Song of America

 "These songs – our songs – say everything, through the eyes of our poets and the ears of our composers, about the culture we call American."
— Thomas Hampson

Each hour-long program focuses on a particular topic that sheds light on a larger theme in American history, and includes approximately 40 minutes of songs drawn from archival and modern recordings, plus stories and insights from Hampson about the people and events that inspired those songs. Several programs also feature interviews with experts from related fields.

Programs include Stephen Foster, dedicated exclusively to the 19th-century songwriter who is considered the father of American music; Song of Walt Whitman, examining the great poet as well as his deep influence on American composers; "There Is No Gender in Music," exploring the contributions of American women composers; and Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance, which traces the roots and influence of the great 20th-century poet who gave jubilant voice to the lives of African Americans.

List of performances to be broadcast. Consult our listings below for local airtimes.