Johnny Gandelsman, violin | This Is America

In response to the despair, alienation, and turbulence of the COVID-19 era, Grammy Award-winning violinist and producer Johnny Gandelsman developed This Is America, a commissioning and recording project featuring over twenty new works for solo violin written by American and US-based artists.

This is America celebrates our country’s rich cultural tapestry and its myriad perspectives, offering a vivid counterpoint to the idea that this land can be understood through a singular, dominant point of view. Each composition in the anthology reflects on the current state of American society in a personal and intimate way, looking through an unflinching lens at universal topics like separation, loneliness, hope and love.

In addition to giving a full concert at The Prior, Gandelsman will perform briefer segments of the anthology across the city in collaboration with community partners: This Is America becomes This Is Worcester. We hope you will join us on the journey!

This program is made possible by the Heidi Brake Smith ’82 Fund for the Arts.

Pre-concert Conversation

Join us at 6:30 PM in the Ensemble Room on the 2nd Floor of The Prior for a pre-concert conversation between Johnny Gandelsman and This Is America contributing composer Èbùn Oguntola, free and open to all ticketholders.

Hailed as a group with imagination, style and chops, the Worcester Chamber Music Society (WCMS) took the Worcester, Massachusetts scene by storm with its initial concert in 2006. It has become a recognized cultural presence within the Greater Worcester area by presenting sold-out concerts to captivated audiences, receiving consistent critical acclaim, building new young audiences, and training rising musicians through both its Neighborhood Strings and Summer Music Camp programs.

WCMS brings world-class chamber music to intimate Greater Worcester venues. WCMS nurtures the community through a unique combination of affordable concerts, education and community engagement.