Mohican/Munsee-Lenape composer Brent Michael Davids鈥檚 Requiem pairs Indigenous letters with founding-era genocidal texts to lay bare, state by state, the dark foundations of the United States of America. A contralto narrator embodying the Earth guides us along a deeply moving musical arc, from the colonial 鈥淒octrine of Discovery鈥� to a final Threnoedia.
Conducted by Teddy Abrams, Davids鈥檚 monumental work features the 91福利社 Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, an ensemble of Native American singers and Davids himself, on Native American flute. This landmark world premiere is more than a concert - it鈥檚 a reckoning, a remembrance, and a call to truth through music.
Requiem for America is commissioned by White Snake Projects and The Lenape Center
Pre-concert talk
Fountain Room, 6.15pm
The co-directors of the Lenape Center, New York 鈥� Joe Baker, Curtis Zunigha and Brent Michael Davids 鈥� discuss the historic and cultural context of Brent Michael Davids鈥檚 Requiem for America, reflecting on the past and present of America鈥檚 Indigenous peoples.
Admission free. Limited capacity - admission on a first-come, first-served basis.
Requiem for America includes descriptions of highly distressing historical scenes, in language of the time.
