Soprano Karen Slack will be among the headliners of Carnegie Hall‘s presentation of the American Composers Orchestra in “Hello, America: Letters to Us, from Us” on March 11 at Zankel Hall.

The showcase, part of Carnegie Hall’s United in Sound: America at 250 festival commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, will be led by conductor Carolyn Kuan. The program features five world and New York premieres developed through ACO’s EarShot CoLABoratory Residencies, which advance composers whose work is experimental or rooted in underrepresented musical traditions.

Slack will feature in the world premiere of Brittany J. Green’s “Letters to America,” co-commissioned by ACO, Durham Symphony Orchestra, and New Jersey Symphony. Composed specifically for Slack, the four-movement work features text by Traci Neal, A Memi Sei, and Green, placing present-day Black women’s voices in conversation with the “Declaration of Independence” through community-sourced letters.

The program also includes the world premiere of Shelley Washington’s “Haymaker,” featuring cellist Amanda Gookin. Joseph C. Phillips Jr.’s “We Hold These Truths to Be Self-Evident” and Kite’s “Cosmologyscape” also receive world premieres.

The program concludes with the New York premiere of Jessie Montgomery’s “Procession,” featuring percussionist Cynthia Yeh.

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