at 250
A new generation celebrates the melodies of America — and the trailblazers who have too often been left off the program.
Join us in celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with a vibrant tribute to our country’s jazz and classical roots, as three ensembles — musicians from NOVUS, students from the acclaimed Montclair State University CaliBrass Ensemble, and JAZZ HOUSE KiDS — team up to tell the ever-evolving story of America through its music.
Alongside iconic works by Aaron Copland, John Williams, and others, the ensembles will perform music by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and three trailblazing women who helped shape the American music landscape. Listeners will hear music by Margaret Bonds, one of the first Black composers to gain fame in this country. A groundbreaker in her own right, Mary Lou Williams, sometimes called “the mother of bebop,” was a pianist, teacher, and composer who mentored not only Davis but Thelonius Monk and Charlie Parker. Also featured is Florence Price, a pioneering composer and the first Black woman to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. The night’s performers will also spotlight Sawney Freeman, the earliest-known published Black composer in America — in what might be the first time his work has been performed by a large brass ensemble.
About the Event:
Join us in celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with a vibrant tribute to our country’s jazz and classical roots, as three ensembles — musicians from NOVUS, students from the acclaimed Montclair State University CaliBrass Ensemble, and JAZZ HOUSE KiDS — team up to tell the ever-evolving story of America through its music.
Alongside iconic works by Aaron Copland, John Williams, and others, the ensembles will perform music by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and three trailblazing women who helped shape the American music landscape. Listeners will hear music by Margaret Bonds, one of the first Black composers to gain fame in this country. A groundbreaker in her own right, Mary Lou Williams, sometimes called “the mother of bebop,” was a pianist, teacher, and composer who mentored not only Davis but Thelonius Monk and Charlie Parker. Also featured is Florence Price, a pioneering composer and the first Black woman to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. The night’s performers will also spotlight Sawney Freeman, the earliest-known published Black composer in America — in what might be the first time his work has been performed by a large brass ensemble.