Hunter Johnson, a fellow of the American Academy in Rome in 1935, wrote in a letter about the piano sonata he composed during his residency: "I wrote this amid the rotting splendor of Rome, but all the time my spirit was teeming defiantly with America." These words impart an essential benefit of Johnson's European study — exile from America generated a particularly American music.

Berman was fortunate to be invited for a creative residency in Rome as a visiting performer during various periods between 1997 and 1999, on the cusp of the 21st century. He researched library holdings for scores, recordings, letters, and other clues to the work of American composers at the Academy since the 1920s. He was gratified to be immersed in the intense efforts of many of the giants of American music, as well as composers of lesser fame whose names aren't as well known. 

Reading through scores and listening to recordings, he became fascinated by the hits as well as the misses of composers throughout the century. One could track the trends and follow the lines of creativity. But most gratifying was discovering the unique voices of composers in fascinating works that remained largely unknown. Of the works he wished to bring to light through performances and recordings, many were unpublished — and virtually all of those published previously are now out of print.

The four-concert series Americans in Rome — featuring 26 dedicated musicians performing the works of 36 American composers — debuted at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in the fall of 2002. The offerings of this series, such as a 10-song set entitled An American Academy in Rome Songbook, speak to the larger communal significance of the American composer family. And there are many more discoveries to mine!

On the heels of the success of these concerts, Berman directed the production of a four-volume CD set for Bridge Records, which contained premiere pieces by the composers represented in the series.