Rhapsody in Hues

Deena Zammam

Medium: Musical composition (audio recording and score).

Public Domain artwork referenced in this piece:

Gershwin, George. Rhapsody in Blue. Orchestrated by Ferde Grofé. T.B. Harms, Inc.,1924.

Artist Statement

Rhapsody in Hues is my reimagining of George Gershwin’s 1924 composition Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin’s music has always struck me as a lively crossroads where jazz and classical meet, creating a sound that feels unmistakably American.

When I began this work, I wanted to continue that spirit of fusion, but through my own perspective as an American born to Syrian parents. The ornamented melodies and intricate rhythms of Arabic music have extensively shaped my ear and emotional responses. By layering these elements with the American musical language that Gershwin helped define, I aimed to create a piece that reflects my experience, letting these styles converse, clash, and enrich one another.

For me, this work is not just a reinterpretation of Gershwin’s iconic piece. It’s an exploration of what it means to belong to more than one tradition at once. America itself is complex and evolving, and I wanted the music to mirror that. I hope this piece feels like a dialogue across cultures, alive with tension and unexpected moments of synthesis, where disparate sounds converge to form something wholly new.

About the Artist: Deena Zammam

Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, Tisch School of the Arts (M.F.A. ’27)

Deena Zammam is a composer and writer based in New York City. She works across opera, theatre, and film, drawing on her experiences and curiosity to create music for a range of stories and projects.

After studying composition and music technology at Sarah Lawrence College, she began writing for student films, theatre productions, and small commissions. She composed She Will Be Okay, an aria commissioned by Opera on Tap. She also assisted composer Lisa DeSpain on her new operas, including Song of the Nightingale and That Hellbound Train, gaining hands-on experience in orchestration, dramatic structure, and developing music for performance.

She is currently pursuing graduate studies in musical theatre writing at NYU and is writing both the book and score for her original musical, A Cowboy Hat on a Camel. Across her work, she values collaboration, learning, and finding new ways to let stories take shape through music.

Footnote

To listen to a streaming version of Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin:

https://search.library.nyu.edu/permalink/01NYU_INST/1d6v258/alma990049327290107871

Citation:

Gershwin, George. “Gershwin plays Rhapsody in blue : [first recording 1924 from rare piano rolls].” Los Angeles, CA: Biograph/Shout, 2003. https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity|recorded_cd|510768.