national park service centennial

Music in the American Wild began with a national touring initiative celebrating the 2016 National Park Service centennial. The American Wild Ensemble commissioned 11 works inspired by American national parks and headed out on tour of seven park sites around the country, with performances in caves, on mountaintops, and everywhere in between.

At Mammoth Cave National Park we performed 30 stories underground in low-ceilinged caverns, spelunkers included!

At Shenandoah National Park we hiked up Hawksbill Mountain to record music inspired by that exact spot.

At Great Smoky Mountains National Park we shared music with visitors in historic Cades Cove.

At San Juan Island National Historical Park we performed in English barracks that housed soldiers who almost went to war over a pig.

At North Cascades National Park we offered music to wonderful audiences among the rugged beauty of the mountains.

At Mount Rainier National Park we played among the magical old-growth forests of Ohanapecosh.

At Olympic National Park we performed before the dramatic backdrop of Hurricane Ridge and among the ancient trees of the Hoh Rainforest.

What began as a dream to bring music to the outdoors became a community-building endeavor designed to connect and reflect on these amazing places we call our national parks. These experiences connected composers, performers, and audiences with the world around us - and with each other - as we celebrated the inspiration and shared value of our public lands and looked ahead to another century of conservation.

We are eternally grateful to the National Park Service rangers and employees and local community members who made this project possible. Our commissions and tour were supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the contributions of many generous donors. Thank you for believing in this dream and helping to put us on course to continue to commission and perform music inspired by American people, places, and their stories.