American Gothic (composition)

American Gothic is an orchestral composition by the American composer Michael Daugherty.

[1] The approximately 20-minute work is composed in three movements inspired by the paintings of the Iowan artist Grant Wood (1891-1942).

[2] Daugherty is a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa,[3] where the piece premiered on May 4, 2013, at Cedar Rapids' Paramount Theatre, with Timothy Hankewich, conductor.

[4] Piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players), harp, piano, and strings.

[5] The world premiere of American Gothic received a strongly favorable review, noting the 1,000+ listeners in attendance and the enthusiastic reception of Daugherty's groundbreaking foray into orchestral bluegrass in the third movement.