On March 11, 2026, American Composers Orchestra will take to Carnegie Hall for ‘Hello, America: Letters to Us, from Us.’ This program comes as part of the hall’s ‘United in Sound: America at 250’ festival, and features musical open letters from artists addressed to the nation.
The program will also feature the world premiere of composer Brittany J. Green’s ‘Letters to America.’ This new work will present the words of modern-day Black women in conversation with the Declaration of Independence, with texts composed by Traci Neal, A Memi Sei, and Green. The work will be sung by soprano Karen Slack, who has drawn great acclaim for her 2025 Grammy Award-winning album ‘Beyond the Years,’ which features hitherto-unpublished songs from Florence Price.
StageFiend had the opportunity to speak with Slack ahead of the upcoming concert, and learn about some of the passion which fuels her artistry, as well as the process behind this historical undertaking.
SF: You’ll be premiering Brittany J. Green’s ‘Letters to America,’ can you tell me a little about your experience with the project so far? In your opinion, how has this compared to previous recitals you’ve sung?
KS: “Since this is a concert work for orchestra, it doesn’t compare to any recitals I’ve presented in the past. I premiered Kathryn Bostic’s piece titled ‘Drag’ earlier this season—a work written for me and commissioned by the Dallas Symphony, which celebrates the life of the blues singer and drag king of the Harlem Renaissance, Gladys Bentely. This is a completely different style of work. I’ve been on the board of the ACO since 2020 and was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with this fantastic organization in another capacity.
During the initial conversations of what a collaboration could look like, I expressed that I was struggling with programming and how I would musically celebrate America 250 in this present political climate. I brought them the idea of love letters, Black women, and patriotism. It’s been something I was thinking about for a few years and constantly ask myself why we, in spite of all that we’ve endured, remain one of the most patriotic groups in America. I suggested Brittany J. Green as the composer because I love her bold, unapologetic, and distinct compositional voice. Normally I work more intensely with composers, particularly those who haven’t written for my voice in the past, but in this case, we only collaborated in the very beginning and a few notes before the last draft. The powerful orchestration and finished product is her work.”
SF: What are some of the things you enjoy about the piece? Being composed specifically for your voice, has that influenced your approach to learning and rehearsing the score?
KS: “What I love the most about the piece is the orchestration. She really gives the orchestra its own solid voice. There is a lot of flexibility and freedom she gives the singer to create moments and deliver the emotion without having to compete with the orchestra. And there are times where you are right with them and the declarations. It makes life easier when works are tailor-made for your voice. Whatever needs to be adjusted can be changed even after a piece is premiered. It’s living art!”
SF: The work is said to present modern-day Black voices in conversation with the Declaration of Independence, with the former being “sourced through community letters.” Can you tell us a little about the process behind this?
KS: “We did an open call for letters from Black women via email. Brittany would know more about that, but once she received the letters, she decided which narratives she wanted to use. I believe she used two of her own texts. While there are no love letters (which was my original idea), there are powerful statements in each movement. How should communities whose freedoms are being stripped away at every turn celebrate this year?”
SF: With its emphasis on marginalized voices, is there any overarching message you feel this work relates? What do you hope are some of the things audience members will come away with?
KS: “I hope the audience walks away with a different perspective around Black women, the sacrifices they have made—and continue to make—for a country that treats them less than and pushes them to the bottom. Yet we still rise up, show up to vote in massive numbers and fight for the rights of the collective, not just our community.”
SF: In a time of much political and social unrest, one might find it difficult to celebrate our country’s founding. Speaking personally, what would you say are some of your thoughts on celebration in the face of adversity?
KS: “Performing works like ‘Letters To America’ and my powerful recital program titled ‘Of Thee I Sing! Songs Of Love And Justice’ are ways I celebrate moments like this. Through my art is where I protest, teach, and heal. There’s so much unrest and uncertainty, particularly for the classical arts, which is already under its own weight due to financial strains and wanting to meet the demands of its audiences. Artists are directly in the middle of it. All I can do is use my gifts to speak truth in these moments and use my art responsibly. I am grateful to be an artist who has been allowed to speak to the times without feeling the pressure to be silent, ignore what is happening in the world and pretend that it doesn’t affect me on a daily basis. When I leave the concert hall or opera house, I am not soprano Karen Slack with the beautiful vocal gift, but a regular human being experiencing life like everyone else in the world.”
SF: Your latest album similarly amplifies songs that might have otherwise gone unheard, can you tell me a little of the recording process? What has your experience of presenting selections in recital earlier this month been like?
KS: “When I was approached by my producing partners One Composer (Steven Spinelli and Tamara Acosta) about doing a solo album back in 2022, it was my desire to sing only the unpublished songs of Florence Price. I knew Price had incredible solo vocal works that had yet to be discovered. Steve and Tamara sourced them, engraved the scores, and prepared them to be recorded and to be published. This was not just a passion project, but a labor of love. I’m honored to have been part of a project where the outcome was that Mrs. Price has received another long overdue GRAMMY recognition, but this time for her magnificent solo vocal works. It made history as the first in that category to feature only songs by a Black female American composer. ‘Beyond The Years’ is a treasure, and audiences have been raving about this recital since I started touring it in 2025.”
SF: After your engagement with the American Composers Orchestra, you have a few upcoming performances around summer. Is there anything you’re particularly excited to sing?KS: “I’m most excited about recording my next album ‘African Queens’ and presenting it in recital for Piedmont Opera in Winston-Salem, returning to Grant Park in Chicago for ‘Beyond The Years’ in recital, performing Beethoven’s 9th at both Grant Park and Orlando Philharmonic, and performing ‘Letters to America’ with Durham Symphony.”