On Saturday, March 21, Ashokan Center founders Jay Ungar and Molly Mason brought their music to one of the most historic stages in the country—performing “Ashokan Farewell” beneath the Presidential Box at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.
Set within a symposium exploring the legacy of Abraham Lincoln and the enduring ideals of the United States, their performance offered a powerful and fitting close to a day of reflection. In a space forever tied to one of the most pivotal moments in American history, Jay and Molly’s music created a quiet, shared moment of connection—linking past and present through melody.
Originally written by Jay after a music-filled summer at Ashokan in 1982, “Ashokan Farewell” has since become an American folk classic, best known as the theme for Ken Burns’ The Civil War. Though written more than a century after the events it evokes, the piece has come to embody the emotional weight of that era—loss, resilience, and hope. Hearing it performed live in a place so deeply connected to Lincoln’s story added an even greater sense of meaning.
At Ashokan, music has always been a way of bringing people together—across generations, backgrounds, and experiences. That spirit was present at Ford’s Theatre, where Jay and Molly shared not just a song, but a reflection of the community and traditions that continue to grow here in the Hudson Valley.
We are proud to see their music resonate in spaces like this, carrying the spirit of Ashokan far beyond our campus and into moments of national remembrance and dialogue.