New York: The Melting Pot

Unlike Vienna, which clung to tradition, or Moscow, where composers lived in fear, New York thrived on destruction. It shattered the old ways and built something new—louder, faster, more rebellious. But its musical revolution wasn’t born in isolation. The city was a melting pot where European émigrés, African American jazz pioneers, and Latin American rhythms collided, reshaping the very fabric of sound.

This recital explores how New York transformed music: Gershwin wove jazz into the symphony, Bernstein blurred the lines between Broadway and the concert hall, Cage declared war on convention, and Rzewski turned music into protest. From Harlem’s swing to the avant-garde lofts of downtown, we hear the city’s restless energy, its defiance, and its vision of the future.