Ellis Island: The Dream of America
Encyclopedia
Ellis Island: The Dream of America is a work for actors and orchestra with projected images by American composer Peter Boyer
, composed in 2001-02, commissioned by the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, Connecticut
. The work combines first-person narrations of seven immigrants who entered the United States through Ellis Island
between 1910 and 1940, selected by Boyer from the Ellis Island Oral History Project, with Boyer’s original orchestral music. The work has received over 100 performances by 50 orchestras. A recording of the work released on the Naxos
record label was nominated for a Grammy Award
for Best Classical Contemporary Composition in 2006.
Peter Boyer
Peter Boyer is an American composer, conductor, and professor of music. He is known primarily for his orchestral works, which have received over 250 performances, by more than 90 orchestras....
, composed in 2001-02, commissioned by the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. The work combines first-person narrations of seven immigrants who entered the United States through Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
between 1910 and 1940, selected by Boyer from the Ellis Island Oral History Project, with Boyer’s original orchestral music. The work has received over 100 performances by 50 orchestras. A recording of the work released on the Naxos
Naxos Records
Naxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
record label was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for Best Classical Contemporary Composition in 2006.