AfriClassical

Myrtle Hart Society: Record Review – William Chapman Nyaho – Senku

2008-05-08T18:34:00.010-04:00

[Senku: Piano Music by Composers of African Descent; William Chapman Nyaho, piano; Musicians Showcase 1091]

From the May eNewsletter of the Myrtle Hart Society, MyrtleHart.org:
Nyaho's CD is Overpowering! For some of us, the name of William Chapman Nyaho came to attention only recently, but this has been a major and most happy discovery. He had begun his musical studies in his native Ghana, to be followed with degree work at Oxford University and the Conservatore de Musique in Geneva, the Eastman School of Music, and finally with his doctoral study at the University of Texas-Austin.

The first of what must be a series of CDs was issued on Musicians Showcase MS 1091 not long ago. Three well-known works appear in fresh interpretations: Margaret Bond's Troubled water, the tenth of Coleridge-Taylor's 24 Negro melodies, Deep river, and Dett's beloved In the bottoms. We need not feel guilty of infidelity to Natalie Hinderas, who returned the Dett suite into the repertoire (and her Juba has more laughing-barrel tongue-in-cheek), but Nyaho gives the music new life.

Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, whose stock shot up, and rightfully so, before his death, is represented by a dynamic Scherzo. Nothing is more delightful than the Three Jamaican dances of Oswald Russell, now a resident in Switzerland. Three composers are introduced: Gyimah Labi, from Ghana, is represented by a movement from his Six dialects in African pianism - that movement espoused by Akin Euba, J. H. Kwabena Nketia, and so many contemporary African composers seeking a totally new approach to texture and rhythm in piano composition. This is further illustrated by Joshua Uzoigwe, an enormously gifted Nigerian, whose Talking drums is offered here. It will be a tremendous boost to recorded literature for history classes and individual students in piano and composition. This CD is as exciting and informative as any I have heard in recent times. Dominique-René de Lerma, Lawrence University
William H. Chapman Nyaho
Senku: Piano Music
Composers of African Descent
Dominique-René de Lerma
Ghanaian-American Pianist
Musicians Showcase 1091

Danielle Belen Nesmith's Winnning Sphinx Performance on “Performance Today” May 9

2008-05-08T15:59:00.005-04:00

Danielle Belen Nesmith, the first-place Laureate of the 2008 Sphinx Competition presented by Chase will be featured on Performance Today. Her performance of Mother and Child from William Grant Still's Suite for Violin will be broadcast on Friday, May 9.

As a Sphinx Laureate, Danielle will perform with major orchestras around the country during the upcoming year, including the Boston Pops, Pittsburgh Symphony, and the Florida Orchestra. A native of California, Danielle is a recent graduate of the USC Thornton School of Music, and plays a 1709 Allessandro Gagliano violin from the Mandell Collection of Southern California.

Performance Today is heard by 1.4 million people each week on 250 public radio stations across the country. In addition, many stations offer streaming audio over the internet. Visit Public Radio Fan to find stations that broadcast and stream Performance Today.

Founded in 1996, the Sphinx Organization is the national arts and youth development organization dedicated to building diversity in classical music. In the past ten years, the Sphinx Competition has awarded over one million dollars in prizes and scholarships and provided performance opportunities to promising young musicians of color.

The Sphinx Organization envisions a world in which classical music reflects cultural diversity and plays a role in the everyday lives of youth.

Danielle Belen Nesmith
2008 Sphinx Laureate's Performance
Performance Today May 9
William Grant Still
Mother and Child
Still's Suite for Violin

Myrtle Hart Society: Pianist Francis Paraïso Performs in France

2008-05-08T08:04:00.007-04:00

From the May eNewsletter of the Myrtle Hart Society, MyrtleHart.org:
On Friday, his MySpace page said that he was "deciphering Coleridge-Taylor's piano music." Twenty-four-year-old French Beninese Francis Paraïso began his piano studies at age 12 at the 'Conservatoire National de Région d'Angers'. Three years later, he began to compose for his instrument. In 2001, he obtained his final degrees in piano, chamber music, music theory and musical analysis. He obtained the same degrees in 2004 in a National Music School in Paris.

After his French high school diploma, Francis enrolled in The University of Musicology where he obtained his 'Maîtrise' of Musicology (fourth year of university study) in 2005. By 2006, he had earned his 'DESS' (fifth year of university studies in Direction and Management of Music). In 2007, Francis earned the pianist accompanist degree.

Often concertizing his own piano works and chamber music concerts, he is also the accompanist for the opera and the orchestra and teaches piano in a national music school.

Francis Paraïso's works contain piano pieces, chamber music, a musical, duos voice/piano. His favorite composer is César Frank and among his influences are French composers such as Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Jean Cras, Paul Le Flem, Gabriel Fauré, Guy Ropartz, Louis Vierne, Charles Koechlin, Edvard Grieg, Joaquin Turina, Albert Roussel, Gabriel Dupont, Marcel Labey, Florent Schmitt.

Francis favors impressionist music adding, "I think with Ravel, Debussy and many others, it's rather simple to travel from "classic (impressionism)" to "jazz" (early style). This a very colorful music full of misty landscapes, tumultuous oceans, soft winds and luminous tomorrows. It has touched my heart since the first note. In some way, it's by this style that I express in my music pieces all my 'Africanity' (not sure about the spelling in English...)". He performs in France. If you are in France or will visit this month, support Francis Paraïso.

Saturday, May 10 at 8:30 PM, Francis Paraïso will perform his own works at Juigné sur Loire Rabelais Festival. Program--Turina: piano quartet op 67; Fauré: piano quartet op 15; Bach: suites for violin solo and cello solo; and Paraïso: piano solo pieces.

Friday, May 30 at 8:30 PM in Angers at “Grand Théâtre”. Program—Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue for piano and wind orchestra among others.

Francis Paraïso
French Beninese Pianist
Black Pianist
May Performances in France
Black French Classical Pianist
National Music School Teacher

U.S. Performances of Sodi Braide, Nigerian Pianist

2008-05-07T18:31:00.013-04:00

AfriClassical recently posted "U.S. Debut of Nigerian Pianist Sodi Braide's
CD: WHPK-FM Chicago May 13".  Sodi Braide has sent an E-mail to us and the
radio host, Sergio Mims: "Thank you indeed for this and thank you, Sergio,
for broadcasting my cd.  I thought you might like to know of two upcoming
performances scheduled in the US: I shall be performing in the Impulse
Artists Series in Houston, Texas from September 12th to 17th (including
chamber and outreach programmes, with a solo recital on the 17th); and then
in the Dame Myra Hess recital series in Chicago on February 18th, 2009.
I'll send more info later.  Best regards, Sodi."  The Impulse Artists Series
is a project of the African American classical pianist Jade Smalls Simmons,
whose website is http://www.JadeMedia.org  The Dame Myra Hess Memorial
Concerts are held at the Chicago Cultural Center, 
http://www.imfchicago.org/hessmain.html

Sodi Braide Nigerian Pianist
Sodi Braide's U.S. Performances
Impulse Artists Series
Jade Simmons African American Pianist
Dame Myra Hess Recital
Sergio Mims WHPK-FM Chicago

'Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora', Vol. 3, by Dr. William H. Chapman Nyaho

2008-05-06T18:32:00.008-04:00

New York, NY, 30 April, 2008- Oxford University Press is pleased to announce the release of the third volume in this unique collection dedicated to the piano music of the African Diaspora. The series is available in five separate volumes for easier accessibility. Included alongside well-known works are pieces which are hard to find, out of print, or have never been published.

The collection is graded - Volume 1: Early-intermediate; Volume 2: Intermediate; Volume 3: Early-Advanced; Volumes 4 and 5: Advanced - and includes pieces by African composers now living in Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Egypt, Nigeria, USA, Congo, Ghana, South Africa, Cuba, Brazil, Virgin Islands, and Haiti. This collection can be used as a supplement to keyboard literature courses in universities and colleges.

Dr. William Chapman Nyaho is an active international performer, scholar, teacher, and clinician. Born in Washington, D.C., raised in Ghana and now living in Seattle, Chapman Nyaho holds degrees from Oxford University, Conservatoire de Musique de Geneve, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Texas, Austin. He is a winner of prizes from the Joanna Hodges International Piano Competition and the Ibla Grand Prize International Competition in Italy. He is a regular guest clinician, giving master classes, presentations, lecture-recitals, and workshops advocating music by composers of the African Diaspora in elementary to high schools, and also colleges and universities.

For more information, please contact the Oxford Music Department at (212) 726-6109 or email music.us@oup.com. Vol. 3 is available now at the price of $19.95.

'These important publications will bring immeasurable pleasure to musicians and music lovers and limitless credit to Dr. Chapman Nyaho. He has done a Herculean job finding, identifying and collecting this rich music. Without his skill and fervor, this precious trove of music may have been lost.' - Dr. Maya Angelou [Dr. William H. Chapman Nyaho (b. 1958) is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

Piano Music of Africa & African Diaspora
Oxford University Press Anthology
William H. Chapman Nyaho
Edited by Chapman Nyaho
Ghanaian-American Classical Pianist
Composers of African Descent

May 1 Aspen Public Radio Podcast Includes Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges

2008-05-05T19:40:00.006-04:00

The NPR Podcast Directory lists two Classical Music Podcasts. We recently subscribed to both. One is “Aspen Public Radio: Classical Music From Aspen”, from 1 PM – 3 PM (MDT) weekdays: “Host Nikki Boxer invites listeners to join her every weekday for music at midday. Providing an interesting cross-section of styles, genres and musical periods, Classical Music from Aspen features everything from popular favorites to rarely-heard gems by obscure composers. Through a unique collaboration with the Aspen Music Festival and School, Classical Music from Aspen brings the community inside and backstage, with interviews, live broadcasts and more.”

Taking advantage of the time flexibility made possible by podcasting, we listened to the May 1, 2008 program today. “The Miraculous Mandarin” by Bela Bartok was the title feature, but what interested us most was a “Violin Concerto in D” of the Afro-French composer Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799), who is profiled at AfriClassical.com The work was performed by violin soloist Qian Zhou and the Toronto Camerata under Kevin Mallon. The CD was Naxos 8.557322 (2004), from the independent label known for high quality sound and budget pricing.
Classical Music from Aspen
CMA Podcast May 1
Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Saint-Georges on Podcast
Podcast Host Nikki Boxer

Classic in Black Radio: Tuesday 6 May 2008 at 8 PM Berlin Time

2008-05-05T13:18:00.006-04:00

African Culture Meets Western Classical Music
The Classic in Black Radio Show Program on Offener Kanal Berlin 97,2 Mhz presents a special radio show, within the XXIII. Black International Cinema Berlin Festival 2008 in Cinema Movimiento 8-12 May (Berlin/Kreuzberg); a program accompanied with music. Date: Tuesday 6 May 2008 at 8 PM (Live). The Classic in Black Show Program is also available Live Stream on the Offener Kanal Website: http://www.okb.de Look under the section Radio live stream.

Offener Kanal Berlin Website: http://www.classicinblack.de/

Harry Louiserre/Producer and Moderator CIB Radio Show, Email: info@classicinblack.de

Classic in Black Radio
Black International Cinema Berlin
8pm Berlin time 6 May
Live Stream Offener Kanal
Classic in Black Berlin
Black Classical Music

U.S. Debut of Nigerian Pianist Sodi Braide's CD: WHPK-FM Chicago May 13

2008-05-05T10:25:00.007-04:00

[Sodi Braide: Franck, œuvres pour piano; Lyrinx\Talents LYR 249 (2006)]

AfriClassical was delighted to receive this message from Sergio Mims, an African American host of a classical music radio program in Chicago and online: “HELLO! This is Sergio again at WHPK-FM in Chicago (88.5) and live stream on-line http://www.WHPK.org and I just wanted to let you know that I will be playing selections from Sodi Braide's César Franck solo piano CD on Tuesday May 13^th. I will be playing the Prelude, Choral and Fugue and the Prelude, Aria and Final by Franck along with Paul Dukas' Symphony in C major and Hector Berlioz' Messe Solennelle. My show airs 12 noon- 3PM (Central Time).”

A prior post on AfriClassical was entitled: “Piano Works of Franck on CD by Nigerian Pianist Sodi Braide”. The CD is: Sodi Braide: Franck, œuvres pour piano (Franck, Works for Piano); Lyrinx\Talents LYR 249 (2006). It is presently available from selected European and Japanese music websites. Here is a one-minute Audio Sample

The Nigerian pianist Sodi Braide is the son of two college professors, born in 1975 in the U.K., where his father was a graduate student. He studied piano from the age of three. The family returned to Nigeria in 1979, where no classical conservatory existed and qualified teachers were so difficult to find that his parents had to drive him as far as 100 kilometers for his weekly lessons. At a 1987 competition in Nigeria, Sodi was not the winner but he so impressed the pianist Éric Heidsieck, a member of the jury, that at age 13 he received a 2-year renewable scholarship to study in France. Sodi studied hard, and was admitted to the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique (CNSM) of Paris at 16. In an interview in French with PianoBleu.com, he is quoted as saying: “I had already played one or two times in South Africa, and I remembered that most of the South Africans, at the time, had never seen seen a Black pianist of classical music, 'music of the Whites', what's more in the finals of such a competition. It was just after the end of apartheid, and some were really thunderstruck to discover that in fact there was not a cultural barrier due to skin color!'” [AfriClassical congratulates Sodi Braide on his decision to record the beautiful but little-known solo piano pieces of César Franck, a composer who is generally known as a composer of works for organ. Likewise, we congratulate radio host Sergio Mims of WHPK-FM on presenting the U.S. radio debut of excerpts from the CD.]

Nigerian Pianist Sodi Braide
César Franck Piano Works
U.S. Debut Lyrinx 249
May 13 WHPK-FM
Sergio Mims Radio Host
Sodi Braide Audio Sample

Leo Brouwer Playing "Death of an Angel"

2008-05-03T19:08:00.009-04:00

Where The Pieces Fall, Cyber-Palimpsest by Javier Hernandez-Miyares:
A YouTube video of the Afro-Cuban Classical Guitarist Leo Brouwer playing La Muerte De Un Angel [Death Of An Angel] (4:51) was posted in Cuba at 12:16 am by mbumba. [Leo Brouwer is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

The Young Eight Will Perform in New York State on May 8, 9 & 12

2008-05-03T18:53:00.007-04:00

The Young Eight, http://www.theyoungeight.com, America’s only African-American string octet, will present three concerts in New York State which are free and open to the public, on May 8, 9 and 12:

Thursday, May 8 – 12 noon – The Young Eight will be in concert at Hudson Valley Community College’s Maureen Stapleton Theatre, 80 Vandenburgh Avenue in Troy, New York as part of the college’s Cultural Affairs Series. For more information, call (518) 629-8072 or visit https://www.hvcc.edu/

Friday, May 9 – 8 PM – The Young Eight will be appear on the Main Stage Theater of the Performing Arts Center on the campus of York College CUNY – 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd, Jamaica, New York. For more information, call 718-262-3750 or visit http://york.cuny.edu/centers-institutes/performing-arts/events

Monday, May 12 – 7:30 PM - The Young Eight will perform at Advent Lutheran Church, 2504 Broadway at 93rd Street in Manhattan. For more information, call 212-866-2100 or visit http://www.adventnyc.org/musicmondays

Imani Winds In Reading, Pennsylvania May 9

2008-05-02T08:46:00.008-04:00

[The Classical Underground; Imani Winds; Koch International Classics 7599 (2005)]

On Friday, May 9 at 8:00 PM, Imani Winds will perform at Albright College Center for the Arts, Wachovia Theater, in Reading, Pennsylvania. The program is Eugene Bozza: Scherzo; Liduino Pitombeira: Suite Hermetica; Villa-Lobos: Quintet en Forme de Choros; Pixiguinha/Lacerda/de Geus: Descendo Serra; Gyorgy Orban: Wind Quintet.

Imani Winds, ImaniWinds.com, is an innovative wind quintet comprised of African American musicians: Valerie Coleman, flute; Torin Spellman-Diaz, oboe; Mariam Adam, Clarinet; Jeff Scott, French horn; Monica Ellis, bassoon. The website Albright.edu says: “These five Grammy-nominated musicians have been enriching the traditional wind quintet repertoire with European, African, Latin American, and American music flavoring since 1997.” [To see the complete Philadelphia area calendar of Black Classical Musicians and Concerts, click Here]

African American Quintet
Valerie Coleman flute
Torin Spellman-Diaz oboe
Mariam Adam clarinet
Jeff Scott French horn
Monica Ellis bassoon

Pianist Roy Eaton on TV in Manhattan May 5 at 2:30 PM

2008-05-02T07:52:00.006-04:00

The African American pianist Roy F. Eaton, RoyEaton.net, is well known for performing and recording the works of the African American ragtime and classical composer Scott Joplin, and for interpreting the piano works of other composers, including Chopin and William Grant Still. Roy Eaton tells AfriClassical his appearance on the program “Active Aging” will be repeated on Monday, May 5 at 2:30 PM on Time Warner Channel 56. The broadcast will also be accessible on line at the Manhattan Neighborhood Network, www.mnn.org [The African American composers Scott Joplin and William Grant Still are profiled at AfriClassical.com]

Roy F. Eaton
African American Pianist
Works of Scott Joplin
William Grant Still
Active Aging
May 5 2:30 PM

Works of Henry T. Burleigh, R. Nathaniel Dett & William Grant Still at Richmond Festival May 2

2008-05-01T11:52:00.005-04:00

[Afro-American Symphony; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Karl Kruger, conductor; Bridge 9086 (1999)]

Clarke Bustard is a music critic and cultural writer based in Richmond, Virgina. He writes
Letter V: the Virginia Classical Music Blog, whose May 1 edition presents the complete program of the May 2 concert which includes Henry T. Burleigh: Andante from “Southland Sketches”;
R. Nathaniel Dett: “In the Bottoms” (Excerpts); and William Grant Still: “Gamin” from "Suite for Violin and Piano". Full Post

VocalEssence Celebrates 40 Years With 'Gala: Serengeti Serenade' May 3

2008-05-01T10:52:00.008-04:00

[Philip Brunelle, Founder and Artistic Director of VocalEssence]

From the May eNewsletter of The Myrtle Hart Society, MyrtleHart.org:
VocalEssence celebrates its 40th Anniversary Season with Philip Brunelle, Founder and Artistic Director. The 130-voice VocalEssence Chorus and 32-voice Ensemble Singers invite you to their 'Gala: Serengeti Serenade' on Saturday, May 3 at 6:00PM at The Historic Milwaukee Depot. The magnificent landscape of the Serengeti region and the invigorating music of Africa inspire the 2008 vocalessence Gala, led by co-chairs Gayle Fuguitt and Julie Zelle. There will also be a drum and dance troupe performing music of Ghana! Program includes Rosephanye Powell: Sorida (A Zimbabwe Greeting); Keep Your Lamps - arr. André Thomas; Duke Ellington, arr. Sanford Moore: Come Sunday. [Duke Ellington is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

VocalEssence 40th Anniversary
Philip Brunelle Founder and Director
Gala: Serengeti Serenade
Music of Africa
Duke Ellington
African American Composer

André Watts At Gilmore Keyboard Festival May 8, 9 & 10

2008-04-30T16:16:00.005-04:00

The African American pianist André Watts will take part in three events during the Gilmore Keyboard Festival in West Michigan, beginning with a Master Class at 9:30 am Thursday, May 8 in the Little Theatre on the Western Michigan University East Campus in Kalamazoo. The event is free and open to the public. André will join the Grand Rapids Symphony and David Lockington, Conductor, for two concerts in the De Vos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, at 8:00 pm Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10, 2008. For tickets, which range from $16 to $60, call 616.454.9451, ext. 4. Both concerts feature Ravel: Rapsodie Espagnole; Grieg: Piano Concerto; and Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2.

André Watts was the son of an African American soldier and a Hungarian woman. His parents raised him in Europe until the age of 8. Here is an excerpt from his Biography, from The Gilmore Festival:
“André Watts burst upon the music world at the age of 16 when Leonard Bernstein chose him to make his debut with the New York Philharmonic in their Young People's Concerts, broadcast nationwide on CBS-TV. Only two weeks later, Bernstein asked him to substitute at the last minute for the ailing Glenn Gould in performances of Liszt's E-flat Concerto with the New York Philharmonic, thus launching his career in storybook fashion. More than 45 years later, André Watts remains one of today's most celebrated and beloved superstars. His performances each year with the world's great orchestras and conductors and his sold-out recitals and appearances at the most prestigious international festivals bring him to every corner of the globe.

During the 06/07 season, Mr. Watts celebrated his 60th birthday and the 50th anniversary of his debut (with the Philadelphia Orchestra). In honor of this milestone and his numerous achievements and contributions to the world of classical music, he was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame in June 2006. During that special season, Mr. Watts performed with many of the American orchestras with which he has had close relationships for many years including the Philadelphia Orchestra in Philadelphia and Carnegie Hall, Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Atlanta, St. Louis, National, Indianapolis, Seattle and Milwaukee symphonies. During the 07/08 season, he makes an eleven city tour of the East Coast with the Bergen Philharmonic which includes a concert at Carnegie Hall and a recital tour to Japan. Full Biography

André Watts
African American Pianist
Gilmore Keyboard Festival
West Michigan Piano Festival
Grand Rapids Symphony
Conductor David Livington

“The Complete Symphonies Concertantes” of Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges Released

2008-04-30T07:56:00.009-04:00

André L. Adler, President of the Avenira Foundation in Lucerne, Switzerland, informs AfriClassical of the release of a world premiere recording, Le Chevalier de Saint-George: The Complete Symphonies Concertantes On 2 CDs; CD1 276017 and CD2 276018; Avenira (2008). The U.S. Distributor is Qualiton Imports, Ltd., Qualiton.com The liner notes for both CDs are by Michelle Garnier-Panafieu, whom André says “...is one of the most esteemed personalities and experts regarding classical music of the second half of the 18th century in France.“

Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, where 12 audio samples of his music can be heard. The new CDs have been recorded by the Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, under conductors Jiří Malát and František Preisler. The violin soloists are Miroslav Vilímec (b. 1958), Jiří Žilák (b. 1948), and Michal Pospíšil (b. 1960).

Symphonies Concertantes of Saint-Georges
World Premiere Recording
Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Afro-French Composer
Black Composer's CD
Classical CD Release

Biography of Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges Enters Second Printing

2008-04-29T18:33:00.006-04:00

[The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow; Gabriel Banat; Pendragon Press; Hillsdale, New York (2006)]

Joseph de Bologne, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799), was the Afro-French composer, violinist and conductor who won fame as France's finest fencer before launching his career in classical music. He is profiled extensively at AfriClassical.com, where a dozen audio samples of his music can be heard.

The most authoritative biography of Saint-Georges in English is: The Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Virtuoso of the Sword and the Bow; Pendragon Press (2006) by the noted violinist Gabriel Banat. The book has continued to receive very favorable reviews from numerous publications, and is held in high regard by the Saint-Georges specialists upon whom we rely. It is the first English biography we consult when questions about the composer arise.

The New York Times published an article entitled “A Swashbuckling Violinist, Fresh From The 1700s”, by Roberta Hershenson, on January 6, 2008: “Mr. Banat, who had an acclaimed solo career before becoming a 23-year member of the New York Philharmonic, considers Saint-Georges the first significant black classical composer. Now retired, Mr. Banat, 81, has spent years researching and writing about Saint-Georges, who made music in the court of Marie Antoinette and went on to lead a regiment of black soldiers in the French Revolution.”

Consequently, we were pleased to receive this news from the author today: “I am happy to be able to tell you that having sold out the first, a second printing with all the mistakes corrected at last, will be ready in a couple of weeks.” AfriClassical congratulates Gabriel Banat on the well-deserved success of his scholarly account of the life and music of Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges. It is readily available from major book dealers, including Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

The Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Gabriel Banat
Biography In Second Printing
New York Philharmonic Violinist
Afro-French Composer
Biography of Classical Composer

William Grant Still in American Composers Unit

2008-04-29T10:03:00.020-04:00

[Afro-American Symphony; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Karl Kruger, conductor; Bridge 9086 (1999)]

In Crystal, Minnesota, Barb Jones is introducing students at St. Raphael's Catholic School to works of American composers, including the Afro-American Symphony of William Grant Still (1895-1978), who is profiled at AfriClassical.com: Listening Lessons: Mrs. Jones' Blog. Students in K-8 have been listening to several American Composers. Ask them about Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown,” or “Variations on America” by Charles Ives. Do they remember “Scherzo” from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story? How about “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson? William Grant Still’s “Afro-American Symphony” was full of call and response, and we finished our unit by listening to one of the great female American composers - Amy Beach, who wrote “Piano Concerto.” Students in grades 5-8 had a listening test over these composers (hopefully they took good notes) as well as some general music theory that they reviewed in Jeopardy.

Works of American Composers
Afro-American Symphony in Listening Lessons
African American Composers
Studying William Grant Still
Teacher Includes Black Composer
Classical Music for Primary Students

Comment on Jonathan Cambry, African American Pianist (b. 1982)

2008-04-29T09:37:00.007-04:00

On April 24, 2008 AfriClassical posted “Jonathan Cambry (b. 1982), African American Pianist in Chicago, Performs on YouTube”. Today we received this appreciative comment from Jay: “Jonathan Cambry is one of the best classical pianist minds that I've ever seen in person. Anyone who has seen his YouTube videos has to be surprised with what they see, not just as an African American, but as an accomplished pianist. Thanks for covering him!”

Duke Ellington, African American Composer, Pianist and Bandleader, Born April 29, 1899

2008-04-28T16:17:00.008-04:00

[The Definitive Duke Ellington; Sony 61444 (2000)]

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (1899-1974) was an African American composer, pianist and jazz band leader. He was born into a middle-class family in Washington, D.C. on April 29, 1899. Although best known for composing, leading and performing about 2,000 "big band" jazz pieces, Ellington also composed orchestral, chamber and solo piano works in the classical genre. His classical music has gradually gained new listeners in recent years due to recordings on CD.

Africana Encyclopedia recounts Ellington's association with the Cotton Club in Harlem: “In the fall of 1927 the Ellington orchestra secured a long-term gig at the Cotton Club, New York City's most prestigious nightclub, which was wired to permit 'live' remote radio broadcasts that gave
Ellington nationwide recognition.” In keeping with the times, the Cotton Club was racially segregated. Only whites were admitted as patrons; all of the waiters and most of the entertainers were African American. During the engagement at the Cotton Club the band was called the Cotton Club Orchestra.

In 1943 Ellington and his orchestra performed at New York's legendary Carnegie Hall. The program included a ground-breaking 44-minute work entitled Black, Brown, and Beige: A Tone Parallel to the History of the American Negro. The work did not fit the conventions of either jazz or classical music, and the response of music critics was so disappointing that Ellington never again performed the entire piece in public. However, Africana Encyclopedia notes: “Neither Ellington nor Strayhorn were dissuaded from creating other large-scale jazz suites, including the Liberian Suite (1947); Harlem (1951); the Festival Suite (1956); Such Sweet Thunder (1957), a musical tribute to Shakespeare; Suite Thursday ( 1960), which paid tribute to author John Steinbeck; and the Far East Suite (1966).

Ellington also composed film scores for Anatomy of a Murder (1959) and Paris Blues (1961). Ellington's Piano Concerto was premiered in 1955 by Don Shirley and the NBC Symphony of the Air, at Carnegie Hall. Ellington began exploring spiritual themes with his Concert of Sacred Music in 1965. Africana Encyclopedia says of the work: “In the Beginning, God, Ellington's opening movement, won a 1966 Grammy Award for best original jazz composition. In 1968 Ellington composed a Second Sacred Concert. At the time of his death he was preparing a third.

Ellington participated in the Civil Rights movement from the 1940s on. In 1941 he wrote the score for the musical Jump for Joy, a show intended to debunk common movie stereotypes of African American popular culture. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, led by Neeme Järvi, Conductor, has recorded three of Ellington's works for symphony orchestra on CDs released by the British label Chandos. Harlem, Suite from "The River" and Solitude are found on Chandos 9909 (2001). Suite from "The River" also appears on an earlier disc, Chandos 9154 (1993). Harlem is also found on Chandos 9226 (1993). Full Biography

Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington
African American Composer
Jazz and Classical Music
Harlem Suite
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Jazz and Classical Composer

Akin Euba, Nigerian Composer Born April 28, 1935

2008-04-28T15:04:00.008-04:00

[Chaka: An opera in two chants; City of Birmingham Touring Opera; Simon Halsey, Conductor;
Music Research Institute MRI-0001CD (1999)]

Akin Euba was born in Lagos, Nigeria on April 28, 1935 and spent his early years there. He is a member of the Yoruba ethnic group and is profiled at AfriClassical.com His biography is Akin Euba: An Introduction to the Life and Music of a Nigerian Composer by Joshua Uzoigwe. It is a 1992 publication of the Bayreuth African Studies Series, edited by Prof. Eckhard Breitinger.

Akin Euba received his first piano lessons from his father, beginning in 1943. His father clearly expected him to make music his profession. Euba's second piano teacher was Major J.G.C. Allen, a British civil servant with whom he began instruction in 1948. Euba won first prize at the First Nigerian Festival of the Arts in 1950.

After two years of study at Trinity College of Music, Euba changed his program to allow himself to concentrate on courses he considered of more value to his future career. His biographer recounts: “These subjects included piano, composition, harmony and counterpoint, orchestration, organ and score-reading.”

In four years at Trinity College of Music, Akin Euba earned three degrees in piano performance and teacher training. Uzoigwe tells us Akin Euba regarded his first major composition to be a 1956 work, Introduction and Allegro for Orchestra. He earned Fellowship diplomas at the College in 1957 in Composition and Piano Performance. Euba submitted a string quartet for the Composition Fellowship. He went back to Nigeria in 1957 and served as a Senior Programme Assistant (Music) at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation until his promotion to Head of Music in 1960. The author continues: “Two works which were written as a result of his experiences at this time are Six Yoruba Songs for voice and piano, and Two Yoruba Folk Songs for unaccompanied choir. They were both completed in 1959. In the same year that he was promoted as Head of Music (1960), Akin Euba wrote another work entitled The Wanderer for violoncello and piano.”

Akin Euba's curriculum vitae observes that his creative concepts have no better representation than the opera Chaka, MRI 0001CD (1999): “Briefly stated, Chaka is a fusion of 20th century techniques of composition with stylistic elements derived from African traditional music, particularly the music of the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria. Moreover, the orchestra is a combination of African and Western instruments.” Full Biography

Akin Euba
Nigerian Composer
African Pianism
Opera Chaka
Mellon Professor of Music
African Composer

The Angeles Players, An African American String Ensemble

2008-04-28T08:32:00.006-04:00

[Top: The Original Angeles Players; Bottom: The Angeles Players Today. Photos courtesy of Joseph R. Taylor]

On April 26 AfriClassical posted: “Music Without Borders Concert: Works of William Grant Still and Carlos Chavez June 29”. The performers will be The Angeles Players and the African American opera singer Hope Foye. Today we post photos and history of The Angeles Players, provided to us by the concert's producer,John Malveaux/Music Untold, Jmalveaux@gmail.com “The Angeles Players began in 1982 in the garage studio of Mark Cargill (violin) with Valencia Williams (violin), Joseph R. Taylor (viola) and Clavis Ballard (cello). They were then known as the 'Original' Angeles String Quartet. Over the years, the personnel has changed or augmented, keeping with three of the originals, Val, Joseph and Clavis. For almost 20 years, the Angeles Players have performed throughout the Los Angeles region as a quartet up to a small chamber orchestra, performing for the Shambrey Chorale, numerous church functions, conventions, weddings and chamber music concerts. The present ensemble consists of Joseph R. Taylor (violin), Vernon Humphries II (violin), Darrel Sims (viola) and Clavis Ballard (cello). The above black and white photo shows the Angeles Players with John Sims (violin), Valencia Williams-Mitchell (violin), Joseph R. Taylor (viola) and Clavis Ballard (cello) in a 1984 Shambrey Chorale concert with Jester Harrison.”

Music Without Borders Concert
The Angeles Players
William Grant Still
African American Composer
Carlos Chavez
African American String Players

Music Without Borders Concert: Works of William Grant Still and Carlos Chavez June 29

2008-04-26T11:02:00.008-04:00

AfriClassical is pleased to publish this poster for the Music Without Borders Concert. Works of the African American composer William Grant Still (1895-1978) and the Mexican composer Carlos Chavez (1899-1978) will be performed by The Angeles Players and Hope Foye on Sunday, June 29, 2008 at 3 pm at the Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach, California. The concert is produced by John Malveaux/Music Untold, Jmalveaux@gmail.com [William Grant Still is profiled at AfriClassical.com]

Music Without Borders Concert
William Grant Still
African American Composer
Carlos Chavez
Mexican Composer
Classical Music Concert