Independence Day 2015: Celebrate America’s Birthday With American Composers on CPR Classical

Photo: American flag with fireworks

We're featuring American music throughout the day on the Fourth of July.

We'll hear from 48 beloved American composers on Independence Day 2015, including:

  • Aaron Copland
  • ​Leonard Bernstein
  • Charles Ives
  • George Gershwin
  • ​Howard Hanson
  • Samuel Barber
  • Virgil Thomson
  • Amy Beach
  • Arthur Foote
  • David Diamond
  • Edward Burlingame Hill
  • Henry Cowell
  • ​John Knowles Paine
  • Louis Gottschalk
  • ​Lou Harrison
  • Roy Harris
  • William Grant Still

The lineup features a large number of living composers, including:

  • Peter Boyer
  • John Williams
  • Edgar Meyer
  • Jennifer Higdon
  • ​Joan Tower
  • John Adams
  • Keith Jarrett
  • John Corigliano
  • ​Meredith Monk
  • John Harbison
  • ​Michael Torke
  • ​Steve Mackey
  • John Luther Adams
  • Steve Reich

And listen at 8:30 p.m. for 30 minutes of festive "fireworks" music!

From flag-waving favorites like "Stars and Stripes Forever" to beloved pieces like "Appalachian Spring," we'll survey the best in American music.