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Thomas Hampson Brings “Song of America” Program to Akron, Ohio on March 3

For his last stop in the US before returning to New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Thomas Hampson returns to Akron, Ohio for a “Song of America” program with pianist Craig Rutenberg.  Presented by the Tuesday Musical Association, the recital on Sunday, March 3 will feature a broad range of American songs by both well-known and lesser-known composers, from Stephen Foster, Charles Ives, Aaron Copland and Paul Bowles, to Arthur Farwell, William Grant Still, Margaret Bonds and Elinor Remick Warren.  Hampson comments:  “I always love doing ‘Song of America’ recitals wherever I can, but it’s a special honor to do one for one of the oldest and most important presenters in the country.  They were wonderfully understanding when I had to reschedule my fall recital, and I’m very pleased to be going back to Akron.”  Ticket information and the complete program is available here.

A high point for Hampson last season was the debut of the “Song of America” radio series.  Hosted by Hampson and co-produced by his Hampsong Foundation and the WFMT Radio Network, the “Song of America” radio series has proven to be extremely popular, having aired on 311 radio stations and in nine out of the top ten markets in the U.S. According to data gathered by the WFMT Radio Network, the series reached approximately 5.3 million listeners in the U.S. and was one of the WFMT Radio Network’s most successful series.  Song of America was also made available by the European Broadcasting Union to its 48 member stations in 2012, and it reached another 3.1 million listeners abroad. Stations outside of the United States that aired the series included Raidió Teilifís Éireann (Ireland’s national public service broadcaster), New Zealand Public Radio (NZPR), and public radio stations in Croatia, Romania, Denmark, Latvia, Serbia, the Czech Republic, and Germany.