Parlando Presents – American Aristocracy

Step back in time with Parlando, New York’s celebrated chamber orchestra, for a special evening celebrating Westerly’s own cinematic history. At the beautifully restored UNITED Theatre, enjoy a rare screening of American Aristocracy (1916), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks, filmed right here in Westerly and Watch Hill over a century ago. 

This homegrown piece of film history comes alive with a newly created orchestral score, performed live by Parlando and built entirely from music by New England composers active during the time the film was made. These pieces, full of energy and elegance, echo the spirit of early 20th-century life in Rhode Island and across the region.

It’s a night that bridges Westerly’s artistic past and present, uniting local heritage with world-class performance. A must-see event for film lovers, music fans, and proud Rhode Islanders alike.

ABOUT PARLANDO: Parlando, “one of NYC’s most exciting chamber orchestras” (New York Classical Review), brings storytelling into the orchestra concert experience. It was founded in 2019 by conductor Ian Niederhoffer, whose gift for storytelling and inventive programming has made the ensemble an indispensable player in the New York classical music scene. 

Praised for making “the classical world appealing to a broad audience while also honoring the listener’s intelligence and curiosity” (New York Classical Review), Parlando provides the musical and historical context to prepare the audience for the music; through short introductions to each piece, the group bridges the gap between audience and performer to deliver engaging and memorable experiences.

Every Parlando program is joined by a common thread or theme that constitutes a larger story arc, blending standard works with new or underrepresented music. When Parlando performs rarely-heard composers or works, the goal is to feature them not as a novelty but rather as part of a thematic program — by connecting each piece through the shared theme, the concert becomes a story. Still, the focus of every concert is always the music — the introductions are in service of the performance, allowing the audience to thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the music. Parlando strives to leave every audience member knowing more about classical music than they did before the concert.