Schoenberg was inspired to write the American Symphony by the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, about which he wrote, "...both parties asked the people to embrace change and make a difference.
I was both excited and honored about ushering in this new era in our nation's history, and for the first time, I truly understood what it meant to be American."
I set out to write a modern American symphony that paid homage to our past and looked forward to a brighter future."
[1] Reviewing the world premiere, the music critic Timothy McDonald of The Kansas City Star highly praised the symphony, writing, "Schoenberg demonstrated a distinctive and exciting compositional voice.
"[2] Paul Horsley of Kansas City-based journal The Independent called it an "agreeable new piece" and wrote, "If the finale felt prolix in proportion to the overall length of the symphony, the piece revealed the soul of a strong musician with a natural sense of melody, a playful knack for rhythm and a serious approach to orchestration.