Berkeley Symphony Presents AMERICAN INTERSECTIONS

Berkeley Symphony will kick off its 2023-24 Chamber Series with American Intersections on Sunday, September 24, 2023 at 4 p.m at Piedmont Center for the Arts.

The performance will feature Vijay Iyer's Dig the Say, Margaret Bonds' Credo for solo piano, Molly Joyce's Anatomy is Destiny, Jessie Montgomery's Source Code, and Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet no. 12 in F flat major, Op. 96 “American.” 

American Intersections expands the listeners' expectations of what the “American” sound can be in classical music. Paired with Berkeley Symphony's Symphonic 1 program, American Kaleidoscope, the chamber performance will explore jazz, blues, funk, and folk music.

It will also celebrate diverse voices from all walks of life, expressing the representation of cultural heritage, gender, abilities, and influences, all of which make up this vibrant country. This performance reflects our country and communities, made up of people from all backgrounds with musical influence from across the globe,” said Kate Kammeyer, Executive Director of Berkeley Symphony. “Audiences will experience a colorful array of music that truly makes up the American sound and the variety of voices that represent America.”  Musicians Emanuela Nikiforova, Ilana Thomas-TBD violin; Ilana Blumberg Thomas, violin; Jacob Joseph, viola; Elaine Kreston, cello; and Britton Day, piano, will pose the question “What does “American” music sound like to you?” From the James Brown-inspired Dig the Say by Vijay Iyer to Molly Joyce's Anatomy is Destiny which explores how disabilities viewed as restrictive, can evolve to be embracive. Jessie Montgomery's 2013 string quartet Source Code, re-interprets gestures, sentences, and musical syntax of Black spirituals used in the genres of dance, poetry, and jazz in the Civil Rights era. 120 years prior, Dvorak's famous “American” string quartet, was inspired by African American, Native American, and Irish folk tunes he heard in the Czech immigrant community of Spillville, Iowa in the summer of 1893. The solo piano version of the powerful Credo, by Margaret Bonds, summarizes this program well by quoting the W.E.B. Du Bois essay by the same name, “I believe that all men, black and brown and white, are brothers, varying through Time and Opportunity, in form and gift and feature, but differing in no essential particular, and alike in soul and in the possibility of infinite development.” American Intersections will show the breadth of American music.    Subscriptions to Berkeley Symphony's Symphonic Series and the Chamber Series are available now. Patrons can choose 3 or 4 concerts in Berkeley Symphony's Symphonic [Chamber] Series, and create a custom Pick 3 or Pick 4 Package, saving up to 25% off regular ticket prices. Single tickets are available now at berkeleysymphony.org or by calling the box office at 510.841.2800. 

Berkeley Symphony is unique among Bay Area and American orchestras for its commitment to innovation, community, and excellence. Founded in 1971 in the intellectual and artistic nexus of Berkeley, California, the Orchestra is committed to performing, premiering, and commissioning new music that reflects the culturally diverse people and the heady creative climate of its home city. In the 2019-2020 season, Berkeley Symphony entered a new era under the leadership of Joseph Young, the Orchestra's fourth Music Director in its 50-year history, following a highly successful February 2019 debut that was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. In addition to building on the Orchestra's artistic innovation, creativity and adventurous programming, Maestro Young is committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented composers and artists as well as continuing to tell diverse stories that reflect the local Berkeley community.