Musicians of the Old Post Road

Who were the American Moravians?

The musical culture of American Moravian communities is a significant part of our American musical history, yet it is not very well-known among musicians and concert-goers. Arriving from Central Europe in the 1740s, the Moravians established communities in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Ohio. They were of German-speaking heritage, and music had a vital role in their lives and activities.

When they immigrated to America, they brought with them thousands of music manuscripts by European composers (such as Haydn and J.C.F. Bach) that they had assiduously copied. They also composed music that is of impressively high quality. Written in an early Classical style, it includes copious vocal works with instrumental ensemble and chamber music.

Our Music and Dance of George Washington programs will include a special 7:30 pre-concert lecture by Kaylan Stevenson, a Manuscript Editor at the Omohundro Institute for Early American History and Culture. She also performs at Colonial Williamsburg as a historical dancer and Baroque flutist.

Ms. Stevenson holds a B.A. in History from Wellesley College and an M.A. in Early American History from The College of William and Mary. She has also been active in the field of public history, working at historic sites at Mount Vernon, Colonial Williamsburg, and the Newport Historical Society.

Her special penchant for and research into the life of George Washington extends back to her early college days. To quote Elkanah Watson, a guest of Washington’s in 1785, she counts her summer living and working as a Pioneer Farm intern on the Mount Vernon estate among “the richest days of [her] life.” Her paper that resulted from that summer’s research won a prestigious essay prize at Wellesley College.

Our Capital Campaign to ensure the growth of Old Post Road’s future concerts and outreach work continues to progress, with $626,294 raised to date in gifts and pledges. This is about 85% of our $750,000 goal. Your participation is vital to our future, and we will appreciate your helping us reach this goal with a gift or pledge.

Donors of $10,000 or more (gifts can be made over multiple years) will be permanently listed in all future Old Post Road program books. 

More information about our Capital Campaign may be found here.

OPR’s silver anniversary season opened with a program exploring music-making in America at the time of the Civil War. Performed at the African Meeting House and the Worcester Historical Museum, the Worcester Telegram review commended OPR’s program as “a fascinating, substantial survey of music heard in and around Boston between 1840 and the early 1870s” which “gamely brought to life a vital period in American musical history.”

Our much anticipated Roman Handel CD has arrived and is available for sale here. The recording features works by the young Handel and his colleagues at the court of Benedetto Pamphili, including world premiere recordings of cantatas by Lulier and Bononcini, along with a flute concerto by Gasparini. Soprano Kristen Watson joins the ensemble for this exciting program.

Film maker Bob Giordani has produced a well-crafted documentary about the ensemble's history and sources of inspiration. Complete with interviews and performance excerpts.