Oakland Students Play Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence B. Price & William Grant Still May 31

[Angela Wellman, Trombonist, is Founder of Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, “The country's first Public Conservatory of Music”] 

“Oakland Conservatory youth musicians onstage Sunday”

InsideBayArea.com

By Angela Woodall

Oakland Tribune

Posted: 05/27/09

Updated: 05/28/09

“From Aaron Copland to Modest Mussorgsky, young Oakland musicians will take the stage Sunday at Skyline Community Church for an afternoon of works by innovative composers. The Oakland Public Conservatory of Music chamber orchestra and youth symphony also will perform selections from William Grant Still, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Florence Price and Amy Beach — composers whose musical vision transcended their 19th century lives.

“The event is a fundraiser for the conservatory's low-cost youth music programs. The free concert begins at 5 p.m. at the church at 12540 Skyline Blvd. The conservatory was founded in 2005 under the leadership of trombonist Angela Wellman. The school, at 1616 Franklin St., now hosts numerous classes for youths and adults in a wide variety of styles, including the youth symphony, open mic singing and percussion.” [Full Post]

AngelaWellman.com:

“Trombonist Angela Wellman, hailing proudly from Kansas City, Missouri, has performed with the McCoy Tyner Big Band, Joe Williams, Al Grey, Slide Hampton and other noted musicians. Ms. Wellman is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where she received a Masters degree in Music Education. She is also a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Study Fellowship to study with trombonist, Steve Turre.” “From 1997-2002, Angela served as the Education Director for the Oakland Youth Chorus (OYC). During her tenure with the OYC, she developed award-winning community music education program, Music in the Schools. In 2005, Wellman founded the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, which, as she states, is the 21st century iteration of the 20th century HBCU, the focus being American Musical culture and identity.”  [Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912), Florence B. Price (1887-1953) and William Grant Still (1895-1978) are profiled at AfriClassical.com]