Nashville Symphony to Premiere Brian Field's EVERYTHING HURTS - Musical Setting Amanda Gorman’s Work

On October 24 and 25, American mezzo-soprano and two-time Grammy Award winner J’Nai Bridges will perform the world premiere of “Everything Hurts,” a musical setting of poet Amanda Gorman’s “Hymn for the Hurting” by composer Brian Field, with the Nashville Symphony, conducted by Christian Reif.

“Everything Hurts” marks the first occasion a Gorman text has been set, published, or performed in an original musical setting.

"We are honored to present the world premiere of ‘Everything Hurts,’ bringing Amanda Gorman’s powerful words to life through Brian Field’s moving composition. This performance is a poignant extension of an important conversation happening nationally and in Nashville," highlights Nashville Symphony President and CEO Alan D. Valentine.
 

Written in the wake of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas in 2022 which claimed the lives of 19 children and 2 teachers, “Hymn for the Hurting” first debuted in The New York Times and since has become a rallying cry for gun violence prevention and activism.
 

After “Hymn for the Hurting” was published, Gorman encouraged her social media followers to support Everytown for Gun Safety in its mission to end gun violence, helping the organization to amass over $1 million in grassroots donations in the days following the shooting.
 

“Amanda Gorman’s incredible talent brings our call for gun safety into the public discourse in a way only she can,” says Moms Demand Action executive director Angela Ferrell-Zabala. “Her ability to inspire, organize, and mobilize is a powerful gift, and having her voice in this movement is truly invaluable. We are deeply grateful to Ms. Gorman, Brian Field, J’Nai Bridges, and the Nashville Symphony for using their artistry to create much-needed music in much-needed times.”
 

Brian Field, an American composer and activist, is dedicating “Everything Hurts” to honor victims and survivors of gun violence nationwide. He will donate the entirety of his royalties to Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and hopes this piece will become an anthem for fellow artists, ensembles, presenters, and audiences who join him in demanding an end to the American gun violence epidemic.
 

Field states: “When I first read Amanda Gorman’s ‘Hymn for the Hurting’ in the wake of the unfathomable tragedy in Uvalde, the role of art in our collective reckoning became more evident than ever. Art does not merely stir our emotions—it galvanizes us. It has the power to ignite movements, to shape policy, to demand action. Just 25 miles from my home, Sandy Hook Elementary stands as a haunting reminder of how gun violence is pervasive in our country, impacting individuals, families and entire communities. To collaborate with Amanda and the extraordinary J’Nai Bridges in bringing ‘Everything Hurts’ to life is both a profound honor and an urgent call to bear witness. I am humbled to share its premiere in Nashville.”
 

This is not Field’s first foray into activism through music; previously, through his blistering piano suite “Three Passions For Our Tortured Planet,” he assembled a collective of more than 130 musicians worldwide, all with the common goal of raising awareness and funds for climate change research. Through concerts performed internationally and streaming royalties, Field has created a continuous source of income for the Union of Concerned Scientists
 

J’Nai Bridges is a household name at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Kennedy Center and other major international concert spaces. She has been on The Root’s 100 Most Influential African Americans list and is the subject the documentary, J’Nai Bridges: Unamplified in the American Masters: In the Making series on PBS
 

Conductor Christian Reif shared: “Amanda Gorman is one of the most compelling voices of our time, masterfully tackling social issues with a powerful blend of poetry and immediacy. It is an honor to conduct Brian Field’s beautiful setting of her “Hymn for the Hurting,” and to collaborate with my dear friend J’Nai Bridges and the Nashville Symphony on a poignant program that raises important questions and also seeks to answer some of them. Together, we confront the anguish and terror of violence and the grief that follows, ultimately offering a path forward through hope and resilience.”

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Best Musical - Top 3

1. COME FROM AWAY (Nashville Repertory Theatre)

9.3% of votes

2. HAIRSPRAY (Cumberland County Playhouse)

8.2% of votes

3. THE LITTLE MERMAID (Springhouse Theatre)

7.1% of votes

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