cMonday, August 10, 2026 • 1 PM

Listening Lounge: Copland

Michael Gerdes hosts a guided listening series for curious concertgoers who want to expand how they hear music. Each session examines a single work, exploring how a piece is built, what to listen for as it unfolds, and how different performers bring contrasting perspectives to the same notes.

By comparing interpretations and considering changes in performance practice throughout history, we’ll begin to listen to music the way one might taste fine wine: attentively, thoughtfully, and with a growing vocabulary.

Registration Required.

Commissioned in 1942, Aaron Copland wrote Appalachian Spring specifically for Martha Graham and was inspired by her American spirit, describing her as: “…unquestionably very American: there’s something prim and restrained, simple yet strong, about her which one tends to think of as American.” His Pulitzer Prize-winning score tells a simple yet timeless story with lush, glowing melodies.

Copland’s Appalachian Spring will be performed on Wednesday, August 12.

ABOUT THE LECTURER