Guided Listening: William Grant Still’s Old California and The American Scene 

Explore well-known works and discover new treasures of the musical repertory in our Guided Listening sessions with JoAnna Cochenet.

As we continue to explore the music inspired by the American landscape, we’ll tackle William Grant Still’s orchestral suite The American Scene, which takes listeners from coast to coast over the course of five suites, as well as his symphonic poem Old California, composed in commemoration of the 160th anniversary of Los Angeles.

In each session, we’ll closely examine the music through clues and information left by the composer and inferred from their life, performance practice, and other historical and relative means. Please listen to the pieces at least once before coming to the sessions to help prepare your ears, mind, and thoughts for the conversation about the works.

View The American Scene on YouTube
View Old California on YouTube

This event takes place online over Zoom. The link to join the Zoom will be provided the week of the event. Check out all our of this year’s Guided Listening sessions on American Landscape: Wonders of the Wild West.