About the Program

American Ethos introduces the audience to composers of a variety of backgrounds reminding us of the unique spirit of America and the different cultures that make up our nation. Ms. Enger’s program shines a light on diverse voices, who are often overlooked, and American composers of our time. Program includes selections from composers such as Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Craig Urquhart, Daron Hagen, John Corigliano, Margaret Bonds, Philip Glass, Florence Price, Ned Rorem, Meredith Monk, Margaret Ruthven Lang and William Grant Still; along with visuals that explore history and artistic output of poets and artists making up the rich quilt of Americana.

Tickets are $16 for members and $20 for non-members.  Registration is required.  

About the Artist

Internationally celebrated American pianist Carolyn Enger has gained critical acclaim for her exquisite lyrical playing and her deeply felt interpretations. In addition to an active performance schedule on two continents, Ms. Enger has enjoyed remarkable success as a recording artist: The New York Times selected her Naxos recording of intimate Ned Rorem miniatures, Piano Album I & Six Friends, as one of the newspaper’s “Best In Classical Recordings”, writing “Among the 90th birthday tributes this year to the essential American composer Ned Rorem, this recording especially stands out,” while Gramophone declared, “Enger raises the miniatures to a higher level.” Recently the recording was “Album of the Week” on Sirius XM’s Symphony Hall and was featured on their program Living American. Her latest recording Resonating Earth was released in September 2024 to glowing praise: “a thoughtful programme…enthralling” (Nigel Simone, International Piano), “lovingly performed…a beautiful, meaningful recital” (Steve Smith, Night After Night), “sensitively performed and intelligently curated” (Frances Wilson, Interlude), and has been streamed over 500,000 times on Apple Music. Her upcoming album American Ethos released May 2026 on Métier Records in celebration of the 250th signing of the Declarations of Independence.

Ms. Enger’s touring opportunities have included venues throughout the United States and beyond, with recent highlights including ArtsRock, Seton Hall University, the Virginia Holocaust Museum, Holocaust Museum Houston, Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, Stockton University, Baruch College, Kean University, Bruce Museum, Noontime Concerts in San Francisco, Boston Public Library, the National Gallery in Oslo, the White Stork Synagogue in Wrocław, Poland; the Bach–Festival in Arnstadt, Germany; the Portuguese Synagogue’s Candlelight Concert series in Amsterdam; concerts in Erfurt, Potsdam, and Gotha, Germany; and recitals in the greater New York area. Past performance highlights include the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, United States Military Academy West Point, the Sheen Center for Thought & Culture, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, The National Gallery of Art in D.C. and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC. Deepening her commitment to multimedia collaborations, Ms. Enger was part of renowned illustrator and writer Maira Kalman’s exhibit Maira Kalman Selects at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, and her recording of Arvo Pärt’s music was featured in conceptual artist Mischa Kuball’s sound and light exhibit res.o.nant at the Jewish Museum Berlin.

Carolyn’s article The Mischlinge Exposé: Stories of Assimilation and Conversion was recently published in the book, Women Defying Hitler: Rescue and Resistance Under the Nazis, published by Bloomsbury Academic. Ms. Enger is dedicated to bringing music to diverse audiences in accessible civic spaces. One of her performances at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center is featured in Frederick Wiseman’s acclaimed documentary Ex Libris, which premiered on PBS. Carolyn enjoyed her residency, showcasing her immersive film/sound project Resonating Earth, with Musica Sierra and the public school children in the Sierra Valley, CA. One presenter shared that her performance left audiences “in complete awe of her passion, skill and genuine warmth.” Ms. Enger studied at the Manhattan School of Music and is a Steinway Performing and Recording Artist.