ABOUT HAMPSONG
The Hampsong Foundation is dedicated to the support and proliferation of the art of song in America and around the world as a means to foster communication and understanding among cultures. It was founded by Thomas Hampson, America’s foremost baritone and a passionate advocate of American music and Lieder. Through a series of dedicated song projects and in collaboration with key academic and cultural partners, Hampsong commissions composers and funds research to expand the song repertory and our knowledge of it, shares findings with the public through work- shops, seminars, master classes, recordings and new media, and provides, through its Web site, www.hampsong.org, a rich interactive resource and meeting place for lovers of song.
Hampsong Foundation Supports Translation of Biography on Gustav Mahler
Published: October 09, 2011
The Hampsong Foundation is excited to announce the recent publication of the English translation of Jens Malte Fischer's landmark biography on Gustav Mahler. Originally written in German, Gustav Mahler was immediately praised by scholars and critics alike upon its arrival in 2003. The translation, by Stewart Spencer, was published by Yale University Press with generous support from the Hampsong Foundation. More
The Song Projects
Song Projects are the heartbeat of Hampsong. The projects explore the connections between poetry and music, history and culture, research and performance, society and song. Academic experts collaborate with performance specialists to illuminate composers’ work from page to stage. Through this work, the Foundation seeks to deepen our understanding of song as the most personal and natural form of human expression and and vital for communication in our lives today. more
The Song of America Project
The "Song of America" project, initially developed by Thomas Hampson in collaboration with the Library of Congress in 2005, and now a program of the Hampsong Foundation, examines connections between poetry, music, history and culture from the perspective of classic song.
Drawing on resources from the Library's unparalleled collection, the project has so far presented two national tours (in 2005-2006 and 2009-2010); independent recitals in 22 states and 13 countries; numerous master classes, exhibitions and broadcasts; the "Song of America" radio series; the web site www.songofamerica.net; and two recordings: Song of America – Music from the Library of Congress and Wondrous Free – Song of America II.
"The 'Song of America' project has been a dream come true for me," says Hampson, "giving me unforgettable opportunities to tour our country while singing the songs born of our life experiences as Americans in the language of our hearts and minds. These songs – our songs – say everything, through the eyes of our poets and the ears of our composers, about the culture we call American. We need these songs in our cultural landscape."more
Welcome to Hampsong!
“Welcome to Hampsong and explore the connections between poetry and music, history and culture, research and performance, society and song. Let us deepen our understanding of song as the most personal and natural form of human expression and the journal of our souls.” 
–Thomas Hampson Artistic Director, Hampsong Foundation
"SONG OF AMERICA" RADIO SERIES TAKES OFF
The Hampsong Foundation's "Song of America" project reached a new high this fall with the introduction of a 13-week "Song of America" radio series.
The project – which began as a collaboration with the Library of Congress, presenting recitals and outreach activities – has taken Hampsong's Artistic Director, Thomas Hampson, to cities across America, presenting his explorations of both beloved and unjustly neglected music that, in his words, "says everything about the culture we call American." Conceived and developed by Hampson, the new radio series is syndicated by the WFMT Radio Network of Chicago to public radio stations across the country. Each hour-long program focuses on a particular topic that sheds light on a larger theme in American history, and includes approximately 40 minutes of songs drawn from archival and modern recordings, plus stories and insights about the people and events that inspired those songs.
While many stations began airing the series in the fall of 2011, it will also be heard on many additional stations starting in 2012, including WQXR 105.9 FM in New York, which will broadcast the programs on Sundays at 9 pm, starting on January 8. The series, which was made possible by the Hampsong Foundation and the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, will also be offered to members of the European Broadcasting Union and to stations in other countries around the world. A list of the 208 stations and translators participating thus far is available at www.songofamerica.net/radio, which also houses various online resources to complement the 13 programs.