Make American History Great Again? Endangered Dreams is the title that the African American composer Jalalu-Kalvert Nelson, who lives in Biel, has given his new ensemble piece. He says he is responding to “the present situation in America, where there is a battle of American identity and history taking place right now. There are factions in America who want to re-write American history and to delete the unpleasant parts of that history — and to sanitize the American Dream of its blemishes. Which means essentially to turn this dream into a one-sided lie.” Just how multifaceted America sounds becomes clear in the rest of the program: Steve Reich, one of the pioneers of Minimalism, fuses two marimbas and two vibraphones into an ecstatically pulsing rhythm machine in his Mallet Quartet. Elliott Carter’s music, by contrast, is deeply rooted in both American and European modernism.

EPSG:4326

Ensemble of the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra (LFCO) | Participants in the Contemporary-Conducting Program | Doreen Ketchens

KKL Luzern Concert Hall

Summer@SFCM: Bass Clarinet Intensive Faculty Recital

San Francisco Conservatory of Music

“Blessed Cæcilia, appear in vision and inspire all musicians. Come down to us mortals and shake us with your immortal fire!”

Hymn to Saint Cecilia

Roskilde Cathedral

The Round Tower

The Cumnock Tryst" class="css-u850" data-mark-multiple="true">The Cumnock Tryst is delighted to present the official launch of our new chamber group The Cumnock Tryst Ensemble. Created with cellist Christian Elliott, this is a flexible ensemble consisting of some of Scotland’s finest musicians who have had an association with us over the last few years.

The Cumnock Tryst Ensemble launch

Dumfries Arms Hotel

Jonathan Aasgaard, Principal Cello of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, joins pianist William Bracken on a very personal journey through 20th century America – from the melodies of Gershwin and Barber to the wild frontiers of Carter and Crumb.

Elliot Carter

Events

Past events

Aug 30, 2026

Ensemble of the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra (LFCO) | Participants in the Contemporary-Conducting Program | Doreen Ketchens · Lucerne Festival

Jun 23, 2025

Summer@SFCM: Bass Clarinet Intensive Faculty Recital · San Francisco Conservatory of Music

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