Rhythm, Reverie, and Reinvention

• William Grant Still — Danzas de Panamá

• George Gershwin — Lullaby

• Caroline Shaw — Entr’acte

• Florence Price — Summer Moon

• Wynton Marsalis — Rampart St. Row House Rag

From the dance rhythms of Panama to the streets of New Orleans, American Mosaic traces a vibrant musical journey through the many traditions that shape the American sound.

William Grant Still’s Danzas de Panamá opens the program with a colorful celebration of Panamanian folk melodies, transformed through Still’s warm and sophisticated musical voice. George Gershwin’s Lullaby follows with lyrical charm, revealing the young composer’s gift for melody and hinting at the jazz-infused style that would later make him an American icon.

At the center of the program is Caroline Shaw’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Entr’acte, a work that playfully bends the rules of the classical string quartet, moving between elegance, surprise, and moments of quiet wonder. Florence Price’s luminous Summer Moon offers a brief but radiant meditation on the beauty of a summer night, infused with the spiritual warmth and expressive lyricism that define her music.

The evening concludes with Wynton Marsalis’s Rampart St. Row House Rag, a spirited tribute to the ragtime traditions of New Orleans. Full of swagger, syncopation, and joy, it sends the audience out with the irresistible energy of one of America’s great musical cities.

Together, these works form a mosaic of influences—African American, Latin American, jazz, folk, and classical revealing a musical landscape that is constantly evolving while remaining deeply rooted in the rhythms and stories of its people.