Kwon, a first-generation immigrant, hopes to paint a sonic picture of her adopted country in all of its complexity and diversity, by commissioning some of America’s greatest living composers

Composers include Pulitzer Prize winners (John Harbison, Shulamit Ran, Melinda Wagner, Aaron Jay Kernis, Paul Moravec), Grammy winners (Stephen Hartke, Kernis), MacArthur Genius Fellows (Vijay Iyer, George Lewis, Harbison), Emmy winners (Kris Bowers, John Musto), United States Artists Fellows (Pamela Z, Reena Esmail, Tania León, Iyer, Lewis), Grawemeyer winners (Lei Liang, Sebastian Currier, Kernis) and many more

The variations will be premiered by Kwon over the course of six days, beginning July 4, 2021, in a series of free streamed video performances and Q&As, and two nights of live concerts in a Brooklyn Catacomb

February 15, 2021 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Korean-born American pianist Min Kwon announced today America/Beautiful, a new project in which more than 70 composers have written individual variations for solo piano on the theme of America the Beautiful. Each interpretation offers a different vision of America during this critical moment, as filtered through the lens of America’s leading compositional voices across a broad spectrum of age, race, gender, and personal experience. 

The works will be premiered over the course of six days, beginning July 4, with a series of free streamed video performances by Kwon followed by Q&A sessions with the composers, culminating in two evenings of live performances by Kwon in the Catacombs of The Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn on July 8 and 9.

Said Kwon of the project: "As an immigrant, America has so many different meanings to me. These past few years have left us so deeply divided, and I have often asked myself what kind of a country I will be leaving to my two daughters - whose birthdays happen to fall on President's Day and the Fourth of July. Ultimately this project is about embracing our diversity, and remembering that by understanding, appreciating, and celebrating our differences, we become stronger both as individuals and as a country. The fact that 70 composers can hear the same song in a completely different way is, to me, something truly beautiful."

The 70 participating composers paint a picture of American diversity, and the many different opinions and emotions found in their interpretations offer a kaleidoscopic view of the country from the roots of its history to the present day struggles it faces. The decorated collection of composers includes multiple winners of Grammys, Emmys, MacArthur "Genius" Grants, Pulitzer, Grawemeyer, Guggenheim, Rome and Doris Duke Prizes, and more, with prominent names such as Timo Andres, Viet Cuong, Richard Danielpour, Reena Esmail, Fred Hersch, Jake Heggie, Vijay Iyer, Aaron Jay Kernis, Hannah Lash, Tania León, George Lewis, Nico Muhly, Shulamit Ran, Terry Riley, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Huang Ruo, Augusta Read Thomas, and many more.

The collection of variations will be premiered over the course of six days, beginning July 4, 2021. The first four nights will feature free streamed video performances of Kwon performing different collections of variations, followed by Q&A sessions with that evening’s composers. Then on July 8 and 9, Kwon will give two evenings of concerts in the Catacombs of The Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn.

America/Beautiful was inspired in part by the famous Diabelli variations, where in 1819, Viennese publisher and composer Anton Diabelli called for every important composer in the Austrian empire to write a variation on a patriotic waltz he had composed. Fifty-one composers responded with pieces, including Beethoven, Schubert, an eight-year-old Franz Liszt, and more. Following her curated concert of the 50 Unknown Diabelli Variations at Carnegie Weill Hall in 2017, Kwon already had the vision to create a new version of this for 21st century America, but after the pandemic hit in March and the protests followed in May, it became even more important to her to create a broader reflection on America by re-imagining what’s often been called “the national hymn.” 

All commissions for America/Beautiful were funded by Kwon’s nonprofit organization, the Center for Musical Excellence, which she established to provide professional and financial support, performance and recording opportunities, and individually tailored mentorship to gifted young musicians wishing to pursue a life in music in the United States. CME, celebrating its 11th year in 2021, has impacted more than 150 young artists from 34 countries to date.