"The American landscape has always been a sonic tapestry, woven from equal parts soaring optimism and gritty reality. To write a song about America is to attempt to capture an impossible vastness: a task that requires grappling with the nation's shifting identity, its restless spirit, and the complex beauty of its promise." -Hannah Nepilova, Classical Music.

On the 250th anniversary of the United States, join us to celebrate the vibrant and eclectic voices that have shaped our nation, through an evening of music, poetry and performance.

This collaboration between Mannes School of Music, The School of Drama, and The School of Jazz and Contemporary Music explores the many voices, stories, and traditions that compose the fabric of our nation.

Poetry by: Joy Harjo, Wang Ping, Maya Angelou, Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes.

Music by: H.T. Burleigh, Charles Ives, R. Carlos Nakai, Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, W. Grant Still, Lowell Liebermann, Huang Ruo, George Gershwin, and jazz favorites from past and present.

Curated by: Pavlina Dokovska and Matthew A.J. Gregory

Directed by: Matthew A.J. Gregory