BECOMING AMERICA
Violist Rose Wollman, soprano Anne Slovin, and pianist Hyeji Seo come together for a program that explores the disconnect between the rhetoric of the United States and the lived experience of many of its citizens and residents. We talk about the American dream being accessible to anyone if they work hard enough, we talk about America as a melting pot and a country of immigrants, we talk about the land of the free. This is in direct contradiction to the lived experience of many Americans, who face racism, economic discrimination, violence, incarceration, and marginalization, often for the entire course of their family history in the United States. The oppression comes from individuals as well as governmental policies and members of governmental organizations. This creates a lack of generational wealth, the inability to buy property (a key component of the American Dream), poor health and prejudiced health care, pollution in communities, mistrust of the government, and more.
Rose Wollman began thinking about this topic because of her own family history. Her maternal grandmother was a Daughter of the American Revolution, she is Jewish from her dad's side, and her relatives came to the U.S. from all over Europe in many waves of immigration. She married an immigrant from Brazil and their daughter is a second generation Latinx Jew who can trace her roots back to the American Revolution. Her family's story is both unique and very mundane in this country, which is one of the great strengths of the U.S., if we are able to embrace it.
This program includes five new works for viola, soprano, and piano trio, each by a composer from an ethnic, racial or religious group that continues to be marginalized in today's American society. The composers are Nailah Nombeko with text by Mary McCallum (African American), Rene Orth (Asian American), Cris Derksen (Indigenous, Cree), Tamuz Nissim (Jewish), and Francisco Cortes Alvarez with text by Martin Espada (Latin American). Their work will explore themes of immigration, assimilation, cultural beauty, personal relationships, uncomfortable history, and family, with musical influences including art song, opera, electronic music, traditional songs, and jazz. This is by no means a comprehensive list of groups that have been marginalized by mainstream American society, and no individual can claim to represent their demographic. Instead, it is a way to start a conversation about the ongoing prejudice faced by many Americans today. My hope is that we can take a hard look at ourselves as a society, and learn to live up to our lofty ideals.
THE PERFORMERS
Hailed as “innovative” and “stylish” by the Chicago Classical Review, violist Rose Wollman has performed in venues around the world including Carnegie Hall, the Krannert Center and Constitution Hall (US), Suntory Hall (Japan), and KKL (Switzerland). Rose is a champion of new music as well as a fledgling composer. She has spent her career commissioning and performing new pieces, working with groundbreaking composers such as Pierre Boulez, Augusta Read Thomas, Garth Knox, Atar Arad, David Dzubay, Gabriela Ortiz, Mario Lavista, and Don Freund. Rose’s recent compositions include Wanderlust which is a companion piece to Facsar from Ligeti’s Sonata for Viola Solo and Domenico Gabrielli’s Ricercar No. 1 for Solo Cello; and a commission for a project with violist Atar Arad.
Rose’s solo album Loop: Ligeti’s Inspiration & Legacy, was released in 2022 by Acis to critical acclaim. It is an exploration of Ligeti’s Sonata for Viola Solo through the lens of baroque and newly composed music, and celebrates Ligeti’s 100th anniversary. Rose was the founding violist of the Petar Jankovic Ensemble and the Larchmere String Quartet with whom she released albums, including a premiere recording of Stephan Krehl’s String Quartet for the NAXOS label. Rose has performed with the Lucerne Festival Academy Orchestra, the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra, the Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. She served as principal violist of the Evansville Philharmonic and the Cape Cod Symphony.
Rose likes to explore different genres of music, particularly tango. Recent engagements include performances with Orquesta Tipica Loca. Rose has collaborated with diverse artists such as Atar Arad, Michael Kannen, James Dunham, Rachel Barton Pine, choreographer Elizabeth Shea, tango pianist and composer Julián Peralta, tango bassist Pablo Aslan, and Latin jazz percussionist Michael Spiro.
Rose currently teaches at Colorado State University and serves on the board of the American Viola Soceity. She holds a D.M. from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music as well as degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and the University of Illinois. Her primary teachers are Atar Arad, Carol Rodland, Masumi Rostad, Rudolf Haken, and Julia Adams.
www.rosewollman.com
www.sbovmusic.com
Anne Slovin, soprano, is a versatile performing artist, researcher and voice pedagogue who earned her doctorate from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music in 2025. Passionate about crossing genres and exploring new vocal repertoires and styles, in summer 2026, Slovin not only workshopped the role of Mina Rosenbaum in the new opera Rosenbaum and Li, by Dina Pruzhansky and Hai-Ting Chinn, at Atlanta Opera, but also performed Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre’s 17th-century cantata Semelé with student and guest musicians at Chamber Music Athens. Slovin joined the voice faculty at the University of Georgia in August 2025.
Slovin has distinguished herself as an interpreter of contemporary opera, having originated the title role in Shulamit Ran and Charles Kondek’s Anne Frank in 2023 and performed the role of Clara in the collegiate premiere of Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer’s It’s a Wonderful Life in 2017 at the IU Jacobs School of Music. In 2015, she created the role of Mica Segal in The Property, a klezmer opera with music by Wlad Marhulets and a libretto by Stephanie Fleischmann, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Other favorite roles in opera and operetta include Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, and Micäela in La Tragédie de Carmen. She is an avid recitalist, having recently performed a recital of Jewish song as part of UGA’s Faculty Artist Series, as well as Tom Cipullo’s song cycle A Visit With Emily and the pianoforte songs and duets of 18th-century composer Harriett Abrams. Recent oratorio performances include soprano solos in Orff’s Carmina Burana, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem and Handel’s Messiah, and the role of Eve in Haydn’s Creation.
www.instagram.com/justtheoneanne
Korean-born pianist Dr. Hyeji Seo is an acclaimed soloist, collaborative artist, and pedagogue whose international career spans the United States, Europe, and Asia. Praised by Fanfare for her “stunning and magnificent performance” and “impeccable rhythmic bounce,” she is recognized for her cantabile lyricism, “delicate yet confident” (Interlude.hk) and an expressive musicality that “transcends time and space” (iReview.kr). Critics consistently highlight her role as a “fine advocate” for the composer’s voice, noting her ability to articulate the deepest intentions of every score with striking clarity, nuanced touch, and rare sensitivity.
Since her 2016 New York debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Dr. Seo has performed in global venues, including Brussels' Palais des Beaux-Arts and Philadelphia's Kimmel Center. She won top prizes at the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition, the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition in Brussels, and the International Piano Association Competition, alongside recognition from Japan’s Ise-Shima International Piano Competition and the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition.
A dedicated advocate for expanding the classical music canon, she released her debut album, Melodies from East Asia (Navona Records, 2025), featuring a world-premiere commission by the Korean Society of Women Composers. In 2023, she founded The Music We Write, an ongoing concert series dedicated to featuring underrepresented composers and promoting diverse musical perspectives.
Dr. Seo is a sought-after clinician and guest artist. Recent invitations include InterHarmony International Festival (Italy), Wuhan Conservatory of Music, Sichuan Normal University (China), Gangneung-Wonju National University (Korea), Triumph Music Festival, and the Rawlins Keyboard Series (USA). Her research and performances have been showcased at major conferences including NCKP, the National College Music Society Conference, MTNA, and Colorado MTA. She also frequently adjudicates for the International Keyboard Odyssiad® & Festival and state MTA competitions.
A versatile collaborative pianist, Dr. Seo frequently partners with artists across genres, performing at the International Double Reed Society Conference and serving as an official pianist for the Encore Chamber Music Series in Italy, the International Horn Symposium, and the National Flute Association Convention. She serves as Assistant Professor of Practice, Collaborative Piano at Colorado State University.
THE MUSIC
Cris Derksen
Declaration of Interdependence
Declaration of Interdependence explores the relationship between us and mother Earth, imploring us to take care of our home. Cris Derksen's haunting music and text serves as a warning and a call to action before it's too late.
www.crisderksen.com
Francisco Cortés-Álvarez
Alabanza
Alabanza is a devastating and joyful piece of music, written from the perspective of the Mexican kitchen workers in the twin towers on September 11. The text is Martín Espada's poem "Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100".
www.instagram.com/franciscocortesalvarez
www.martinespada.net
Rene Orth
Today I Remember
Today I Remember is a love letter to the idea of a better life. Immigration is fraught, assimilation to a new culture is complicated, and we must all find our way forward without losing our past. Text for this piece includes an Angel Island poem, "Illusions" by Kijo, and portions of a community poem written in response to the rising violence against Asian Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic.
www.reneorth.com
Nailah Nombeko
Illumination Amidst the Darkness
Nailah Nombeko's music and Mary McCallum's text forces us to take a hard look at our uncomfortable history. The people, upon whose backs this country was built, continue to live with love and hope, despite all they have endured.
nailahnombeko.musicaneo.com
www.themarymccallum.com
Tamuz Nissim
Our Collective Heart
Our Collective Heart looks toward a hopeful, and peaceful, future. Using English and Hebrew, Tamuz Nissim weaves a tapestry of Jazz-inspired vignettes that hope for a better world.
www.tamuzmusic.com