Follow celebrated violinist and conductor Scott Yoo as he travels the United States to uncover the musical influences of some of America’s most prominent composers – Amy Beach, Florence Price and Aaron Copland – in the third season of “Great Performances: Now Hear This.” The documentary miniseries also spotlights two contemporary composers weaving the traditional music of their heritage into their compositions: Brazilian-born Sergio Assad and Indian American Reena Esmail. From coast to coast, the series shines a light on the immigrant experience as told through music, featuring local artists across musical genres including gospel, blues and more.
Episodes include:
- “Amy Beach: American Romantic” – Host Scott Yoo and his wife, flutist Alice Dade, perform the work of Romantic-era classical composer Amy Beach at Festival Mosaic and uncover Beach’s many musical influences.
- “Florence Price and the American Migration” – Yoo follows the trail of great African American composer Florence Price, learning that West African music and European hymns inspired nearly all American popular music.
- “Aaron Copland: Dean of American Music” – Drawing from his Jewish roots, modernism and American folk music, Pulitzer-, Grammy- and Oscar-winning composer Aaron Copland created a distinctive American sound in both his classical compositions and film scores.
- “New American Voices” – Following the traditions of Amy Beach, Florence Price and Aaron Copland, host Scott Yoo explores how American composers are inspired by their immigrant roots today through two composers: Brazilian born Sergio Assad and Indian American Reena Esmail.
“Great Performances: Now Hear This” premieres on Panhandle PBS on Friday, April 8 at 8 p.m.
