Synopsis

Today’s date in 1945 marks the birthday in Pittsburgh of great American playwright August Wilson. He chronicled the experiences of the Great Northward Migration of African-Americans decade by decade across the 20th century in a series of ten powerful and poetic plays collectively called The Pittsburgh Cycle. Plays in the series include Fences and The Piano Lesson, both of which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Wilson was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame and a Broadway theater is named after him.

American composer Kathryn Bostic provided theatrical scores for several of his plays, working closely with him. Because of her collaboration, she also scored the PBS American Masters documentary August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand, which ultimately led her to create The August Wilson Symphony, which was premiered by the Pittsburgh Symphony in 2018.

One of the major quests in Wilson’s plays is what he called “finding one’s song,” and music — especially the blues — figures large in his work. Perhaps with that in mind, Bostic composed a song, “State of Grace” as her personal memorial to Wilson, a song she has recorded, accompanying herself at the piano.

Music Played in Today's Program

Kathryn Bostic (b. 1970): “State of Grace”; Kathryn Bostic, vocal and piano; Pittsburgh Symphony strings; KBMusic digital download