American Perspectives Vol II: An Exploration of the Recital Repertoire

This edition of "American Perspectives" features two larger works for violin and piano, as well as a short romantic piece. William Grant Still’s charming Suite for Violin and Piano is inspired by significant artworks created by African-American artists during the Harlem Renaissance period. Amy Beach’s rich and powerful sonata explores a completely different sound world that ranges from playful dance-like movements to daring and dramatic passages. Mexican composer Manuel Ponce’s Estrellita is the perfect serenade to separate these two masterful works and might even leave you with a few happy tears.

"American Perspectives" is a project that promotes lesser-known recital works by American and Latin American composers and aims to recognize the relevance of classical music within American history and culture. Each composer on the program comes from a different background and shares a unique “perspective” through their music on the American experience. This edition will be performed by violinist Bree Fotheringham and pianist Kyle Orth.

Bree Fotheringham, Violin

American violinist Bree Ann Fotheringham is a dedicated artist and advocate for classical music in the 21st century. A passionate collaborator, she has already shared the stage with some of the most recognized artists in the field, including Noah Bendix-Balgley, Andrew Marriner, and Clive Greensmith. Bree has performed at notable festivals including the Edinburgh International Festival, Bay Chamber Concerts Screen Door Festival, Manchester Music Festival, Colorado College Summer Music Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival. She has held residencies at the Virginia Arts Festival, performing for hundreds of K-12 students in the Virginia Beach area, and at Street Symphony, performing chamber music for those directly affected by homelessness and incarceration in Los Angeles. She is a graduate of the Colburn Conservatory of Music where she studied with Robert Lipsett, the Jascha Heifetz Distinguished Violin Chair, and the New England Conservatory where she studied with Ayano Ninomiya.

Kyle Orth, Piano

Hailed as “spine-tingling” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram), “thrillingly visceral” (Minnesota Star Tribune), and “breathtaking” (Boston Musical Intelligencer), American pianist Kyle Orth has distinguished himself globally as a captivating soloist and chamber musician. Since his orchestral debut at the age of fifteen, Orth has appeared as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Israel Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Oaxaca (Mexico), and the Arequipa and Cusco Symphony Orchestras (Perú), under the batons of Osmo Vänskä, Jaap van Zweden, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Hugh Wolff, and others.

As a chamber musician, Orth has performed in prominent international festivals including the Perlman Music Program, the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Pablo Casals Festival-Academie in France. He studied at Texas Christian University and New England Conservatory as a student of John Owings and Wha Kyung Byun. He is currently on faculty at Wheaton College Conservatory of Music in Illinois.

This program is presented by the Boston Public Library as part of our Never Too Late Group created with older adults in mind. Registration is not required; instead, seating is first come, first served. We plan to open doors 15 minutes in advance of the program.

Accessibility Notice: We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, please contact the Adult Programs Department at [email protected] or 617-859-2129. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange for accommodations.

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