Composer Charles Strouse is a true crossover artist — a composer with strong classical roots, a three-time Tony Award winner (Bye Bye Birdie, Annie, Applause) — and now he has written his second piano concerto, Concerto America, for internationally renowned pianist Jeffrey Biegel. It will have its world premiere with the Boston Pops on June 30, 2002, with Keith Lockhart conducting. "Concerto America is a thematic evocation of my fascination with American popular music, wending its way through such diverse milieus as rumba clubs I played with, Bar Mitzvahs I attended, writing songs in summer stock and playing piano in strip clubs," says Strouse of his new work.

Concerto America is not only a musical autobiography, but also a tribute to a country recently devastated by terrorism: "I can't help feeling that my original ambition for this concerto ... was partially aborted when the terrorist planes struck the twin towers in my hometown. I could not reflect the hurt our country was now suffering. I rewrote much of the piece, yet found myself always coming back to the joy and optimism of America - the crazy quilt of music that seems to see us through, and which remains our country's trademark."

Charles Strouse has been composing since the 1950's. He studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris, Aaron Copland and Darius Milhaud as a three-year scholarship awardee at Tanglewood, and is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. His professional palette includes chamber and symphonic works as well as operas. His opera, Nightingale, based on a Hans Christian Anderson story, has been performed worldwide.

Mr. Strouse is not only one of the world's most successful composers — he is an active advocate for the development of young artists. Through the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop in New York, which he created and has directed for 15 years, countless young composers, writers and performers have found a forum for their work. In 1999 ASCAP presented Charles Strouse with their prestigious Richard Rogers Award for his achievement in musical theatre.

In addition to his new piano concert piece, he has two musicals optioned for Broadway in 2002: a new stage version of THE NIGHT THEY RAIDED MINSKY's, to be produced by the Manhattan Theater Club, while his musical adaptation of the Paddy Chayevsky film MARTY is scheduled for later this season.

Future performances of the Concerto America will take the work to all 50 states. Charles Strouse is a true inspiration as an artist and a person: his 50 years of experience are a revelation to anyone passionate about all forms of music.

For more information about Charles Strouse, please contact Judi Davidson and Emily Duval at 323-954-7510, fax 323-954-7520 or by email at j.davidson@dcpublicity.com or e.duval@dcpublicity.com.