American music has continuously evolved and grown, with one of its most identifiable genres, jazz, carrying musical influences from throughout the world. The 35th Oregon Festival of American Music explores the crosscurrents and convergences of those international musical influences — showcasing traditions from Brazil, Eastern and Southern Europe, France and the British Isles. Musical Director Chuck Redd has curated eight concerts, a jazz party, talks, films and community sing-alongs. Redd made headlines last year when he canceled a Christmas Eve performance at the Kennedy Center to protest President Donald Trump adding his name to the venue. This year’s theme is “Beyond the Sea,” and is “what we’ve been doing all year long,” says James Ralph, Shedd Institute executive director. “There’s all kinds of different approaches, and what we’re doing is to focus on all the different interrelationships between a different genre.” He says “you have a concert that asks ‘What was the relationship between music coming out of France, and how did it wind up in a lot of American popular music?’” The performance series features local artists, such as vocalist Siri Vik, as well as artists from other parts of the country, including clarinetist and saxophonist Peter Anderson of New York City. “If you look in the South, you see a lot of these patterns that are gospel, sacred and rural traditions — which we now call the blues. Those traditions developed because of certain patterns of interrelationships between Africa, Mexico, Latin America all mixed together,” Ralph says. Beyond the Sea features bossa nova, jazz and blues music, all while showcasing the artists worldwide who shaped the American tradition of music.

Oregon Festival of American Music Summer is 9 am to 7:30 pm August 12 to 22 at The Shedd Institute, 868 High Street. Cost varies. Find performance details at TheShedd.org.