The Rochester Oratorio Society is inviting the public to a free three-day festival this June that will examine America’s 250-year journey through music, poetry, and conversations about freedom and equality.
The Arts Connexions Festival, titled “America at 250: The Journey to Freedom,” will feature performances, historical discussions, and a community chorus concert across several Rochester-area venues from June 24-28.
“We are thrilled and honored to present ‘America at 250: the Journey to Freedom,’ our Arts Connexions Festival celebrating our country’s landmark birthday,” ROS Artistic Director Eric Townell said in a release. “We have thoughtfully chosen events to resonate with our community, and look forward to raising our voices together toward a shared future of freedom.”
The festival opens June 24 at the Brighton Public Library with a panel discussion led by Brighton Town Historian Mary Jo Lanphear focused on abolitionists Austin Steward and William Clough Bloss and their impact on Rochester’s history and the national movement toward equality.
A vocal recital highlighting the Harlem Renaissance follows June 25 at the Rochester Academy of Medicine. The performance, titled “Harlem Renaissance Revisited,” will feature vocalist X’Zaya Ivy and pianist Kevin Nitsch.
The festival concludes June 28 at Christ Clarion Church in Pittsford with “America at 250: The Journey to Freedom,” a community chorus performance featuring American choral works spanning generations of composers and perspectives.
The concert program includes music by William Billings, Randall Thompson, Stephen Paulus, and Peter Wilhousky, along with performances by Resonanz, the Rochester Oratorio Society’s chamber vocal group. The event will also feature a new work by Rochester composer Daryl Smith based on a poem written by School of the Arts ninth grader Bronwyn Capps, winner of the Writers & Books Teen Poetry Contest.
Festival organizers said all events are free and open to the public. Community members interested in participating in the closing chorus performance must register in advance and attend scheduled rehearsals.
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