In the fall of 2021 after a performance of Mendelssohn with Wartburg College’s Kammerstreicher String Ensemble, I was approached by American composer Denzel Washington about the possibility of performing a new composition. I happily agreed to the project, and he began writing a new multi-movement work for violin and piano. The piece was completed in 2022 with an intended performance that autumn, but was postponed until 2024. On February 18th, the completed, three-movement work entitled “The Story of Light” was premiered alongside beautiful chamber music by Florence Price, William Grant-Still, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. The recital was titled “American Landscapes,” in collaboration with Dr. Rebecca Nederhiser (oboe), and Bethany Washington (violin) with the composer in attendance at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.
From left to right: Madeline Rogers, Bethany Washington, Denzel Washington, Rebecca Nederhiser
Madeline Rogers 