“Seventeen was that age where we were realizing…we have to start doing something about this.”
Photo: Julia Walker
Created by composer Ron Ramin and librettist/producer Portia Kamons, SEVENTEEN celebrates young Americans as they confront an unprecedented range of challenges, from gun violence to climate change, offering a glimpse of what it means to be on the cusp of adulthood in America today.
The symphonic work features a libretto of verbatim text constructed from interviews with young activists, and a dynamic multimedia display. The music, voices and images speak powerfully to their generation’s spirit and determination.
As communities across the country seek opportunities to bridge growing divides, we recall Leonard Bernstein’s guidance for healing after the assassination of John F. Kennedy…
“To make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”
In that tradition, we offer SEVENTEEN as a cultural experience, uniting this rising generation with concert audiences, inviting them to consider how we can move together towards a positive future.
SEVENTEEN has been made possible through generous support from:
Brent and Patricia Ford
Mark and Julie Adams
Minal Amin
Jan Balthasar Trust
Peter Bernstein
David S. Brown
Kathleen Updyke Brown
Lolly Curry
Gregg Crandell and Jeannie Denholm
Bruce and Cindy Freyman
Mark and Kim Greenhall
Anne Hamburger
Honig Vineyards & Winery
Linda Horioka
Gerald Johnson
Sharon and Ramin Kalili
Heather and Jon Kline
Donna and Fred Mendes
Cory Muehlhauser
Sandy & Eric Pearson
Rebecca Raff
Christina A. Rolettter
Michael Skloff
Tami and Brett Smith
Sepideh Tabai
Evelyn Tribole
Bruce and Robyn Zieper