AfriClassical

Press Invite: Chicago Sinfonietta's "City-Scapes," June 9 including 'Shards of Serenity' of Jonathan Bailey Holland

2013-05-22T20:55:00.000-04:00

Jonathan Bailey Holland

www.jonathanbaileyholland.com/newsite

On May 4, 2013 AfriClassical posted: Chicago Sinfonietta Concludes 25th Season With 'City-Scapes' Including 'Shards of Serenity' of Jonathan Bailey Holland June 8 & 9, 2013

Sunday, June 9

3:00 pm

At Orchestra Hall of Symphony Center,

220 S. Michigan Avenue

ChiScapes has been curated by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Jennifer Higdon. The composers and their architectural muses include:

· Armando Bayolo: the Modern Wing of the Art Institute Chicago, designed by Renzo Piano

· Vivian Fung (winner of the 2013 Juno® Award for “Classical Composition of the Year”): the Aqua building designed by Jeanne Gang

· Jonathan Holland: S. R. Crown Hall, designed by Ludwig Mies van de Rohe

· Chris Rogerson: Jay Pritzker Pavilion of Millennium Park, designed by Frank Gehry

The City-Scapes program also includes these other urban- and architecture-themed works:

· Duke Ellington’s Harlem

· Johann Strauss’ Tales from the Vienna Wood

· Jennifer Higdon’s river sings a song to trees

· Michael Daugherty’s Red Cape Tango

Conductor: Sinfonietta Music Director Mei-Ann Chen

R.S.V.P. by Thursday, June 6 to Eric Eatherly at Eric@silvermangroupchicago.com or 312-932-9950

[Duke Ellington (1899-1974) is featured at AfriClassical.com]

Eric Conway: 'Joseph Eubanks, former Morgan Music Chair and Choir Director passed away'

2013-05-22T19:26:00.000-04:00

Dr. Eric Conway of Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland writes:

Hello everyone,

It is with a heavy heart that I must share the news of the passing of Joseph Eubanks, former Morgan State University Chairperson of the Music Department and Choir Director. Joseph Eubanks passed away on Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 11:45 a.m. He was 88 years old. His body was donated to science.

The family will have a memorial service on Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 3:00 PM at Faith Presbyterian Church on 5400 Loch Raven Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21239. Please share this information with anyone that might want to attend this memorial. Thank you.

Eric Conway, D.M.A.

Fine and Performing Arts Department, Chairperson

Morgan State University

'Symphony No. 1 in E Minor' of Florence B. Price can be purchased from 'A-R Editions, Music of the United States of America'

2013-05-22T12:49:00.002-04:00

Florence B. Price: Concerto in One Movement and Symphony in E Minor

Recorded Music of the African Diaspora, Vol. 3

CBMR/Albany Records TROY1295 (2011)

MUSA: Music of the United States of America, Vol. 19
Florence Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3
Edited by Rae Linda Brown and Wayne Shirley
(Provided by Janet Harper, Reference Librarian, CBMR)

Florence B. Price (1887-1953)

is
profiled at

AfriClassical.com

,
which features a comprehensive Works List and a Bibliography by Prof.
Dominique-René de Lerma,

www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com. Yesterday a visitor to AfriClassical.com asked where the Symphony No. 1 in E Minor of Florence B. Price can be purchased.

We forwarded the inquiry to the Reference Librarians at the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College Chicago, cbmrref@colum.edu. The CBMR promptly replied that the work may be purchased from the publisher, A-R Editions for the Music of the United States of America (MUSA) series: https://www.areditions.com/rr/rra/a066.html.

The publisher notes that the publication consists of Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3, both Edited by Rae Linda Brown

Comment by email:

Bill, Thanks for the entry and for giving us credit.  The attachment is a scan of thecover of the score that you may use if you want to.  People are very visual. 
Though you say it is purchasing information for the score, your readers may still 
think it is purchasing info for the CD.  Janet  [Janet Harper, Reference 
Librarian, CBMR]

'How can we engage young singers to champion repertoire of Langston Hughes among others?'

2013-05-22T12:11:00.000-04:00

Langston Hughes (1902-1967)(Wikipedia identifies this as a 1936 photo by Carl Van Vechten)

Today we present excerpts from messages received from Jim Mastracco:

I'm a member of the Washington Men's Camerata - how can we engage young singers to champion repertoire of Langston Hughes among others?

My thoughts about this, perhaps better stated - what is to become of the male choral repertoire - particularly when the 'instruments of performance' are fewer and farther between?

I came across a recording that featured Sydney Poitier reading poetry of Langston Hughes and others:

(link about it here - http://www.nytimes.com/books/01/04/22/specials/hughes-abused.html -

and here

http://www.allmusic.com/album/sidney-poitier-reads-poetry-of-the-black-man-mw0001681149

and went out and got the recording. My admiration for Poitier going back to seeing To Sir With Love as kid, which for sure influenced my interests in becoming a teacher, - aside - I was interested in what came of the men's chorus that was also on the recording. It occurred to me, that it would be interesting to redo - the recording - perhaps as a roadcast, or something with an assortment of actors - to the extent that I would be in a position to do this, as a mechanism, or vehicle to interest younger singers.

Years ago in college, my glee club sang in a massed chorus with Wendell Whalum directing. The Camerata, some years ago (as I may have written) gave a full concert dedicated to Hughes' poetry, so I do have some understanding of the history - and connections, but for sure am by no means a scholar - and your blog is extraordinary. ( I found it purely researching the life of Henry Lewis.)

I taught at an urban arts school for a brief period a few years ago, and I was struck that my rudimentary knowledge of this music (not to mention jazz) was better than young people growing up in and or near the birthplace of Duke Ellington.

Feel free to extract what you wish for your blog.

Jim

Jessie Montgomery named Sphinx Virtuosi's Inaugural Composer-in-Residence

2013-05-21T11:53:00.000-04:00

Jessie Montgomery (Jiyang Chen)

AfriClassical has been writing about Jessie Montgomery, whose website is
www.jessiemontgomery.com, since 2008, when she was a violinist in the Providence String Quartet. That same year, we heard a YouTube video of a composition she wrote and performed with the group, Strum.

Sphinx Organization

The Sphinx Virtuosi Composer-in-Residence program serves as an important avenue to engage young composers of color in new commissions and arrangements for the ensemble. The 2013 Sphinx Virtuosi Composer-in-Residence Partnership has been funded by a gift from Linda and Stuart Nelson. "We are incredibly excited about this partnership and the opportunity to share great new music with audiences across the country. We thank Linda and Stuart Nelson for their vision and commitment to our mission!" said Afa Sadykhly Dworkin, Artistic Director and Vice-President of Programming of the Sphinx Organization.

Jessie Montgomery, Sphinx alumna and violinist of the Catalyst Quartet, has been named the Inaugural Sphinx Virtuosi Composer-in-Residence. This Fall, Montgomery's works will be featured during the 2013 Sphinx Virtuosi tour which includes the ensemble’s 10th anniversary concert at Carnegie Hall. "I am thrilled to be selected as the Inaugural Composer-in-Residence for the Sphinx Virtuosi! I look forward to the opportunity this position offers me to create new works that will further diversify the palette of contemporary American composition." stated Montgomery. Jessie Montgomery is a New York native violinist, composer and music educator. She is a composer and performer of film, theater and concert music, performing regularly among New York’s classical and new music scenes.

Don’t miss this opportunity to book the Sphinx Virtuosi featuring

Jessie Montgomery and the Catalyst Quartet!

Dr. Elizabeth A. Sellers, California State University Northridge, Provides Original American Music for 'SYMPHONY of BROTHERHOOD' Concert Aug. 18

2013-05-21T10:58:00.001-04:00

Dr. Elizabeth A. Sellers

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com writes:

Dr. Elizabeth Sellers has accepted an invitation to provide original American music for the opening, musical bed, and closing segments of 50th Anniversary Martin Luther King, Jr. 'SYMPHONY of BROTHERHOOD' Concert, August 18, 2013, Zipper Hall-Colburn School. Please see: http://www.csun.edu/mike-curb-arts-media-communication/music/Elizabeth-Sellers

John Malveaux

www.musicuntold.com

Tel.(562) 436-4352

Errollyn Wallen Awarded the Ivor Novello Award for Classical Music 2013

2013-05-20T21:17:00.000-04:00

Dear All,

It is with the greatest pleasure that I can announce that I am this year's recipient of The Ivor Novello Award for Classical Music.

The award was presented to me by Bradley Hemmings (pictured with me) at a rather glittering affair at Grosvenor House hotel on May 16th.

I would like to thank you for the tremendous support you have shown me throughout the years. That support and encouragement has kept this particular composer going!

You can hear me on Radio 3's In Tune (BBC iPlayer) speaking about the award – I'm about 1 hour 45 mins in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01scyyr

Warm wishes,

Errollyn

www.errollynwallen.com

IVOR NOVELLO AWARD FOR CLASSICAL MUSIC 2013

WINNER OF FIPA D'OR 2013 for Best Music for a Television Series (ONE NIGHT, BBC One)

Gene Pritsker: "CD Release Concert for 'Samplestra' this Thursday @ Drom"; 'All proceeds from this concert will go directly to the Dave Gotay fund

2013-05-20T20:53:00.000-04:00

Dave Gotay, Cellist for Harlem Chamber Players

On Friday, May 17, 2013 AfriClassical posted: Harlem Chamber Players: Please Help Cellist Dave Gotay Fight Cancer

Gene Pritsker writes:

Hi folks

I would like to invite you to my CD release concert for my new album 'Samplestra'.

Advance tickets are $10 ($15 at the door)

All proceeds from this concert will go directly to the Dave Gotay fund, to help our friend in his time of need

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dave-fights-evil-cancer

Composers Concordance Records

presents the CD Release Concert for

'Samplestra'

the Electro - Acoustic music of Gene Pritsker

Thursday, May 23rd, 9:30pm 2013

DROM NYC

85 Avenue A New York, NY 10009

(212) 777-1157

Tickets: $10 adv and $15 at door - Ticket Purchase Includes the new cd

For more information, contact:

Composers Concordance Records

646 522 9442

composersconcordancerecords@gmail.com

EVENT SITE

DROM: http://www.dromnyc.com/events/2481/gene-pritskers-electro-acoustic-samplestra-release-concert#.UYGLXisjrvE

Tickets: http://www.ticketfly.com/event/268985

FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/198525773604688

Composers Concordance Records celebrates its May 2013 release of Gene Pritsker's new album: 'Samplestra', an album of the Electro - Acoustic music .

"Samplestra is the name I give to any prerecorded elements in my music. I see it as an orchestra of samples, since I use little fragments of pre existing music or sounds and manipulate them to my own composition. I treat these samples as found objects to write new music with. This CD represents 14 compositions that use Samplestra in combination with solos or small chamber ensembles ."

The concert will feature performances by: Edmundo Ramirez - Viola D'amour, Franz Hackl - trumpet, Michiyo Suzuki - clarinet, Margaret Lancaster - flute,

Cesare Papetti - percussion, Borislav Strulev - cello, Greg Baker - guitar, Lynn Bechtold - violin, John Clark - horn

You can sample music from the album and learn more about it here: http://noizepunk.wix.com/samplestra

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ_X01aOmu4

The Album has received some great Reviews:

"'Samplestra' combines electronic samples with classical instruments... The result is fascinating. This is contemporary classical music at its best. I love it."

- United-Mutations. May, 2013

"As music, which ultimately we of course evaluate anything new on the basis of, it hangs together remarkably well. Don't try to pin it down stylistically but let it take you where it may. If you do that you will find an enormously stimulating program. This is the sort of thing Gene has been working on for some time, and he has gotten extraordinarily adept at juggling the elements and making it all very cohesive and very musical. Brilliant!"

- Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review May 2013

"His expressive reach is so wide as to encompass everything from ethno/techno, rock/jazz fusion, classical opera and more, and it all seems to be effortlessly integrated within his anima and comes out through different facets of his persona. You could almost see him as a modern day renaissance man. Most of the music on this new CD is fast-paced, frenetic, driven by nervous energy and always fleshing out details like an overclocked cpu. Traces of Fripp, Bruford, Weather Report, Bryars, Zappa, are vaguely present within the mesh of his music, but never copied, just simply evoked. And when Gene Pritsker comes up for air, slows down, and lets his expressive side take over, as in the slow movement of Electrically Tragic, truly evocative and moving music comes to the surface."

- Classical Music Sentinel, Jean-Yves Duperron - May 2013

http://composersconcordancerecords.com/

http://www.genepritsker.com/

Arizona Pro Arte Ensemble: Call for Scores! Winner's Work Performed in Phoenix!

2013-05-20T20:07:00.000-04:00

2013-2014 Project Description

Seeking to provide our audiences with the best experience possible to the widest exposure of great music, Arizona Pro Arte announces their 2013-2014 “Call for Scores” project.

The winning work will be performed on Arizona Pro Arte’s April 10th, 2014 concert at Tempe Center for the Arts in Tempe, Arizona. The program is titled “Apotheosis of the Dance.” The winning work will be performed with a live solo dancer or duo of dancers. The concert also includes Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony.

Instrumentation

Submissions may consist of any combination of the following: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani plus 1 auxiliary percussionist, and strings (6/6/4/4/2).

Application Fee

There is no application fee for our Call for Scores project.

Eligibility

Any person of any nationality/age/gender/race is encouraged to apply.

Deadline

The deadline for submission is December 1, 2013.

Baritone Will Liverman in Cathy Heifetz Memorial Concert, Mandel Hall, University of Chicago Sunday, June 2, 2013 3 PM

2013-05-20T12:11:00.000-04:00

Will Liverman (Rebecca Fay)

Cathy Heifetz Memorial Concert
University of Chicago
Department of Music
Sunday, June 2, 2013 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Mandel Hall, 1131 East 57th Street, Chicago, ILFor a gala culmination to the 2012-2013 season, the University Chorus and Motet Choir join the USO to present a perennial favorite: Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, a “scenic cantata” based on 24 Medieval poems. Soloists Patrice Michaels, soprano, Ian McEuen, tenor, and Will Liverman, baritone, join the 250+ musicians on stage. The program opens with Antonin Dvorák’s exhilarating Carnival Overture and Josef Suk’s delightfully melodious Scherzo Fantastique.

Will Liverman Bio

Praised by the New York Times as “mello-voiced and charismatic” and Opera News for his “noble sound and bearing,” baritone Will Liverman is the winner of a 2013 Sara Tucker Study Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation. In the 2012-13 season, he joined the Lyric Opera of Chicago as a member of the prestigious Ryan Opera Center. He made his debut as Brühlmann in Werther and, in his first season with the company, sang the Sargeant in La bohème as well as covers Schaunard in the same opera and Marullo in Rigoletto. He also joins the company in scenes from La traviata in its Stars of the Lyric concert at Millennium Park conducted by Stephen Lord. In the spring, he makes his role debut as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Utah Opera and joins the University of Chicago as a guest artist for his first performances of Orff’s Carmina Burana. This past summer, he joined the Civic Orchestra of Chicago under the baton of Sir Andrew Davis in scenes of La bohème and Le nozze di Figaro. He returns to the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in the 2013-14 season, where he will sing Figaro in special family performances of Il barbiere di Siviglia as well as Fiorello in the same opera, Marquis in La traviata, the Registrar in Madama Butterfly, and Yvan in Die Fledermaus. He also joins the company for covers of the Falke in Die Fledermaus, Hunter in Rusalka, Montano in Otello, and Yamadori in Madama Butterfly.

Mr. Liverman was a grand finalist of the 2012 Metropolitan Opera National Counctil auditions in which he sang “Batter my Heart” from Adams’ Doctor Atomic and Papageno’s suicide aria from Die Zauberflöte with Sir Andrew Davis conducting the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Also in 2012, he earned his Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, at which he sang the leading role of James Meredith in Peter Maxwell Davies’ opera, Kommilitonen!, under the direction of the work’s librettist, David Poutney. Previously at The Juilliard School, he sang Marco in Gianni Schicchi and Liberto in L’incoronazione di Poppea.

Other recent performances for the baritone include the Protestant Minister in Menotti’s The Last Savage as well as the cover of Schaunard in La bohème with Santa Fe Opera as an Apprentice Artist; Sacristan in Tosca and Mr. Jenks in The Tender Land while a Young Artist at the Glimmerglass Festival; and the title role of Gianni Schicchi, Sprecher in Die Zauberflöte, and John Brooke in Mark Adamo’s Little Women at the Brevard Music Festival. He made his Alice Tully Hall debut with the New York Festival of Song, collaborating with Steven Blier on a program entitled, “Road Trip.”

ASALH: Local Arrangements Committee Meeting May 23, 2013 at Ritz Theater, Jacksonville, FL

2013-05-20T10:43:00.000-04:00

The Founders of Black History Month will be in Jacksonville

May 23rd!!!

ASALH is holding its 98^th Annual Conference in historic Jacksonville, Florida, October 2-6, 2013, and we need your help!

Whenever ASALH comes into town pulling together the segments of our conference, featuring our host city, we seek out the help and support of leaders in the community. Who knows better whom to contact for various services and skills we need to make the convention a success than you?

ASALH will hold our next Local Arrangements Committee Meeting on the date below, and we invite you, your friends and associates from near and far to join us.

THURSDAY, May 23, 2013

The Ritz Theater

829 N. Davis Street, Jacksonville, FL

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

*This meeting is free and open to the public.*

Questions? Please call us at (202) 238-5910 or email us at gjackson@apsplan.com

John Malveaux: 'First Black Star To Perform in White House 1933' was Etta Moten Barnett

2013-05-20T10:05:00.000-04:00

Moten as Bess in Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, 1943
(Wikipedia)

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com names the first Black Star to perform in the White House:

Soprano Ella Moten Barnett http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etta_Moten_Barnett

John Malveaux

Deadline for Applications to AOP's 'Composers and the Voice' Program Has Been Extended

2013-05-19T17:07:00.000-04:00

Trinity Presbyterian Church Presents Richard Alston, Pianist, with The Harlem Chamber Players in Benefit Concert 4 PM Sunday, June 9, 2013

2013-05-19T16:35:00.001-04:00

Trinity Presbyterian Church

Presents

RICHARD ALSTON, Pianist

with

THE HARLEM CHAMBER PLAYERS

in a benefit* concert performing

Prokofiev Overture on Hebrew Themes for piano, clarinet & strings

Shostakovich Piano Trio in e minor

Schumann Piano Quintet

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Trinity Presbyterian Church

Orange Road and High Street, Montclair, NJ 07046

Sunday, June 9, 2013, 4:00 pm

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

$10*general admission advance purchase

$15.00* at the door

$5.00*Students and Seniors advance purchase

$10.00* at the door

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

For more information call and give your name to

Mrs. Deidra McLaughlin and reserve your advance purchase ticket.

862-250-2850

*ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE TRINITY PRESBYTERIAN YOUTH MUSIC MINISTRY. If you cannot attend please send a donation to TPCYMM.

On Site Opera & Harlem Opera Theater present George Gershwin’s jazz opera 'Blue Monday' June 18 & 19, 2013 at the Cotton Club

2013-05-19T11:32:00.000-04:00

Blue Monday

Alyson Cambridge

Chase Taylor

On Site Opera & Harlem Opera Theater invite you to take a trip back to the roaring ‘20s as they present George Gershwin’s jazz opera Blue Monday at the Cotton Club. This 30‐minute jazz opera gem tells the story of a love triangle gone wrong against the backdrop of a 1920’s Harlem jazz club. Continuing its mission of producing site-specific performances, On Site Opera takes up residence at the historic Cotton Club on Tuesday, June 18 and Wednesday, June 19, 2013. Each evening, the doors will open at 7pm with an hour of cocktails and dancing before the opera at 8pm. The dance floor will be open and cocktails will flow as a prelude to Gershwin's jazz-infused murder romance.

Blue Monday will be conducted by Gregory Hopkins (Harlem Opera Theater) and directed by Eric Einhorn (On Site Opera) with choreography by Tony Award-winner George Faison and costumes by Candida K. Nichols. The talented African-American cast features Alyson Cambridge, Chase Taylor, Lawrence Craig, Clayton Mathews and Alvin Crawford. Members of the Harlem Chamber Players and the Cotton Club All Stars will accompany the evening.

Julius P. Williams and John Malveaux Met May 18, 2013 to Discuss Collaboration and Next Month's League of American Orchestras Conference

2013-05-19T10:22:00.002-04:00

Julius P. Williams (b. 1954)
is featured at AfriClassical.com

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com writes:

New York Composer and Conductor Julius Williams met with John Malveaux in Long Beach on May 18, 2013 to discuss potential collaborative projects and the League of American Orchestras Conference next month. Maestro Williams will attend the Conference. See http://www.juliuspwilliams.com/index.html

Thanks
John Malveaux

www.musicuntold.com

Sedalia Democrat: 'Original artist gives Joplin mural a facelift' in Sedalia, Missouri

2013-05-18T17:03:00.000-04:00

Scott Joplin (c. 1867-1917) was an African-American composer and pianist of ragtime and classical music. He is profiled at AfriClassical.com, which relies extensively on an authoritative biography, Dancing to a Black Man's Tune: A Life of Scott Joplin, written by Susan Curtis and published in 2004 by the University of Missouri Press. Susan Curtis is Professor of History and American Studies at Purdue University.

Sedalia DemocratSedalia, Missouri

Original artist gives Joplin mural a facelift

Posted: Friday, May 17, 2013

by Dennis Rich

Stan Herd raised the scissor lift he was working from on Thursday and dabbed paint onto his brush, then took a step back and examined his work before leaning in and adding a few brush strokes of contour to Scott Joplin’s suit jacket.

Herd, an internationally known artist based out of Lawrence, Kan., has been working like this off and on for the last month as the Scott Joplin mural at West Second Street and South Ohio Avenue has undergone something of a facelift.

Though it has been nearly 20 years since he first created the mural — perhaps the most recognizable piece of public art in the city — he told the Democrat he was glad to have the opportunity to reconnect with the piece and hopefully extend its life for another 20 years.

Comment by email:
Dear Bill, Thanks for sending the update to the Scott Joplin site. I'm glad to know that the mural is being well maintained! The lecture on Scott Joplin went well. I had an opportunity to give a second Weiner lecture, and gave a talk about the Depression of the 1890s. I think that one went well, too! All the best,
Susan [Susan Curtis]

Sergio A. Mims forwards 8-minute video on Sujari Britt from educational YouTube channel THNKR

2013-05-18T16:29:00.000-04:00

Sergio A. Mims writes:

Here's a new video sent to me from Sujari's mother. It was produced by THNKR which is a educational YouTube channel created by Radical Media "to tell really inspiring stories, to get people thinking and provoke conversation"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18SJYcWCmWo

Sergio

Published on May 17, 2013

Sujari Britt has been playing music since she was 2-years-old and has been playing cello since she was 4. When she was 8, she performed for President Obama at the White House. In this episode of PRODIGIES, watch as she tackles a piece of music even her instructors say is far beyond her years.

PRODIGIES is a bi-weekly series showcasing the youngest and brightest as they challenge themselves to reach new heights and the stories behind them.

Created and produced by @radical.media, THNKR gives you extraordinary access to the people, stories, places and thinking that will change your mind.

Follow THNKR on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thnkr

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thnkrtv

Check out our Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/thnkr/

SUBSCRIBE! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c...

Dr. Hansonia Caldwell: 'Become a supporter of The Jester Hairston Documentary Project'

2013-05-18T11:47:00.001-04:00

Dr. Hansonia Caldwell writes:

Greetings Dr. Zick -- Hope all is well with you.

So much for retirement! Our Jester Hairston project is going well. Please share this with fans and friends of the Spiritual! Every donation will help.

HELP KEEP AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSICAL HISTORY ALIVE!

It is our pleasure to invite you to become a supporter of the Jester Hairston Documentary Project - a wonderful film about an incredibly talented composer, arranger, conductor, actor and teacher that I have been working on for three years with my co-producer, Lillian Benson. We have launched an IndieGogo campaign to raise money to pay for the stock footage and music rights needed to tell the story of this magnificent man who lived a rich and long life: igg.me/at/hairston-doc

Jester Hairston was a man of many talents, and is probably best-known for his arrangement of the Spiritual “Amen” which is featured in Sidney Poitier’s Academy Award-winning film, Lilies of the Fields. (It is actually Jester Hairston's voice you hear in the film.) Many of us know Hairston from his work conducting the Spiritual in churches all over the country. But Hairston was also active in the early decades of Hollywood, teaming up with film composer Dimitri Tiomkin as a choral arranger and later as an actor on television. It has been fun doing this, and we are getting some great interviews from musicians, scholars and educators who knew Jester. We are producing a documentary that will inspire students, singers, teachers, and composers of today and tomorrow, and we need your help.

We need to raise funds to pay for the film rights for the excerpts we are including. Give as little as $10 and as much as $5,000. Your tax-deductible donation will make a difference!

Please visit our IndieGogo Site -- igg.me/at/hairston-doc and share it with your friends! Don't forget to “like” us on Facebook as well. Thank you very, very much.

Sincerely,

Hansonia Caldwell

Lillian Benson

The Jester Hairston Film Project

The African Diaspora Sacred Music and Musicians Program of California State University Dominguez Hills and its Georgia and Nolan Payton Archive is undertaking the development of a 60-minute film, Amen - the Life and Work of Jester Hairston.

Please visit our website to learn more:

http://www.jesterhairston.org

Comment by email:
Bill -- Thank you so much. This will be very helpful. Hansonia [Hansonia Caldwell]

Sergio Mims: "Duke Ellington's 'Queenie Pie' to be performed at the Chicago Opera Theater next season"

2013-05-17T21:55:00.000-04:00

The University of Texas at Austin announced the above release on Longhorn Records on April 8, 2010: University’s Record Label Releases “Queenie Pie,” Duke Ellington’s Only Opera

Sergio Mims forwards this press release:

CHICAGO OPERA THEATER ANNOUNCES 2014 SEASON

COT’s 2014 Season is 100% 20^th Century and 150% COT

with works by Duke Ellington, Carl Orff, Viktor Ullmann and Ernest Bloch

CHICAGO (May 17, 2013) – Chicago Opera Theater (COT) General Director Andreas Mitisek today announces programming for COT’s 2014 season, including two operas and a double-bill of one-acts. Mitisek comments, “It’s a season that is 100% 20^th century and 150% COT. New, rare and with contemporary relevance for a curious audience that is hungry for new theatrical experiences.” The season opens with the Chicago Premiere of Duke Ellington’s Queenie Pie, February 15 – 23, 2014. In the spring, COT presents a double-bill of Carl Orff’s Die Kluge and Viktor Ullmann’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis, May 31 – June 8, 2014. The season wraps in the fall with the Chicago Premiere of Ernest Bloch’s Macbeth, September 13 – 21, 2014. Mitisek also comments “We increased our subscriber family by 18.5% in 2013. COT is THE place for adventure and discovery. We invite our audience on a journey into the good and evil of ambition.”

About the Season

Duke Ellington’s only opera and one of his fairly unknown and rarely performed works, Queenie Pie, blends big band sound and clever lyrics with the musical styles of opera, jazz and musical theater. The title character, Queenie Pie, was inspired by the life of Madam C. J. Walker, the first African American self-made woman millionaire, who developed and sold a line of hair and beauty products through innovative mail orders and door-to-door sales. Interested in the opera genre since the 1940s, Ellington started composing Queenie Pie in 1962, when he received a commission from the New York public TV station WNET. In collaboration with librettist Betty McGettigan, he worked on the opera from 1967 to his death in 1974, but the work remained unfinished. Since then, different versions have been produced (1986 in Philadelphia and Washington, DC; 1993 in Brooklyn; and 2008 by the Oakland Opera Theater). COT performs the version that librettist McGettigan created for the Butler Opera Center at the University of Texas at Austin in 2009, proclaiming it to be the closest to Ellington's original vision. For this production, COT partners with the renowned Chicago Jazz Orchestra. Queenie Pie is also planned as a co-production with Long Beach Opera, CA. COT performs Queenie Pie at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Street, February 15 – 23, 2014.

Tickets and Subscriptions

Three-opera subscriptions start at $95 and go on sale July 1, 2013. Individual tickets go on sale January 6, 2014. Subscriptions and tickets may be purchased through Chicago Opera Theater at www.chicagooperatheater.org or by phone at 312-704-8414.

About Chicago Opera Theater

Chicago Opera Theater has carved a significant place for itself in the operatic life of Chicago and has reached an audience of hundreds of thousands through its main stage performances, community engagement, education programs in Chicago Public Schools, as well as its renowned Young Artist Program.

Experience MORE OF THE DIFFERENT with Chicago Opera Theater!

For more information on the Chicago Opera Theater and its programs please visit www.chicagooperatheater.org.

50th Anniversary Update: Zanaida Robles to sing three songs from Coretta Scott King's July 10, 1959 Concert program at the Dayton Art Institute.

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Zanaida Robles

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com writes:

Choral conductor and soprano Zanaida Robles has accepted an invitation to sing three songs from Coretta Scott King' July 10, 1959 Concert program at the Dayton Art Institute. Coretta Scott studied under Metropolitan Opera star Mme Marie Sundelius at the New England Conservatory of Music where she also sang in the Conservatory chorus which annually sang with the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Thanks,

John Malveaux

Harlem Chamber Players: Please Help Cellist Dave Gotay Fight Cancer

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Dave is a cellist, husband, brother, son, uncle, and overall amazing man who was diagnosed on May 9th, 2013 with Stage IV Renal Cell Carcinoma - kidney cancer that had spread undetected to his brain and lungs. The diagnosis was a total shock. He first went to the doctor for what he had thought was a simple strain injury in his right arm from too much time on the cello, only to discover he had a brain tumor, an infected kidney, and over 30 tumors in his lungs. Today David is in the fight for his life. But he's not alone...

Please click here for more information and to donate, and please share.

The Harlem Chamber Players, Inc.

191 Claremont Avenue #25

New York, New York 10027

212-866-1492

www.harlemchamberplayers.org

Harlem Chamber Players: This Sunday at 3: "Appalachian Spring" Concert

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The Harlem Chamber Players
present
The "Appalachian Spring" Concert
Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 3 PM
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
521 West 126th Street, New York, NY 10027
Between Broadway and Amsterdam
Click here for directions.
Click here to print and view a flyer.

Featuring

Amadi Azikiwe, Conductor; Ashley Horne, Solo Violin; Brandee Younger, Solo Harp;

Lisa Arkis, Flute; Liz Player, Clarinet; Amy Fraser, Bassoon; Evelyn Golz, Piano;

Monica Davis, Violin; Vita Wallace, Violin; Charlene Bishop, Violin; José Manuel Pietri-Coimbre, Violin;

Aundrey Mitchell, Viola; Adam Hill, Viola; Lawrence Zoernig, Cello;

Patrice Jackson-Tilghman, Cello; Maurice Belle, Double Bass; Paul Novosel, Harpsichord

Program

Pachelbel Canon

Debussy Danses sacrée et profane

Vivaldi Summer from Four Seasons

Copland Appalachian Spring for 13 Players

Meet-the-Artists Wine and Cheese Reception to Follow

Hosted by Eric K. Washington

Empire Opera Presents Reading & Reception of 'Attila' by Giuseppe Verdi on Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 4 PM

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Join Us for a Little R & R

(A Reading and Reception, that is!)

A Reading and a Reception of Verdi's powerful opera, Attila - THIS SUNDAY! This little-performed work tells the story of Attila the Hun and the woman who brings him down. This is the second performance we will be giving at the Opera America National Opera Center.

Tickets are only $15 which you can purchase online at www.brownpapertickets.com.

Sunday, May 19th @ 4:00pm
Opera America National Opera Center
330 Seventh Ave, 7th Floor (between 28th and 29th)
New York, NY 10001

Art of Élan Presents Free Concert at Malcolm X Library in San Diego at 6:30 PM Wednesday, May 29, 2013

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About Art of Élan

For the past 5 years, Art of Élan has been pioneering unique events and bringing the excitement of classical music to diverse audiences. Created by violinist Kate Hatmaker and flutist Demarre McGill, Art of Élan is breaking down the barriers that surround classical music through its innovative, one-hour programming and its commitment to unconventional performance venues. By drawing inspiration from the word élan, which represents momentum, vigor and spirit, and providing an opportunity to connect directly with concertgoers, Art of Élan hopes to engage and energize audiences in new ways.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013 Concert

We are excited to announce a special upcoming concert at the Malcolm X Library on Wednesday, May 29th @ 6:30pm, which Art of Élan is offering FREE to the public, thanks in part to a Community Enhancement grant from the County of San Diego at the recommendation of Supervisor Ron Roberts.

The diverse musical performance will include highlights from recent Art of Élan seasons, including works by Ginastera, Venezuelan flutist/composer Marco Granados, Mexican composer Arturo Marquez, and the exciting young New York composer LJOVA, who premiered his "Songs of Bert Meyers" on the recent Art of Élan concert at The San Diego Museum of Art.

Please visit:
INSTANT ENCORE
to hear audio samples of the program and learn more about this exciting concert.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

-Kate & Demarre