The vast region of Appalachia stretches from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountains along the Tennessee-North Carolina border.
Often the source of tales of isolation and strange characters in the wilderness, Appalachia is also a region renowned for its spacious beauty and a distinctive style of folk music. Traditional bands include the banjo, American fiddle, fretted dulcimer and guitar, and its unique sound blends the influence of traditional Irish and Scottish fiddle music, English ballads, hymns, and even African-American blues.
Classical composers, too, have sought to meditate on the region's space, serenity and folk traditions. Mark O'Connor's Appalachia Waltz has been championed by cellist Yo-Yo Ma and performed at the weddings of Al Gore's daughters. In the orchestral realm, Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring and Alan Hovhaness' Symphony No. 60 'To the Appalachian Mountains' weave musical images of a unique landscape and culture.
