Described by Alex Ross of The New Yorker as a “cult work of twentieth-century music,” this towering, 90-minute, 12-movement orchestral masterpiece was commissioned by Alice Tully to commemorate the bicentennial of the United States. Performed by one of America’s premier service ensembles and led, on this occasion, by the renowned conductor and Messiaen champion David Robertson, the production features a stunning new visual treatment commissioned from photographer Deborah O’Grady and has packed houses world-wide from the Barbican in London to the Sydney Opera House. Through still and moving images of Southwestern Utah, O’Grady visually brings to life the French composer's musical responses to the bird calls, landscape, colors, and geology that he experienced: a fitting celebration, in our nation’s capital, of the National Park Service’s 2016 centenary and the inspiration of the American landscape on composers from around the world.
The United States Air Force Band
David Robertson, guest conductor
Deborah O'Grady, production director & photographer
Peter Henderson, piano
Co-commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Cal Performances, University of California, Berkeley; St. Louis Symphony; Sydney Symphony; and Washington Performing Arts.
This event is part of the European Month of Culture (EUMC). Now in its fifth year, EUMC is a month-long festival of innovative and creative events for the American public highlighting the diverse cultures of all 28 European Union Member countries. Enjoy film, dance, music, theatre, exhibits, language classes, workshops and more in great venues throughout Washington DC. Most events are free! To see all EUMC events, click here.
