Celebrating America in Sound: The Pacifica Quartet’s American Portraits

In honor of the United States’ upcoming 250^th anniversary celebration, Cedille Records is proud to support the Pacifica Quartet as it completes a bold and timely trilogy of recordings. American Portraits, scheduled for release in 2026, will be the final album in a three-part series (and eventual boxed set) that captures the diversity, complexity, and richness of American musical voices.

This culminating volume will feature newly commissioned works by two of America’s most celebrated composers: Gabriela Lena Frank and Jennifer Higdon. Each piece will be centered around a powerful text that reflects the American experience — and that will be brought to life by renowned actress Sigourney Weaver, who will serve as narrator. These commissions promise to create an evocative and deeply personal musical narrative that complements the Pacifica Quartet’s expressive artistry.

American Portraits follows the Pacifica’s Grammy-nominated American Stories, featuring clarinetist Anthony McGill, and American Voices, which includes a collaboration with Uniting Voices (formerly Chicago Children’s Choir). Together, the three albums form a vibrant musical journey across generations, genres, and communities. American Portraits has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, recognizing its significance as part of the nation’s cultural commemoration.

Thanks to your generosity, Cedille is able to make visionary projects like this possible —bringing together extraordinary musicians, composers, and collaborators to shape how the story of America will be heard for years to come.