United States Various – ‘Hello, America: Letters to Us, from Us’: Karen Slack (soprano), Amanda Gookin (cello), Cynthia Yeh (percussion), American Composers Orchestra / Carolyn Kuan (conductor). Zankel Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York, 11.3.2026. (DS)
Shelley Washington – Haymaker
Joseph C. Phillips Jr. – We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident
Brittany J. Green – Letters to America
Kite – Cosmologyscape: 7th Ave and 57th Street
Jessie Montgomery – Procession
In the Carnegie Hall series ‘United in Sound: America at 250’, audiences continue to be exposed to the many voices that illustrate the depth and range existing in the fifty states. American Composers Orchestra brought a performance entitled ‘Hello, America: Letters to Us, from Us’: personal and historical declarations that also made a roaring splash of world premieres in the new music scene.
The concert opened with Haymaker, a one-movement cello concerto by Princeton composer Shelley Washington. It pulled sonic influence from punching techniques in boxing as it referenced power and outspokenness. Cellist Amanda Gookin soloed with a burning fervor matched equally by her fiery bow work, although having to beat a kick-drum with her right leg through the entirety did seem to become a bit onerous.
We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident by Joseph C. Phillips Jr. offered a glimpse into 1619, an upcoming eight-opera cycle. Moving and deeply relevant, this 15-minute work centered on several short acts played by the orchestra without singers. A screen overhead showed images in a video by Malik Isasis that ranged from early etchings of the dance gatherings of enslaved African-Americans to family photos of segregated lake resorts. Both disenfranchisement and the power of communal joyfulness framed this spectacular visual and musical experience.
The inimitable Karen Slack performed a new work for soprano and orchestra by Brittany J. Green, whose predilection towards the interdisciplinary results in works that break free of traditional messaging. Letters to America was no exception with its daring but precise matching of texts that ranged from the Declaration of Independence – sung with eerie, chopping insistence – to a poetic, poignant text by Green, ‘Black Like Me’, which Slack sang as a polished aria fit for an operatic climax. To complete the cycle, a letter to women titled ‘Black Pearls’ powerfully mixed classical, pop, jazz and talking. Slack performed it with exuberance and versatility to cheers from the audience.
American Composers Orchestra is highly skilled at interspersing quick chats about each piece while complex instrumental combinations are re-arranged on stage. Of particular interest was conductor Carolyn Kuan’s reaction to the work Cosmologyscape by Oglala Lakota artist Kite. Kuan expressed fascination at the new experience of leading an orchestra in full improvisation (with harp, saxophone and violin on solo) to a smooth, well-formed outcome. The work, while pleasant to listen to, was perhaps typical of improvised atmospheric musings: the improvisation was based on dream descriptions typed into an app’s website which audience members in Zankel Hall were encouraged to write up during the intermission.
The evening closed on the New York premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s Procession. Influenced by marches and acts of protest, the five movements centered on different percussive styles and incorporated allusions to the classical canon – in particular, nods to Respighi emerged. While the work felt repetitive at times, the real success was in the solo percussion part that would have been hard for even three people to play. Soloist Cynthia Yeh performed on vibraphone, a set of Afro-Cuban drums and an acoustic drum set with a combination of rhythmic and athletic prowess that was a wonder to watch.
Daniele Sahr
Featured Image: Conductor Carolyn Kuan and the American Composers Orchestra © Alfred Kan