Searching for an American Voice: From Colony to Concert Hall

Anthony Olson and Eva Peng bring Searching for an American Voice: From Colony to Concert Hall to the Central Library on Thursday, November 5. It's a lecture-recital, so you'll get a mix of talking and playing rather than just a straight concert. The two of them trace the evolution of American classical and popular music from the founding of the United States through the 20th century, looking at how composers from the Revolutionary War era to the present developed a uniquely American musical identity.

The evening is part of the Kansas City Public Library's 250 & Counting series, which frames the library's celebration of America 250. The program follows that timeline, moving from the early colonial days through the centuries that followed, with the music serving as the guide. It's the kind of thing that works better as a lecture-recital than a standard recital—the commentary gives you the context for why the music changed the way it did, and the performances let you hear it for yourself.

Olson and Peng come from different musical backgrounds. Anthony Olson is a professor of music at Northwest Missouri State University, where he teaches piano, organ, and harpsichord and focuses his research on keyboard pedagogy and interdisciplinary music programming. Eva Peng is a lyric soprano who was previously the resident soprano soloist with the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in China, performing under conductors including the late Herbert von Karajan, and has appeared as a soloist and recitalist across the country and internationally. Together they'll handle the piano and vocal duties for the program.

The event is at the Helzberg Auditorium inside the Central Library. The lecture-recital runs from 6 to 7 PM, with a reception starting at 5:30 PM if you want to get there early and mingle before it kicks off.