National Gallery of Art | Music The National Gallery of Art

Program: Solstice: Darkness Is Your Candle In this program you will hear East of the River perform “Groong” (Komitas Vardapet), “Achot Ktana” (Moroccan), “Lama bada” (Andalusian), “Adío Querida” (Sephardic), Sandansko Horo (Bulgarian), Solstice (Shane Shanahan), Petrone (English), Makedonsko Sedenka (Macedonian), Belasicko Horo (Bulgarian), Bučimiš (Bulgarian), “Slide Dance” (Ara Dinkjian), and “Hija Mia” (Sephardic Song). East of the River was founded by internationally renowned recorder players Nina Stern and Daphna Mor. The project explores gems of the European classical repertory together with haunting melodies and virtuosic dances of traditions to the East, arranged and interpreted by musicians whose backgrounds include classical, jazz, and world music. This concert was held at the National Gallery of Art on Saturday, December 21, 2019.

Musician Rafiq Bhatia feels compelled to capture his improvisations—fleeting moments of sound—in recordings. Like sound, light is transient. But James Turrell’s works, which inspired Bhatia’s composition, contain and present light, allowing us to forge a deeper relationship with an ephemeral substance. Find full transcripts and more information about this episode at https://www.nga.gov/music-programs/podcasts/rafiq-bhatia-james-turrell-new-light.html.
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For classical pianist and activist Lara Downes, Romare Bearden’s collage is a puzzle full of questions and unfinished business. In response, she brings together different musical sources, overlaying sounds to create both harmony and tension. Find full transcripts and more information about this episode at https://www.nga.gov/music-programs/podcasts/lara-downes-and-tomorrow-i-may-be-far-away.html. Subscribe directly to Sound Thoughts on Art from the National Gallery of Art on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app

Program: Si Otsedoha (We’re Still Here)
This program features the Cherokee Chamber Singers performing Si Otsedoha (We’re Still Here) (William Brittelle), “Amazing Grace” (Traditional), and “Shoshone Love Song” (“The Heart’s Friend”) (Traditional Native American) with Winston-Salem Symphony musicians and soprano Jodi Burns. Telling the remarkable story of the Eastern Band of Cherokee through powerful vocals that express the tribe’s unique and vibrant history, the chamber singers are from Cherokee High School in Cherokee, North Carolina. Their director is Michael Yannette. This concert was held at the National Gallery of Art on Sunday, November 24, 2019.

Hip-hop artist Jasiri X looks at Kerry James Marshall’s woodcut almost like he’s looking into a mirror. It captures the experience of a Black man: resilient but restrained from being his authentic self. Jasiri responds to the work through two songs that reflect on his internal struggle. Find full transcripts and more information about this episode at https://www.nga.gov/music-programs/podcasts/jasiri-x-untitled-man.html.

Composer-pianist Vijay Iyer describes the East Building as a work of art that does what music does: invites you in—to inhabit, explore, and be among others. He responds with pieces that balance pattern and structure with leaving room to wander.
Find full transcripts and more information about this episode at Find full transcripts and more information about this episode at https://www.nga.gov/music-programs/podcasts/vijay-iyer-im-pei-east-building.html. Subscribe directly to Sound Thoughts on Art from the National Gallery of Art on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app