Listen | An American Celebration

Description

Throughout the season, American composers hold a prominent place at the Grant Park Music Festival. In this program, Carlos Kalmar dusts off some powerful compositions that deserve wider attention, including the Second Symphony by New York native Randall Thompson, a piece written during the throes of the Great Depression; also David Diamond's wartime Rounds, which followed in 1944. Jazz great James Carter joins the Orchestra for Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra's Concerto for Saxophones. The program opens with Tournements by John Corigliano, a composer who carries the rare distinction of having won three Grammys, an Oscar, and the Pulitzer Prize.