CMC at Piccolo Spoleto

The story begins with a young singer named Harry Thacker Burleigh, who was working as a custodian at the National Conservatory in New York City during the 1890s to fulfill the requirements of his scholarship. One evening, Antonín Dvořák, the newly appointed director, overheard Burleigh’s deep baritone voice singing the spirituals that his grandfather had taught him. This chance encounter marked the beginning of a remarkable friendship and Dvořák’s introduction to the world of African-American spirituals.

Chamber Music Charleston’s program brings together the music of Burleigh and Dvorak, alongside those of other important but long-neglected composers such as Florence Price and William Grant Still. Through their music, the program paints a vivid portrait of a distinctive, yet classically-informed, American sound that is rooted in the country’s diverse cultural heritage.

Frances Hsieh and Jenny Weiss, violins; Ben Weiss, viola; Tim O’Malley, cello

PROGRAM

Dvořák String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96, “American”
i. Allegro ma non troppo
ii.Lento

Burleigh Southland Sketches for String Quartet

Price String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor
ii. Andante Cantabile

Still Lyric Quartet
iii. The Jovial One