Christopher Tin’s New Piano Concerto Premieres at Lincoln Center with Lara Downes
Christopher Tin’s The Pursuit of Happiness receives its world premiere on July 1 at Lincoln Center with piano soloist Lara Downes and American Composers Orchestra.
The Pursuit of Happiness by two-time GRAMMY-winning composer Christopher Tin receives its world premiere on July 1 with dedicatee and piano soloist Lara Downes, American Composers Orchestra, and Eric Jacobsen at David Geffen Hall, as part of Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City. Commissioned by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and BBC Radio 3, the 22-minute piano concerto was written in celebration of 250th anniversary of the signing of US Declaration of Independence in 2026. It receives its UK premiere with Downes, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Kellen Grey on July 5.
Tin describes the concerto as a “vivacious and audaciously optimistic rhapsody that celebrates the ideals pursued and deserved not just by every American, but by all human beings, regardless of origin or identity.” The Pursuit of Happiness draws on different aspects of the American experience, including the country’s landscapes, cultural diversity, and musical traditions.
The opening movement, “Across America,” evokes the splendor of the American landscape in its opening theme. At its center is a stately hymn inspired by the most famous sentence of the Declaration of Independence (“We hold these truths to be self-evident...”), juxtaposed with bluegrass fiddle riffs and country-western piano solos, moving between “dignified grandeur and unfettered joy, before erupting in an all-out jamboree,” says the composer.
The second movement, “Speaking Out,” draws directly on the list of grievances against King George III found in the Declaration. Tin describes how "the exact words of the Founding Fathers are used to create the melodies that each instrument of the orchestra ‘speaks’ in turn.” The melodies are passed between the piano and orchestral sections, culminating in the refrain “unfit to be a ruler of a free people.”
The final movement “Hymn, Rag, and Groove” showcases three different musical styles prominent in American culture. The first theme is an original folk hymn by Tin, inspired by the final line of the Declaration of Independence itself (“And for the support of this Declaration … we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor”), while the second rag-inspired theme pays homage to the stride style of piano playing that originated in America. The final element, groove, is described by Tin as “America’s musical contribution to the world, defiantly shoving aside the downbeat in exchange for rhythmic vitality and propulsion.”
> Watch Tin and Downes working on the piece
The Pursuit of Happiness is one of three world premieres on the July 1 concert, entitled Declaration: Songs of Democracy, Voices of Hope, alongside Valerie Coleman’s Life for solo piano and Arturo O’Farrill’s piano concerto Liberty. The concert explores ideas of American identity during the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026, featuring video portraits captured during Downes’s The Declaration Project, inviting various communities across the United States to share their hopes for the future of the nation.
> Learn more about The Declaration Project
Next season, Christopher Tin and librettist Kelley Rourke unveil their new ballet-opera O'Keeffe: Kiss the Sky at Washington National Opera, starring mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard as Georgia O'Keeffe (March 12–26, 2027). The season also features productions of Turandot with a new ending by Tin and librettist Susan Soon He Stanton, first premiered by Washington National Opera in 2024. Directed by Francesca Zambello, the production is staged at Opéra de Montréal (Canadian premiere; Sep 26–Oct 4) and Dallas Opera (Feb 12–20, 2027).
Concert Information
Wednesday, July 1 at 7:30pm ET
David Geffen Hall | New York, NY
More info
American Composers Orchestra
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Lara Downes, piano
Special Guests
VALERIE COLEMAN Life (World Premiere)
ARTURO O’FARRILL Liberty (World Premiere)
CHRISTOPHER TIN The Pursuit of Happiness (World Premiere)
> Further information on Work: The Pursuit of Happiness
Photo: Andy Wilkinson