ACO: America in Weimar – On The Margins

• Chrystal E. Williams, mezzo-soprano
• Jerod Impichcha̲achaaha' Tate, narrator & voice
• Felipe Hostins, accordion
• Rei Hotoda, conductor

Jerod Impichcha̲achaaha' Tate — Selected works
George Antheil — A Jazz Symphony
Jerod Impichcha̲achaaha' Tate — Lowak Shoppala' (Scene 4: Clans; NY premiere)
John Glover — Right Now for Mezzo-Soprano, Accordion, and Orchestra (libretto by Kelley Rourke; world premiere)
Duke Ellington — Solidtude (arr. Morton Gould)
Duke Ellington — Sophisticated Lady (arr. Morton Gould)
Tonia Ko — Her Land, Expanded (world premiere)
Kurt Weill — "Pirate Jenny" from The Threepenny Opera (libretto by Bertolt Brecht)

Through music spanning the 1920s to today, the American Composers Orchestra (ACO) explores the United States’ influence on the Weimar Republic, and, conversely, aspects of the Weimar legacy that resonate now in American culture. ACO performs Antheil's Jazz Symphony, one of the first significant classical pieces influenced by jazz; short works by Duke Ellington, which caused a sensation during Sam Wooding and the Chocolate Kiddies' 1925 tour of Berlin and Hamburg; and "Pirate Jenny" from Kurt Weill's The Threepenny Opera, with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht. New works include a world premiere by Tonia Ko, co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall; a world premiere by John Glover and librettist Kelley Rourke, featuring mezzo-soprano Chrystal E. Williams and accordionist Felipe Hostins; and the New York premiere of "Clans" from Jerod Impichcha̲achaaha' Tate's Lowak Shoppala'.

About American Composers Orchestra (ACO)

https://americancomposers.org/

About Chrystal E. Williams, mezzo-soprano

Acclaimed as “a singer of rare power and clarity” (The Philadelphia Inquirer), Chrystal E. Williams is “a joy to listen to and watch – the complete package” (Bachtrack). She holds a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance from the Yale School of Music, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Voice Performance from Carnegie Mellon University.

https://chrystalewilliams.com/

About Jerod Impichcha̲achaaha' Tate, narrator & voice

Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate (Chickasaw) is a dedicated American Indian classical composer and pianist who expresses his native culture in symphonic music, ballet, and opera. All of his compositions have been commissioned by major North American orchestras, ensembles and organizations and his works are performed throughout the world.

https://jerodtate.com/

About Felipe Hostins, accordion

http://www.baltimoreconcertopera.com/felipe-hostins

About Rei Hotoda, conductor

https://www.reihotoda.com/