Pianist Min Kwon began commissioning variations on America the Beautiful during the pandemic, turning to 70 composers and asking them to create their own contribution. Kwon premiered the first of the variations in 2021, and four years later, she is still premiering some of the now-76 works that she has received. She will premiere another four May 28 as part of this year's Cutting Edge Concerts New Music Festival, founded by composer and conductor Victoria Bond, whose own contribution will be included in that performance.
A Tempo host Rachel Katz, who spoke with Kwon in 2021, revisits the project in a new conversation with the pianist about how the project developed and some of the new perspectives she has gained. The program also includes an interview with Bond about her work, titled Sea to Shining Sea, the concert series and some of the highlights of her career as a composer.
