ATL Premiere of Concert Pianist Min Kwon's "America/Beautiful" Project

Renowned concert pianist Min Kwon will be performing selections from her acclaimed “America/Beautiful” project on Saturday, Jan. 28 at Morningside Presbyterian Church as a special fundraiser for The Nancy Frampton Rising Artists Series, a new Atlanta concert program highlighting the next generation of classical music stars. The concert serves as the Atlanta premiere of “America/Beautiful,” which Kwon first performed in 2021 after commissioning 75 top composers from across the United States to each create their own variation of “America the Beautiful.”

"As an immigrant, America has so many different meanings to me. These past few years have left us so deeply divided, and I have often asked myself what kind of a country I will be leaving to my two daughters - whose birthdays happen to fall on President's Day and the Fourth of July,” said Kwon. “Ultimately this project is about embracing our diversity, and remembering that by understanding, appreciating, and celebrating our differences, we become stronger both as individuals and as a country. The fact that 75 composers can hear the same song in a completely different way is, to me, something truly beautiful."

Profiled by NBC Nightly News, NPR’s All Things Considered and the Financial Times, “America/Beautiful” is an exploration of the complex beauty found in today’s America, conveyed through unique interpretations of “America the Beautiful” by composers that represent the diverse populations, experiences and backgrounds that make up the American people. Featuring Grammy, Emmy and Pulitzer Prize winners as well as recipients of MacArthur "Genius" Grants, the composers range in age from 20 to 96 represent and 33 different cultures, with each bringing their own view of what it means to be an American to their compositions. Together, the group’s contributions result in a project described by International Piano Magazine as “A monumental statement, both about contemporary America and contemporary music, that will surely establish itself as one of the major musical works of this century.”

“America/Beautiful” facilitates an element of spontaneity that is not normally possible with classical music performances, and Kwon will be prepared to perform any of the project’s 75 pieces during her upcoming concert in Atlanta. In fact, she will decide on the spot which songs to play, taking inspiration from her surroundings and from the audience, who will be able to suggest program elements from the project’s full list of pieces.

“The Nancy Frampton Rising Artists Series is absolutely thrilled to be hosting Min Kwon and the Atlanta premiere of her “America/Beautiful” project for our 2023 fundraising concert,” said NFRAS Co-Founder Jonathan Crutchfield, who also serves as organist/choirmaster of Morningside Presbyterian Church. “With an accomplished resume of performances that spans three decades and more than 60 countries, Min is clearly past the ‘rising artist’ stage of her career; however, her passion for rising artists is exactly why she is the perfect professional musician to collaborate with our series. In 2010, she created The Center for Musical Excellence (CME), a non-profit that has helped over 150 young musicians begin their professional careers, and we look forward to collaborating with Min on our shared goal of supporting the next generation of classical music stars.”

Min Kwon’s fundraising concert for The Nancy Frampton Rising Artists Series will take place on Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. at Morningside Presbyterian Church. General admission tickets are $30 and can be purchased at www.minkwon.eventbrite.com.

For more information about the "America/Beautiful" project, visit www.america-beautiful.com. To learn more about The Nancy Frampton Rising Artists Series, visit https://bit.ly/NFRAS.