In partnership with the Fine Arts Society of Peoria
Tuesday, April 22, 2025 | 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Join us as Dr. John Edward Hasse, Curator Emeritus of American Music at the Smithsonian Institution and author of several books on music speaks on why American music is so resoundingly popular and uniquely compelling to people all over the world.
Ticketing
Non-member adults: $10
Get tickets HERE
Everywhere you go in the world, you hear American music. You can hear the twangy chords of country music in the hamlets of Ireland, the hypnotic beat of rock on the streets of Singapore, Gershwin sung in a Copenhagen cabaret, and jazz insinuating itself into a warm Moroccan night. American music is one of the hottest things to leave our shores, becoming among our most pervasive and sought-after exports – more so than American art, theater, dance, or literature.
Just why is American music so resoundingly popular? So uniquely compelling to peoples the world over? Dr. John Edward Hasse, Curator of American Music at the Smithsonian Institution and author of several books on music, answers these and other questions.
The Triumph of American Music is richly illustrated with timeless video clips. You'll enjoy the beauty of Louis Armstrong, whose playing transformed American music. The genius of Duke Ellington, America’s greatest all-around musician. The timeless interpretations of the greatest American songwriters by Frank Sinatra. And the majestic voice of Aretha Franklin, one of the leading singers of the 20th century. Hasse explains who features on his wishful “Mt. Rushmore of American Music” and why.
Sponsored by Friends of Art, Illinois Arts Council
