Wales creates musical gift for America’s 250th anniversary

Nation.Cymru staff

As the United States celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, Wales is preparing a cultural gift of its own: a specially commissioned orchestral work that celebrates the enduring relationship between the two nations.

To mark the milestone, Wales is gifting Symffoni’r Môr Mawr – A Transatlantic Symphony – a new 15-minute orchestral work with voices by multi-award-winning composer Katie Jenkins, originally from Pontypridd and now based in New York. Created in the two languages of Wales and recorded with leading Welsh and International artists, the piece will be presented to the American people as part of the USA250 commemorations.

The project draws inspiration from the long tradition of symbolic gifts exchanged between nations. When France marked the centenary of American independence it gifted the Statue of Liberty; as America marks this latest milestone, Wales is contributing a cultural gift rooted in the nation’s identity as the Land of Song.

Across three movements, the work traces the journey of Welsh settlers to America, celebrates the cultural ties that continue to connect both nations through language, hymns and choral traditions, and looks to the future through a message of community, heritage and renewal.

The work brings together an exceptional cast of Welsh and international talent including Sir Bryn Terfel, internationally acclaimed pianist and GRAMMY Award performer Chloe Flower, National Poet of Wales Hanan Issa, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Pendyrus Male Voice Choir, CF1 x Côr Ifor Bach and award-winning soprano Ellen Williams.

The project has been led by the Welsh Government’s North America office and was announced by First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth as part of Wales’ contribution to the USA250 celebrations.

The work will be recorded at BBC Hoddinott Hall in Cardiff later this month before being formally presented in the historic Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. on 1 September 2026, accompanied by an event celebrating 250 years of the Wales-United States relationship.

Nicholas Brown-Cáceres, chief of the Library’s Music Division, said: “This gift to the people of the United States is a poignant and fitting tribute to the musical traditions of Wales that have influenced American culture.

“Representing the magnificent choral and vocal traditions of Wales with a new work that elevates contemporary voices showcases our now shared cultural heritage, developed over 250 years of friendship.”

Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport, Heledd Fychan, said: “The connections between Wales and the USA have been built across many generations, reflected in language, hymns and culture. That bond between our two nations has endured and today we celebrate it with a gift rooted in the very best of who we are.

“Symffoni’r Môr Mawr brings that shared history to life through the voices and talents of some of Wales’ finest artists. It shows a Wales that is confident, creative and proud to continue our strong relationship with friends in America.”

Speaking about the project, Katie Jenkins said: “Music has always been part of my life. I grew up in Pontypridd surrounded by it, with family who filled the house with music and piano playing, which inspired me from an early age. Although I now live in New York, coming home to Wales always grounds me, and this piece really reflects the two worlds that have shaped me – the calm and warmth of Wales, and the energy and excitement of New York.

“Symffoni’r Môr Mawr tells the story of the people who left Wales generations ago. I kept thinking about what that journey must have felt like – the sadness of leaving home, the uncertainty of not knowing what lay ahead, but also the hope and excitement of starting a new chapter. I wanted the music to capture all of those emotions.

“It’s incredibly humbling to create something that will be shared with the American people and to do so alongside such extraordinary artists and ensembles like Sir Bryn Terfel and Chloe Flower. To record this music in Cardiff with Welsh voices and musicians, including Pendyrus Male Voice Choir, which has a connection to my own family, feels very special and wonderfully full circle.

“I hope this piece celebrates the friendship between Wales and the United States and gives people a sense of the Wales I know and love – a country with deep roots, a huge creative spirit and so many stories still to tell.”

The symphony shines a light on the rich Welsh-American story and on contemporary Welsh creativity. Drawing on the colours of Welsh song and the energy of America’s musical traditions, it tells a story of friendship across the Atlantic – past, present and future – while celebrating shared values of creativity, community and ambition.

The project invites audiences in both countries to experience a modern Wales that is confident, creative and internationally connected, while creating a lasting marker of the ties that continue to bind Wales and the United States.