APERIO, Music of the Americas
PRESENTS
SOUTHERN REVIVAL - NOSTALGIA & COLLECTIVE MEMORY in American Music

Aperio, Music of the Americas, kicks off it’s 20th concert season with Southern Revival, a captivating program of chamber and orchestral music on Friday, October 17, 2025 at the Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (MATCH). Featuring musicians from Aperio’s core ensemble conducted by Marlon Chen, this evening of poignant American music explores the power of nostalgia and collective memory, highlighting an array of composers and historical perspectives.

Anchored by Samuel Barber’s evocative and powerful work for soprano and orchestra Knoxville: Summer of 1915, the program navigates a variety of perspectives on childhood nostalgia and collective tragedy. Showcasing an evocative text drawn from James Agee’s prose masterpiece A Death In The Family, Barber’s music evokes a nostalgic, dreamlike memory of a peaceful summer evening from a child's perspective, casting an idyllic, peaceful scene in the foreboding shadow of personal tragedy.

In contrast, Shawn Okpebholo's Two Black Churches gives voice to the painful historical and ongoing racial violence against Black communities. While Barber's work is a personal, gentle reflection, Okpebholo's is a powerful lament and a somber meditation on collective trauma.

The program also highlights significant works by Black composers, including Florence Price’s beautiful Andante Moderato from her String Quartet No. 1, Jessie Montgomery’s dynamic Strum for string quartet and introspective cello and piano duet titled Peace, Margaret Bonds' powerful piano work Troubled Water, and William Grant Still's elegant Serenade. The performance concludes with Richard Farina’s folk-inspired Birmingham Sunday.

Join Aperio for this thought-provoking and moving musical journey exploring themes of American identity, history, and spiritual renewal.

PROGRAM
MARGARET BONDS - Troubled Water for solo piano
FLORENCE PRICE - Andante Moderato for string quartet
JESSIE MONTGOMERY - Strum for string quartet; Peace for cello and piano
SHAWN OKPEBHOLO - Two Black Churches for baritone and piano
WILLIAM GRANT STILL -Serenade for chamber orchestra
SAMUEL BARBER - Knoxville, Summer 1915 for soprano and orchestra

FEATURED PERFORMERS
Julia Fox, soprano | Timothy Jones, baritone
Matthew Lammers, violin | Marisa Ishikawa, violin
Tonya Burton, viola | Daniel Saenz, cello
Michael Zuraw, piano | Marlon Chen, conductor

TICKETS
$35 General Admission / $25 Seniors / $15 Students

PHOTO: Lynn Lane