Red Cedar will take Iowa City audience on tour of world with folk music extravaganza
In 1885, Jeannette Thurber founded the National Conservatory of Music in New York City.
She had a progressive vision for the school and its role in developing the highest level of musical training in this country. She admitted women, African Americans and handicapped people (inclusiveness very rare for the time).
In addition, her vision for American music was that we should have an American sound. At the time, nationalism in composition was all the rage in Europe with composers using their nations’ folk music in their compositions as a source of pride in centuries-old traditions.
Antonin Dvořák was a leader in this movement and, at the time, perhaps the world’s most famous composer. For this reason, Thurber brought Dvořák to New York to lead her school with the hopes of developing a nationalist tradition in America.
What Dvořák found, especially when he summered in Spillville, Iowa, in 1893, was that indeed, our young country had its own folk music. In particular that of Native Americans and the spirituals of African Americans. It was these traditions that inspired the compositions he worked on in Iowa.
Two of his greatest works, the American Quartet and the New World Symphony, use American folk music extensively and it doesn’t take much investigation to see the connection between Dvořák’s work in America both as a composer and as a teacher, and the eventual development of what we now consider the “American” sound of Aaron Copland or Samuel Barber just a couple of generations later. At its root, however, our country is a melting pot, and while we should certainly celebrate our authentic folk music traditions, we are a country of immigrants, each with its own traditions, many of which have enriched our country’s music immeasurably.
Red Cedar has begun a project to capture and present as many traditions of folk music as possible. Our fall concert program, which we will play 19 times across eastern Iowa, is titled "Fresh Folk." It features six new settings of folk music for violin and cello commissioned for this program.
It takes the audience to Finland, Brazil, the Philippines, Ukraine, Scotland and the American West. Some settings are quite traditional while others are a bit more abstract, minimalist or modern. But all capture something unique and wonderful about the original folk music, its story and style.
Of the six composers whose works will be premiered, four have composed for Red Cedar in the past. Luke Gullickson, Peter Bloesch, Jeremiah Siochi and Stephen Cohn are joined by Red Cedar newcomers David Maki and Hirono Borter in having new works premiered.
The program also includes two “old” works from 2006 by Harvey Sollberger and Warren Gooch. In all, eight 21st century works will be performed as well as one “surprise” work from 1894.
Our final performance will be at the Congregational United Church of Christ, 30 N. Clinton St., Iowa City at 3 p.m. on Oct. 23. The performance will be live-streamed, but tickets are available at the door for $20. We hope to see you there.
Carey Bostian is the artistic director and cellist with Red Cedar Chamber Music.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Red Cedar brings folk music extravaganza to Iowa City
