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Southern Appalachia is typically acknowledged as the heart of American folk music, from old-time string bands to bluegrass...but there are more connections to opera & classical than one might realize.

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Opera in Appalachia - How Brevard Music Center Brought Opera to the Mountains - OperaWire Southern Appalachia is typically acknowledged as the heart of traditional American folk music, from traditional string bands and bluegrass, to ballad and shaped-note singing, but there's more connections to opera and classical singing than one might realize. Pioneers like Cecil Sharp, Maud Karpeles, and John Jacob Niles collected folk songs throughout southern Appalachia, such as "The Lover's Farewell" and "I Wonder As I Wander," that are now standards in the classical English repertoire. This region has served as inspiration for many choral works, and Jennifer Higdon's opera,"Cold Mountain" is even set here. But, at the heart of North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains lies the Brevard Music Center, where for the past 60 years opera has echoed throughout these mountains. https://operawire.com/opera-in-appalachia-how-brevard-music-center-brought-opera-to-the-mountains/