Check out our first video for our 2020 summer series “Music in the Time of Pandemics,” called Rach Your 4th. Link here.

Rachmaninoff and the Spanish Influenza in the US of 1918. With his sights set on a second American tour, the great Russian composer and pianist, Sergei Rachmaninoff arrived in Hoboken, NJ on November 10, 1918 with his wife and two daughters. It was just one day prior to the signing of the WWI Armistice. His intent was to request asylum in the US, never to return to Russia. Within a few days of his arrival, the composer along with his two daughters contracted the Spanish influenza which spread rapidly across the US from 1918 to 1920, leaving nearly 675,000 dead here in the US, and at least 50 million worldwide.

Fortunately, Rachmaninoff (and his daughters) recovered and in spite of being strongly advised by his doctor to continue to rest for a while, he immediately embarked on a slew of concert appearances across the US. Having already toured America in 1909, his fame and popularity was well-established. His first performance was in Providence, Rhode Island, on December 8th — just shy of a month after his arrival. A week later, Rachmaninoff opened a concert in Boston with his new arrangement of The Star-Spangled Banner. It was an offering of gratitude to his new homeland. For this Fourth of July weekend, here is KCBC’s newest board member, Gary Green, performing Rachmaninoff’s arrangement of our National Anthem. We hope you enjoy!