From the New World

1892. Jeannette Thurber, a patron of music in the United States, engages the celebrated composer Antonín Dvořák to lead the National Conservatory of Music in New York. Dvořák's mission is clear: as a leading creator of Czech art music, he must also give America its own classical voice. But where to begin? What are the real roots of a country with a diverse population and a multitude of cultures? Dvořák's symphony 'From the New World', his gift to the American nation, was inspired by spirituals and also sought connections with the culture of the Native Americans. Florence Price connected with this legacy with her orchestral work Ethiopia's Shadow in America from 1932. As one of the first African-American composers in symphonic music, she created an original blend of romanticism, spirituals and jazzy rhythms. An infectious programme in which Dvořák's evergreen and the rediscovery of a forgotten piece of American music history go hand in hand.