Jazz in New Orleans, Country in Tennessee, Classical in Chicago; visit USA to witness the magic of music

Thanks to soulful innovators, strumming rebels and daring master players, the sounds of Jazz, Classical and Country music invite you to discover unexpected cultural melting pots throughout the USA.

JAZZ

Jazz was born in New Orleans, where artists play big band, avant-garde and other subgenres in clubs and cafes on Frenchmen Street or at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Jazz's rhythms — at times soulful, bluesy or festive — flowed in the early 20th century to Chicago, where artists mixed blues, gospel and ragtime to create Dixieland. The link is trumpeter Louis Armstrong, born in New Orleans, made famous in Chicago and legendary in New York.Hear Wynton Marsalis build on tradition at Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York.


CLASSICAL

Dynamic, innovative and revolutionary — that's classical music in the USA. By the 20th century, composers such as Irving Berlin and George Gershwin used jazz, folk and other styles to create standards that fill the Great American Songbook. Today, classical brims with young composers. Missy Mazzoli and Nico Muhly are among those breaking new ground in venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York; at gatherings including the Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago; and with ensembles like the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

COUNTRY

The country music genre started in Bristol at the Virginia-Tennessee state line, in 1927, when 19 artists recorded 76 songs over 12 days, an event honored in the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.The roots spread to places like Nashville, where Hank Williams and Johnny Cash helped make the Grand Ole Opry country's most famous stage, and to Owensboro, Kentucky, the birthplace of bluegrass.Many superstars' paths can be traced on the Mississippi and Kentucky music trails.Today, hits by artists such as Carrie Underwood routinely cross over to the pop charts.