The city of Lexington hosted the “Dawning of Music in Kentucky” concert, an event featuring music written by classical composer Anthony Phillip Heinrich, also known as the “Beethoven of America.”

Held on Sunday, April 6, at the Central Library Gallery, the concert was part of the 250Lex Music Series, a celebration of Lexington’s 250th anniversary, according to the 250Lex website.

The event highlighted Heinrich’s legacy as one of the first nationally recognized American composers, according to the Lexington Library’s website.

Heinrich was known for composing hundreds of original works, according to University of Kentucky professor of musicology, Ron Pen.

Born in Bohemia in 1781, Heinrich came to America after losing his fortune during the Napoleonic Wars, according to Pen. Shortly after moving to Boston, Mass., Pen said Heinrich traveled west by foot and boat, eventually settling in Lexington in late 1817.

The concert showcased Heinrich compositions played by Transylvania University’s chamber orchestra and accompanying vocal and piano performances from Eastern Kentucky University’s School of Music.

Pen said Heinrich’s contributions were among the first examples of professional composing in the American frontier, saying the artist’s arrival in Lexington marked a significant turning point in the city’s development.

“We’ve got a whole history of really thriving cultural and educational things that took place here,” Pen said. “It didn’t just happen yesterday.”

According to Pen, Lexington was “filled with culture” when Heinrich came to the city, and that “people sometimes forget that history (of Lexington).”

Pen said the history of Lexington was part of something bigger than itself, saying the story of Kentucky showed resilience and talent.

“I just feel very strongly that Kentucky is a remarkable place, fueled by remarkable people,” Pen said.

Transylvania University Director of Instrumental Ensembles, Larry Spell, said he was grateful for his chamber orchestra to have the opportunity to play some of Heinrich’s music for the Lexington community. 

“I think the Heinrich story is particularly interesting because he, like so many people, came here (America) to kind of restart his life,” Spell said.

Spell said he enjoys how concerts at the library give the audience a way to listen to music, as well as look at the history of the music, saying the library offers a “full scoop into the songs.”

“I think it’s so important to contextualize where this music is coming from and to understand the people and the times they were in when they wrote this music,” Spell said. “So you can sort of get a window into what they (the musicians) were doing and a window into their soul.”

Eastern Kentucky University professor and pianist, Bernardo Scarambone, said the concert gave people the opportunity to fully understand classical music.

Scarambone, who is also the artistic director of the Central Library’s Classical Music Sundays series, said Heinrich was an under-recognized composer, saying there were many more like him who are “often overlooked or unknown.”

“He’s a very prominent composer here in Kentucky that we never heard about,” Scarambone said. “Why are we just trying to value what’s outside (Kentucky), when you have something really good (and) valuable down here?”

According to Scarambone, classical music should be made more accessible for the Lexington community.

“Classical music is not that crazy pie in the sky that only a few elite people can understand,” Scarambone said. “It’s for everybody.”