Onward and Upward: Honoring the Contributions of Black Composers to Classical Music Saturday February 1 2025 at 4:00 PM
An inspirational musical celebration of Black History Month, this free music and spoken word performance showcases incredible classical works by artists including Florence Price, Thomas Kerr, Wendell Logan, Undine Moore, and others who have made immeasurable contributions and whose music needs to be experienced in all spaces. Performers include The Denyce Graves Foundation and CAAPA - Coalition of African-American Performing Arts, under the direction of Michele Fowlin. Free, performance tickets or online registration required.
Since the late 1700s, composers of African descent have had a presence in classical music. The confines of slavery did not allow the promotion of these artists and their works to be published or performed until emancipation began in many states and as Blacks initiated their own musical societies, churches, and schools. To this day, many of these composers and compositions have remained underperformed on main stages of orchestral, choral and solo performances. This concert showcases incredible works of artists such as Florence Price, Thomas Kerr, Wendell Logan, Undine Moore, and others who have made indelible contributions to this genre and whose music needs to be experienced in all spaces. Join us as we move Onward and Upward through a beautiful history of music articulated through the spoken word and performances by The Denyce Graves Foundation and CAAPA - Coalition of African-American Performing Arts
Since the late 1700s, composers of African descent have had a presence in classical music. The confines of slavery did not allow the promotion of these artists and their works to be published or performed until emancipation began in many states and as Blacks initiated their own musical societies, churches, and schools. To this day, many of these composers and compositions have remained underperformed on main stages of orchestral, choral and solo performances. This concert showcases incredible works of artists such as Florence Price, Thomas Kerr, Wendell Logan, Undine Moore, and others who have made indelible contributions to this genre and whose music needs to be experienced in all spaces. Join us as we move Onward and Upward through a beautiful history of music articulated through the spoken word and performances by The Denyce Graves Foundation and CAAPA - Coalition of African-American Performing Arts