ALL THE WRONG NOTES: Charles Ives at 150 with Ariel Mo

In a series of four concerts, ALL THE WRONG NOTES: Charles Ives at 150 honors the 150th anniversary of composer, keyboardist, actuary, and businessman Charles Ives. Largely dismissed during his lifetime, Ives later emerged as a towering figure in American music, remembered for his bold innovations and his unique fusion of European traditions with early 20th-century American soundscapes.

The series concludes on November 12th with a performance of Ives’ energetic and mischievous Piano Trio, brought to life by the Boston-based Trio Gaia (Grant Houston, Yi-Mei Templeman, and Ariel Mo). The program also includes Frederic Rzewski’s evocative Winnsboro Cotton Mill Blues (Isaac William Dorio), “The Alcotts” from Ives’ Concord Sonata (Federico Ercoli), and a world premiere by doctoral composer Jasmine Morris (Ariel Mo).

Ives’ music reflects a fascinating blend of deep reverence for tradition and visionary experimentation, drawing on band music, hymns, ragtime, and barn dances to evoke memories of parades, holidays, and spiritual reflection. As one Connecticut minister observed when defending Ives’ work: “God gets awfully tired of hearing the same thing over and over again.”

This finale celebrates the irrepressible spirit of Charles Ives and his indelible legacy in American music.