Music in the American Wild

Music in the American Wild began as a touring celebration of the 2016 centennial of the U.S. National Park Service. Our septet performed 11 new works inspired by the parks at Shenandoah, Great Smoky Mountains, Mammoth Cave, North Cascades, Mount Rainier, Olympic, and San Juan Islands National Parks, with concerts in caves, on mountaintops, and everywhere in between.

By performing these new works in the grand natural venues that inspired their creation, we encouraged thousands of park visitors to experience our national parks as spaces burgeoning with musical opportunities. We aimed to strengthen our audience's sense of place, identity, and community by sharing context-driven, site-inspired music in unexpected natural venues.

Since 2016, our mission has grown to celebrate the people, places, and stories that shape our understanding of American history, heritage, and culture. We continue to collaborate with national parks, as well as historic landmarks, community spaces, and more traditional venues. Projects have included a performance and education residency at North Cascades National Park, a commissioning and touring project in and about Hawaii, and an ongoing series of commissions inspired by historic American women. Upcoming projects in 2021 include a collaborative, multidisciplinary program commemorating the bicentennial of the state of Missouri, as well as a commissioning and touring program focused on the Great Lakes.

Through thematic, site-inspired programming and cohesive project design, we encourage our composers, our performers, and, most importantly, our audiences to connect more deeply with the world around them.