Gershwin, Ellington, and the Search for the American Sound

Member early access ticketing opens on July 13th
General Public sales begin July 20th

Doors open at 9:15 AM, and the lecture starts at 10:00 AM.

What is the American Sound? Does such a thing exist in the realm of concert music? During the 1920s and 30s, composers, music critics, entertainment executives and audiences believed in the idea of an American Sound, and they worked hard to promote their various points of view in the concert hall, via newspaper articles, through advertising and on film. This course explores the origins of two quintessential American masterpieces — George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Duke Ellington’s Symphony in Black — and their relationship to contemporary American culture. Using film clips, music excerpts, and popular dance steps from the 1920s and 30s, Professor Celenza introduces participants to the wide range of musical genres and styles that influenced Gershwin and Ellington (from spirituals, blues, and Klezmer music to Tin Pan Alley songs, opera, Ragtime and even symphonic forms).

About the Speaker

Anna Harwell Celenza is a professor at Johns Hopkins University, where she holds a joint appointment in The Writing Seminars (Krieger School of Arts & Sciences) and Musicology Department (Peabody Conservatory). She is the author of both trade and academic books. Her books include On the Record: Music that Changed America and George Gershwin: The Search for an American Sound, The Cambridge Companion to Gershwin, and Jazz Italian Style: From Its Origins in New Orleans to Fascist Italy and Sinatra. In addition to her books for adults, she has authored a series of award-winning children’s books, including Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite, and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

In 2016, Celenza co-founded Music Policy Forum, a non-profit organization that advises local governments about how to create sustainable music ecosystems. Over the last ten years, she has participated in a range of music advocacy work, including serving on the Board of the Baltimore Jazz Alliance and as a Primary Investigator of the 2019 Washington DC Music Census and the 2024 Baltimore Music Census.