Our favorite soprano returns to The Shedd with a lively program of both American folk songs and songs inspired by folk songs. Maria - accompanied by pianist Sonja Thompson and assisted by baritone Sandy Naishtat - will present a wide-ranging recital, showcasing everything from the work of early folk song collectors and composers like Arthur Farwell, John Jacob Niles, Celius Dougherty, and Ruth Crawford Seeger to more contemporary treatments by Paul Bowles (his exquisite Blue Mountain Ballads, based on the words of Tennessee Williams) and Aaron Copland, including selections from Copland’s beloved Old American Songs.