Violist Rose Wollman, soprano Maria Brea, and pianist Dror Baitel come together for a project that explores the disconnect between the rhetoric of the United States and the lived experience of many of its citizens and residents. We talk about the American dream being accessible to anyone if they work hard enough, we talk about America as a melting pot and a country of immigrants, we talk about the land of the free. This is in direct contradiction to the lived experience of many Americans, who face racism, economic discrimination, violence, incarceration, and marginalization, often for the entire course of their family history in the United States. The oppression comes from individuals as well as governmental policies and members of governmental organizations. This creates a lack of generational wealth, the inability to buy property (a key component of the American Dream), poor health and prejudiced health care, pollution in communities, mistrust of the government, and more. 

Rose began thinking about this topic because of her own family history. Her maternal grandmother was a Daughter of the American Revolution, she is Jewish from her dad's side, and her relatives came to the U.S. from all over Europe in many waves of immigration. She married an immigrant from Brazil and their daughter is a second generation Latinx Jew who can trace her roots back to the American Revolution. Her family's story is both unique and very mundane in this country, which is one of the great strengths of the U.S., if we are able to embrace it.

This program includes five new works for viola, soprano, and piano trio, each by a composer from an ethnic, racial or religious group that continues to be marginalized in today's American society.  The composers are Nailah Nombeko with text by Mary McCallum (African American), Rene Orth (Asian American), Cris Derksen (Indigenous, Cree), Tamuz Nissim (Jewish), and Francisco Cortes Alvarez (Latin American). Their work explores themes of immigration, assimilation, cultural beauty, personal relationships, uncomfortable history, and family; with musical influences including art song, opera, traditional songs, and jazz. This is by no means a comprehensive list of groups that have been marginalized by mainstream American society, and no individual can claim to represent their demographic. Instead, it is a way to start a conversation about the ongoing prejudice faced by many Americans today. I hope this will encourage us to live up to our ideals and be the America that inspires dreams for a better life.