Program Notes

America/Beautiful is a project by pianist and arts advocate Min Kwon, in which she has commissioned a diverse group of more than 70 of today’s leading American composers to each compose a variation on “America the Beautiful.”

Kwon's hope is to paint a sonic picture of her adopted country in all of its sprawling complexity, and ultimately try to find the beauty at the core of the American experiment and its credo of e pluribus unum (out of many, one).  -from America/Beautiful Official Website

Since the founding of America, immigrants have sought to reach the shores of this land in hopes of realizing their destiny. In doing so, each has enriched this land beyond measure.  As an immigrant, I wanted to contribute a piece of myself to this great country. My piece is an evolution of "America the Beautiful,” in which I hope to convey a soulful sense of urgency balanced with a bold sensitivity.