June 5, 2020 zoom conference/discussion with 4 classical conductors of African descent moderated by Maestro Roderick Cox and available on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=922849801475019
DetailsJune 4, 2020, I witnessed via zoom conferencing, ‘Future of Sports and Mass Gatherings post-COVID19′ moderated by Ido Aharoni: Global Ambassador, Maccabi World Union, from Jerusalem. The expert panel discussed possible scenarios for the resumption of global sporting activities. Donna Orender: Former president of WNBA, CEO of Orender Unlimited, Senior Vice President of PGA, Maccabi USA Officer, Maccabi alumna. Larry Scott: Commissioner, PAC 12 Collegiate Conference, Maccabi…
DetailsI was unaware until 5-27-2020 that May is Jewish Heritage Month https://www.jewishheritagemonth.gov/. As a African American member of Long Beach Chapter of NAACP, I salute Joel Elias Spingarn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joel_Elias_Spingarn and the NAACP Spingarn Medal https://www.naacp.org/awards/spingarn-medal/ .
DetailsKamashi Washington composed the music for NETFLIX original documentary about the former 1st Lady titled BECOMING. Listen to “TAKE IN THE STORY” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOVsbCa7VHw
Memorial Day has a little known African American root. Please see https://time.com/5836444/black-memorial-day/ . Many are unaware that over 200,000 African American Union soldiers helped save our NATION. Please see photo of 3,000 school children who carried bouquets of flowers and sang “John Brown’s Body” to honor captured Union soldiers in Charleston, South Carolina. Members of the famed Union 54th…
DetailsBaritone Morris Robinson and Cincinnati Opera https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGYhaO89ydc&t=13s&utm_source=wordfly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=OperaatHome5.15.20&utm_content=version_A
DetailsConductor Jonathan Heyward is recipient of the The Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award. See https://www.musicalamerica.com/news/newsstory.cfm?storyid=45085&categoryid=5&archived=0
DetailsIn addition to Pulitzer Prizes for Anthony Davis (Music); Nikole Hannah-Jones (Commentary); Ida B. Wells (Special Citation) already reported; Colson Whitehead won Fiction https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/colson-whitehead-0 and Michael R. Jackson won Drama https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/michael-r-jackson.
Details“In a split week, the radio series At Home With… features celebrated pianist Yuja Wang and Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Thomas Wilkins, coming to you from their respective homes. Interviewed by KUSC’s Brian Lauritzen, they will offer their reflections on the music they have chosen to share.” “At Home With Yuja Wang can be heard Tuesday…
DetailsLA Phil 100: The Los Angeles Philharmonic Centennial Birthday Gala recorded at Walt Disney Concert Hall on October 24, 2019, aired May 8, 2020 as part of PBS’ Great Performances series. Zubin Mehta, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Gustavo Dudamel conducted performances of the LA Phil. I had recollections beyond the PBS’ Great Performances program…
DetailsPOLITICS of MUSIC MARGARET GARNER Opera was co-commissioned by the Michigan Opera Theatre, Cincinnati Opera and Opera Philadelphia, it premièred on 7 May 2005 at the Detroit Opera House in Detroit, Michigan with Denyce Graves in the title role. As the Cincinnati Opera approach 100th birthday, please see comment by Katie Syroney, Director of Communication:: MARGARET GARNER, 2005 “There are so many extraordinary…
DetailsThe recent murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a person of African descent who was shot to death, while jogging in Georgia bring to mind composer Joel Thompson ‘SEVEN LAST WORDS of the UNARMED’, a multi-movement work honoring the lives of Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Kenneth Chamberlain, Amadou Diallo, and John Crawford.…
DetailsEach day, the KUSC Classical Radio “Play On, California!” blog is updated to reflect new digital content being produced up and down the state, small and large https://www.kusc.org/culture/staff-blog/play-on-california/ I have followed the amateur and professional career of soprano Julia Bullock with amazement. Julia Bullock recently posted a home performance of ONE BY ONE with…
DetailsDiversity in classical music must overcome the history of WHITE Supremacy embedded in the United States as a matter of foundational law. See Birth of A White Nation book by Dr. Jacqueline Battalora http://sbpra.com/jacquelinebattalora/ and lecture:
DetailsPOLITICS of MUSIC Violinist Annelle Kazumi Gregory and other qualified violinist/violist remain steadfast to break the glass ceiling with top tier American orchestras. See Annelle Kazumi Gregory bio http://annelleviolin.com/about.html Please see Annelle Kazumi Gregory performance with collaborative pianist Richard Thompson, at age 17, during Sep. 22, 2012 Emancipation Proclamation concert in Los Angeles Also…
DetailsNikole Hannah-Jones wins Pulitzer Prize (Journalism-Commentary) for 1619 Project. Please see https://pulitzercenter.org/blog/nikole-hannah-jones-wins-pulitzer-prize-1619-project and interview with Nikole Hannah-Jones:
DetailsPolitics of Music Composer Anthony Davis wins Pulitzer Prize for contemporary Central Park Five Opera. Long Beach Opera premiered Central Park Five. See https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/music/story/2020-05-04/anthony-davis-wins-pulitzer-prize-for-the-central-park-five-the-uc-san-diego-professors-fiery-opera and https://www.npr.org/2020/05/04/850166148/anthony-davis-wins-pulitzer-prize-for-his-opera-the-central-park-five
DetailsPOLITICS of MUSIC The top American orchestras historically and currently do not program violin concertos by composers of African decent or program violinist or violist of African descent to perform music of any composer. One notable exception was the Philadelphia Orchestra performance of George Walker’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra featuring Gregory Walker, son of…
DetailsPulitzer prize composer George Walker’s last major work, Sinfonia No. 5 “Visions”, was inspired by the 2015 shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Todate the work has been ignored by ever major American Orchestra before and after the 2019 Seattle Symphony premiere. Please see https://seattlesymphony.org/watch-listen/beyondthestage/george-walker and https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/05/arts/music/george-walker-sinfonia-visions-seattle-symphony.html Sinfonia No.…
DetailsSoprano Leontyne Price share reflections in New York Times article 12-22-17. See https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/22/arts/music/leontyne-price-met-opera.html.
DetailsAustrian born Sir Rudolf Bing (opera impresario) served as General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera from 1950-1972. He guided the Met’s move to a new home in Lincoln Center. Other significant achievements of Bing’s tenure included the opening of the Met’s artistic roster to singers of color such as Reri Grist, Grace Bumbry, Shirley…
DetailsSoprano Coretta Scott was the favorite student of her high school music teacher in Marian, Alabama. She was selected to sing on a special program with internationally recognized Baritone Paul Robeson. Coretta aspired to be a concert singer like Marian Anderson. While studying in Boston at the New England Conservatory of Music on…
DetailsComposer Robert Owens 3 songs, Op 41, Song Cycle for Baritone and Piano – words by Claude McKay – titled THE LYNCHING, IF WE MUST DIE, and TO THE WHITE FRIEND (In memoriam George Jackson) was performed by Baritone Donnie Ray Albert during 150th Anniversary Emancipation Proclamation Concert co-presented by MusicUNTOLD and Classical KUSC…
DetailsMaestro Paul Freeman (January 2, 1936 – July 21, 2015) earned his doctorate in music from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., and studied for two years at Berlin’s Hochschule fur Musik on a Fulbright Scholarship. He later trained with the eminent French conductor Pierre Monteux. Paul Freeman became one of…
DetailsBetye Saar (b. 1926, Los Angeles) is an African decent artist whose work consistently speak to issues of race, gender, and spirituality. Known as an assemblage artist, Saar’s work combines many different symbols along with objects found on her travels across Africa, Mexico, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean and especially in Los Angeles.
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