Coming to America: A Musical Journey

3/22/2025

Jonathan McPhee

 

Many different nationalities have emigrated to America throughout its history.  That history is complex and at times, brutal.  Our country has welcomed immigrants and at other times, excluded certain people as the new American culture developed.

Today, we often describe the United States as a “melting pot”, but that has at times been contentious. The United States is a unique experiment.  What makes our country special as opposed to other countries with a multicultural population?  Looking through the lens of music as an international common language, what can we discover about ourselves?

Lexington Symphony’s Music Director, Jonathan McPhee has conducted orchestras all over the world from South America to Europe, and China.  What he brings to Lexington with the Lexington Symphony is great music that during this period of reflection on the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, illustrates the cultural richness immigrants have infused into our communities and society.