This Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 7:30 p.m., The Historic New Orleans Collection and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra will present a free concert in the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square in the French Quarter. The progam presented will be "Becoming American: The Musical Journey," a concert with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Carlos Miguel Prieto.
This year's program is part of a slate of bicentennial programming, along with The Collection's exhibition "The 18th Star: Treasures from 200 Years of Louisiana Statehood" and the 17th annual Williams Research Center Symposium, "Louisiana at 200: In the National Eye."
Selections for the concert will trace the evolution of regional musical tastes from the early 19th century to the modern age. An affinity for European masters, including familiar names like Beethoven and Bellini, melded with Caribbean and African influences over time to introduce a brand-new style: jazz.
Free and open to the public; seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Live Internet streaming of this concert is also available on the LPO website.