Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was an American composer best known for his Americana-style music that paints a picture of American landscapes and open space in the American west. During his long career, Copland wrote music for ballets, chamber music, pieces for voice, and, of course, orchestral pieces. He wrote Variations on a Shaker Melody in 1956 and today it is one of his most famous works. This piece was directly inspired by a Shaker song from 1848 called Simple Gifts. The piece is in theme and variations form, featuring five beautiful and distinct variations of the theme.

Jocelyn Hagen (b. 1980) is known for her powerful and evocative music, having composed pieces for choir, solo voice, chamber ensembles, opera, and orchestra. A Minneapolis native, Hagen’s music is widely performed around the state of Minnesota and the United States. Hagen was commissioned by the Minnesota Opera to compose an opera based on The Song Poet by Kao Kalia Yang, which tells the story of Yang’s father who fled Laos as a refugee following the Vietnam War, first to a Thai refugee camp, and eventually to St. Paul, Minnesota. The opera premiered in March of 2023. In addition to the Minnesota Opera, Hagen’s commissions also include Conspirare, the International Federation of Choral Music, the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota, the Boston Brass, and the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. 

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) wrote his third symphony in 1850, with its premiere in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1851 where Schumann himself served as conductor. Symphony no. 3 is also known as “Rhenish” and was inspired by a trip to the Rhineland region of Germany that he took with his wife, Clara. The area is known for the beautiful Rhine River, lush forests, and a wide variety of agriculture. The symphony’s first movement, Lebhaft (meaning lively), features a heroic theme that returns throughout the movement, pushing the music forward, much like a finale movement and reflects the beauty and power of the Rhine River.

Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate (b. 1968) is a composer and pianist dedicated to the development of American Indian classical composition. A member of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma, Washington Post states that “Tate is rare as an American Indian composer of classical music. Rarer still is his ability to effectively infuse classical music with American Indian nationalism”. Tate is the founder and artistic director of the Chickasaw Chamber Music Festival and was co-founder and composition instructor for the Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy. Spirit Chief Names the Animal People was originally a movement within Winter Moons and tells the Okanogan Indian story of how Coyote retained his name, given by the Great Spirit Chief and also features the three powerful animals – Bear, Salmon, and Eagle. Calusa Corn Dance is a movement featured in Tate’s larger work for string quartet, MoonStrike. The Green Corn Dance takes place during the annual fall Harvest Moon festival.