American Inspiration

Name: American Inspiration
Start: 2025-09-25T19:00:00-04:00
Location: Peggy R. McConnell Arts Center of Worthington

Schedule

Thu, 25 Sep, 2025 at 07:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Peggy R. McConnell Arts Center of Worthington | Worthington, OH

Antoine T. Clark, conductor
Ben Shirely, composer-in-residence
Program:
“American Quartet” in F major, Op. 96 – Antonín Dvořák
Whistle Pig! – Ben Shirley
Serenade in D minor, Op. 44 – Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, “American” was composed during the summer of 1893 in Spillville, Iowa. Living among Czech immigrants, taking sunrise walks along the Turkey River, and listening to local birdsong, Dvořák found a new creative energy. Written in just two weeks, the quartet blends African American and Native American idioms with Czech folk character into a style wholly his own. Its simple lyricism, birdlike calls, and rhythmic drive show how deeply Dvořák responded to his American surroundings while staying rooted in his heritage.
Ben Shirley’s Whistle Pig! is a lively sketch inspired by a plump groundhog that frequented his Ohio backyard. Shirley paints the creature’s frantic scurrying and comical pauses with bustling sixteenth notes, rustling tremolos, and sudden outbursts. What might seem ordinary rural life becomes whimsical portraiture, full of affectionate humor and vivid imagination. The piece, premiered in Columbus in 2024, captures the joy Shirley discovered in his new landscape and the wildlife just outside his door.
Dvořák’s Serenade in D minor for Winds, Cello, and Double Bass, Op. 44 was written in Prague in 1878. Inspired by Mozart’s great Gran Partita yet infused with Czech vitality, the Serenade radiates the warmth of village bands and popular dances. A stately march, a “Menuetto” built from the sousedská and furiant folk dances, a pastoral slow movement, and a buoyant finale together reveal Dvořák’s gift for marrying elegance with folk spirit.