https://simplecast.com American Stories Created by violinist Sophia Stoyanovich and pianist Derek Wang, American Stories examines and celebrates American identity through music in performance, illuminated by personal histories and reflections from featured guests of all walks of life. By giving voice to stories through conversation and music, we hope to inspire our listeners to consider the human spirit that binds our national community together. 2021 American Stories en Fri, 21 May 2021 01:56:30 +0000 Sat, 22 May 2021 23:14:53 +0000 https://american-stories.org American Stories https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/9b084761-364e-4b15-99d5-c1c56978b575/1d480f84-769f-4f7f-b86d-bb36d6b3faaf/3000x3000/aslogo-square.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://american-stories.org episodic Created by violinist Sophia Stoyanovich and pianist Derek Wang, American Stories examines and celebrates American identity through music in performance, illuminated by personal histories and reflections from featured guests of all walks of life. By giving voice to stories through conversation and music, we hope to inspire our listeners to consider the human spirit that binds our national community together. Sophia Stoyanovich, Derek Wang no https://feeds.simplecast.com/WwR0ekL_ immigration, classical music, covid, violin, music, mom, stories, usa, identity, american, classical, concert, covid-19, interviews, juilliard, moms, mother, mother’s day, narratives, oral histories, piano, storytelling, unity, us, nurses, health care American Stories americanstories2020@gmail.com 9dd98e1e-af12-4401-8855-215f5bb2e1b7 Road Movies Today on American Stories, photographer and long-haul trucker Ry Shorosky tells us how he survives fifteen-hour days on the interstate and reflects on how life on the road sharpened his eye as a photographer. Adventurer and father of four Nathan Swartz gives us a peek at what it's like to be on a non-stop family vacation and what it takes to commit to a one-of-a-kind lifestyle.

And we take you through Road Movies for violin and piano, written by composer John Adams in 1995. 

Learn more about our featured guests here:

https://ryshorosky.com/

https://wandrlymagazine.com/

About us:

Sophia Stoyanovich is a violinist originally from Bainbridge Island, Washington. Born into a family of artists, Sophia seeks to develop projects that cultivate empathy through exploring identities. A graduate of The Juilliard School, she has performed internationally, including soloing with the Seattle Symphony. In 2014 she traveled throughout Vietnam with the About Face Foundation, teaching at schools and orphanages. She is also communications director and violinist of The Versoi Ensemble, an international chamber ensemble dedicated to cultural diplomacy through chamber music. Derek Wang is a New York-based pianist and communicator who is guided by the value of committed listening in musical and social spaces. He is a graduate student at The Juilliard School and member of the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble at the Aspen Music Festival and School. He appeared on an NPR Tiny Desk episode in 2018 as emcee for From the Top. He has played family concerts alongside the animated short film collection Magic Piano and the Chopin Shorts in the U.S., Mexico, and on tour in China.

Visit www.american-stories.org, where this episode is available for download in an MP3 format.

Check out our Facebook page and Instagram!

Write to us at americanstories2020@gmail.com - we'd love to hear from you!

]]> Fri, 21 May 2021 01:56:30 +0000 americanstories2020@gmail.com (Ry Shorosky, Nathan Swartz, Derek Wang, Sophia Stoyanovich) https://american-stories.org/episodes/road-movies-smCOGiGr Today on American Stories, photographer and long-haul trucker Ry Shorosky tells us how he survives fifteen-hour days on the interstate and reflects on how life on the road sharpened his eye as a photographer. Adventurer and father of four Nathan Swartz gives us a peek at what it's like to be on a non-stop family vacation and what it takes to commit to a one-of-a-kind lifestyle.

And we take you through Road Movies for violin and piano, written by composer John Adams in 1995. 

Learn more about our featured guests here:

https://ryshorosky.com/

https://wandrlymagazine.com/

About us:

Sophia Stoyanovich is a violinist originally from Bainbridge Island, Washington. Born into a family of artists, Sophia seeks to develop projects that cultivate empathy through exploring identities. A graduate of The Juilliard School, she has performed internationally, including soloing with the Seattle Symphony. In 2014 she traveled throughout Vietnam with the About Face Foundation, teaching at schools and orphanages. She is also communications director and violinist of The Versoi Ensemble, an international chamber ensemble dedicated to cultural diplomacy through chamber music. Derek Wang is a New York-based pianist and communicator who is guided by the value of committed listening in musical and social spaces. He is a graduate student at The Juilliard School and member of the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble at the Aspen Music Festival and School. He appeared on an NPR Tiny Desk episode in 2018 as emcee for From the Top. He has played family concerts alongside the animated short film collection Magic Piano and the Chopin Shorts in the U.S., Mexico, and on tour in China.

Visit www.american-stories.org, where this episode is available for download in an MP3 format.

Check out our Facebook page and Instagram!

Write to us at americanstories2020@gmail.com - we'd love to hear from you!

]]> Road Movies Ry Shorosky, Nathan Swartz, Derek Wang, Sophia Stoyanovich 00:48:44 Sophia and Derek take you for a spin with music by John Adams and stories from the driver's seat, featuring guests Ry Shorosky and Nathan Swartz. Buckle up! Sophia and Derek take you for a spin with music by John Adams and stories from the driver's seat, featuring guests Ry Shorosky and Nathan Swartz. Buckle up! no full 3 21e9ec41-965e-4065-aaf8-34a7599500b5 Peace Piece A meditation on the role of art in envisioning and enacting peace in our communities, featuring music that traces the struggle for peace throughout our country's history, including a stirring arrangement of a spiritual, a new work written during the pandemic, and a pair of peace-themed jazz arrangements. Our guests are three extraordinary creative thinkers who tell stories through their art: composer Jessie Montgomery and poets Keno Evol and Lester Batiste, who introduce their Minneapolis-based organization BlackTableArts.

Musical selections in order of performance [timestamp]:

  • Jessie Montgomery – "Peace" (2020) [4:25]
  • "Nobody Knows the Trouble I See" arr. J. Rosamond Johnson and Maud Powell [26:26]
  • Bill Evans – "Peace Piece" arr. American Stories [43:19]
  • Horace Silver – "Peace" arr. American Stories [1:00:55]

Learn more about BlackTableArts at https://www.blacktablearts.com/.

About us:

Sophia Stoyanovich is a violinist originally from Bainbridge Island, Washington. Born into a family of artists, Sophia seeks to develop projects that cultivate empathy through exploring identities. A graduate of The Juilliard School, she has performed internationally, including soloing with the Seattle Symphony. In 2014 she traveled throughout Vietnam with the About Face Foundation, teaching at schools and orphanages. She is also communications director and violinist of The Versoi Ensemble, an international chamber ensemble dedicated to cultural diplomacy through chamber music. Derek Wang is a New York-based pianist and communicator who is guided by the value of committed listening in musical and social spaces. He is a graduate student at The Juilliard School and member of the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble at the Aspen Music Festival and School. He appeared on an NPR Tiny Desk episode in 2018 as emcee for From the Top. He has played family concerts alongside the animated short film collection Magic Piano and the Chopin Shorts in the U.S., Mexico, and on tour in China.

Visit www.american-stories.org, where this episode is available for download in an MP3 format.

Check out our Facebook page and Instagram!

Write to us at americanstories2020@gmail.com - we'd love to hear from you!

]]> Sat, 17 Oct 2020 13:24:35 +0000 americanstories2020@gmail.com (Keno Evol, Jessie Montgomery, Derek Wang, Sophia Stoyanovich, Lester Batiste) https://american-stories.org/episodes/peace-piece-i4MeA5BD A meditation on the role of art in envisioning and enacting peace in our communities, featuring music that traces the struggle for peace throughout our country's history, including a stirring arrangement of a spiritual, a new work written during the pandemic, and a pair of peace-themed jazz arrangements. Our guests are three extraordinary creative thinkers who tell stories through their art: composer Jessie Montgomery and poets Keno Evol and Lester Batiste, who introduce their Minneapolis-based organization BlackTableArts.

Musical selections in order of performance [timestamp]:

  • Jessie Montgomery – "Peace" (2020) [4:25]
  • "Nobody Knows the Trouble I See" arr. J. Rosamond Johnson and Maud Powell [26:26]
  • Bill Evans – "Peace Piece" arr. American Stories [43:19]
  • Horace Silver – "Peace" arr. American Stories [1:00:55]

Learn more about BlackTableArts at https://www.blacktablearts.com/.

About us:

Sophia Stoyanovich is a violinist originally from Bainbridge Island, Washington. Born into a family of artists, Sophia seeks to develop projects that cultivate empathy through exploring identities. A graduate of The Juilliard School, she has performed internationally, including soloing with the Seattle Symphony. In 2014 she traveled throughout Vietnam with the About Face Foundation, teaching at schools and orphanages. She is also communications director and violinist of The Versoi Ensemble, an international chamber ensemble dedicated to cultural diplomacy through chamber music. Derek Wang is a New York-based pianist and communicator who is guided by the value of committed listening in musical and social spaces. He is a graduate student at The Juilliard School and member of the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble at the Aspen Music Festival and School. He appeared on an NPR Tiny Desk episode in 2018 as emcee for From the Top. He has played family concerts alongside the animated short film collection Magic Piano and the Chopin Shorts in the U.S., Mexico, and on tour in China.

Visit www.american-stories.org, where this episode is available for download in an MP3 format.

Check out our Facebook page and Instagram!

Write to us at americanstories2020@gmail.com - we'd love to hear from you!

]]> Peace Piece Keno Evol, Jessie Montgomery, Derek Wang, Sophia Stoyanovich, Lester Batiste 01:03:44 A meditation on the role of art in envisioning and enacting peace in our communities, featuring composer Jessie Montgomery and poets Keno Evol and Lester Batiste, who introduce their Minneapolis-based organization BlackTableArts. Our musical performances trace the struggle for peace throughout our country's history, from a stirring arrangement of a spiritual to a new work written during the pandemic. A meditation on the role of art in envisioning and enacting peace in our communities, featuring composer Jessie Montgomery and poets Keno Evol and Lester Batiste, who introduce their Minneapolis-based organization BlackTableArts. Our musical performances trace the struggle for peace throughout our country's history, from a stirring arrangement of a spiritual to a new work written during the pandemic. jessie montgomery, peace, justice, violin, minneapolis, bipoc composers, chamber music, jazz, race, composers of color, black composers, artists of color, black artists, music, bipoc poets, american, juilliard, racial justice, america, black lives matter, racism, classical, horace silver, blacktablearts, poets of color, piano, keno evol, george floyd, bill evans, lester batiste, black poets, musicians of color, black table arts, bipoc artists no full 2 b9cb9036-d65d-4877-8726-f9e130bbf0de Mother and Child Honoring both Mother's Day and International Nurses Day this week, our first episode is a tribute to moms on the front lines of COVID-19. American Stories brings you storytelling through conversation and through music. In socially-distanced times, we’re connecting as musicians through remote performance: this episode features “Mother and Child” for violin and piano by William Grant Still, recorded from our homes across the country. We begin by sharing the stories of two heroic New York City health care workers and mothers. Agnes Garfield, a nurse practitioner and new mom, tells us about the sacrifices made by hospital workers, the surprises of being a new mom, and the challenges of raising her little boy during the pandemic. Mari Pascoe, a midwife, talks us through her process of recovery from the coronavirus, and shares stories from the delivery room. 

Timestamps:

  • [3:18] – Conversation with Agnes Garfield
  • [16:00] – Conversation with Mari Pascoe
  • [28:23] – The life and legacy of William Grant Still (1895 - 1978)
  • [31:26] – Our discussion of “Mother and Child”
  • [37:55] – Our performance of “Mother and Child”

See Sargent Johnson's chalk drawing Mother and Child: https://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/36.5991/

American Stories in general, and this first episode in particular, would not have been possible without our beloved mentors, Ms. Catherine Cho and Ms. Natasha Brofsky; we were fortunate to have their guidance, encouragement, and expertise at every turn.

About us:

Sophia Stoyanovich is a violinist originally from Bainbridge Island, Washington. Born into a family of artists, Sophia seeks to develop projects that cultivate empathy through exploring identities. A graduate of The Juilliard School, she has performed internationally, including soloing with the Seattle Symphony. In 2014 she traveled throughout Vietnam with the About Face Foundation, teaching at schools and orphanages. She is also communications director and violinist of The Versoi Ensemble, an international chamber ensemble dedicated to cultural diplomacy through chamber music. Derek Wang is a New York-based pianist and communicator who is guided by the value of committed listening in musical and social spaces. He is a Juilliard graduate and member of the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble at the Aspen Music Festival and School. He appeared on an NPR Tiny Desk episode in 2018 as emcee for From the Top. He has played family concerts alongside the animated short film collection Magic Piano and the Chopin Shorts in the U.S., Mexico, and on tour in China.

Visit www.american-stories.org, where this episode is available for download in an MP3 format.

Write to us at americanstories2020@gmail.com - we'd love to hear from you!

]]> Fri, 15 May 2020 04:17:42 +0000 americanstories2020@gmail.com (Mari Pascoe, Derek Wang, Agnes Garfield, Sophia Stoyanovich) https://american-stories.org/episodes/mother-and-child-axdAFCQ_ Honoring both Mother's Day and International Nurses Day this week, our first episode is a tribute to moms on the front lines of COVID-19. American Stories brings you storytelling through conversation and through music. In socially-distanced times, we’re connecting as musicians through remote performance: this episode features “Mother and Child” for violin and piano by William Grant Still, recorded from our homes across the country. We begin by sharing the stories of two heroic New York City health care workers and mothers. Agnes Garfield, a nurse practitioner and new mom, tells us about the sacrifices made by hospital workers, the surprises of being a new mom, and the challenges of raising her little boy during the pandemic. Mari Pascoe, a midwife, talks us through her process of recovery from the coronavirus, and shares stories from the delivery room. 

Timestamps:

  • [3:18] – Conversation with Agnes Garfield
  • [16:00] – Conversation with Mari Pascoe
  • [28:23] – The life and legacy of William Grant Still (1895 - 1978)
  • [31:26] – Our discussion of “Mother and Child”
  • [37:55] – Our performance of “Mother and Child”

See Sargent Johnson's chalk drawing Mother and Child: https://www.sfmoma.org/artwork/36.5991/

American Stories in general, and this first episode in particular, would not have been possible without our beloved mentors, Ms. Catherine Cho and Ms. Natasha Brofsky; we were fortunate to have their guidance, encouragement, and expertise at every turn.

About us:

Sophia Stoyanovich is a violinist originally from Bainbridge Island, Washington. Born into a family of artists, Sophia seeks to develop projects that cultivate empathy through exploring identities. A graduate of The Juilliard School, she has performed internationally, including soloing with the Seattle Symphony. In 2014 she traveled throughout Vietnam with the About Face Foundation, teaching at schools and orphanages. She is also communications director and violinist of The Versoi Ensemble, an international chamber ensemble dedicated to cultural diplomacy through chamber music. Derek Wang is a New York-based pianist and communicator who is guided by the value of committed listening in musical and social spaces. He is a Juilliard graduate and member of the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble at the Aspen Music Festival and School. He appeared on an NPR Tiny Desk episode in 2018 as emcee for From the Top. He has played family concerts alongside the animated short film collection Magic Piano and the Chopin Shorts in the U.S., Mexico, and on tour in China.

Visit www.american-stories.org, where this episode is available for download in an MP3 format.

Write to us at americanstories2020@gmail.com - we'd love to hear from you!

]]> Mother and Child Mari Pascoe, Derek Wang, Agnes Garfield, Sophia Stoyanovich 00:45:08 Honoring both Mother's Day and International Nurses Day this week, our first episode is a tribute to moms on the front lines of COVID-19. Featuring the stories of two New York City health care workers and moms, plus "Mother and Child" by William Grant Still, performed remotely from our homes across the country. Honoring both Mother's Day and International Nurses Day this week, our first episode is a tribute to moms on the front lines of COVID-19. Featuring the stories of two New York City health care workers and moms, plus "Mother and Child" by William Grant Still, performed remotely from our homes across the country. classical music, international nurses day, mom, mother, mother and child, violin, chamber music, black composers, stories, covid, music, new york city, pandemic, coronavirus, storytelling, child, covid-19, piano, motherhood, mother's day, william grant still, medicine, quarantine, health care workers, african-american composers, nurses, american music no full 1