Kavyesh Kaviraj is a composer, arranger, classically trained jazz pianist based in the Twin Cities. For his Recomposing America project, ACF has commissioned a new work for jazz ensemble, developed and performed in partnership with Walker|West Music Academy. The goal of the collaboration is to highlight the unique history of jazz within American culture and the global context of improvised musics. About the Commission Sanctuary explores the full spectrum of the immigrant experience — hope and prosperity, wonder and fascination, struggle and strife. Written from the perspective of a first-generation immigrant, it draws enduring inspiration from the journey of Kavyesh’s parents, who immigrated to Oman. Recomposing America is a multi-year initiative led by American Composers Forum that highlights artistic perspectives unique to the United States and the broader Americas through direct commissions, institutional collaborations, and public dialogue. Timed with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Recomposing America aims to refresh and reimagine the “who,” “what,” and “why” of the United States, and the stories therein.
